The PROFILE of assessment program for internal medicine internship of Sun Yat-Sen University

AbstractObjective: To reflectively look at the present methods by which the clinical competence of 5th-year medical students (i.e. interns) in Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU) are assessed upon finishing internship rotation in internal medicine (IM).Methods: Current procedures for the competence assessment of end-of-rotation IM interns in the First Affiliated Hospital of SYSU were reviewed, along with a point-by-point appraisal based on the PROFILE approach to structured assessment, and, whenever possible, suggestions for future improvement.Results and discussions: On a scale of 1–10, with 10 being the best or the most ideal, our marks for current methods to assess end-of-rotation IM interns in terms of being Programmatic, Real-World, Outcome-based, Formative, Impactful, Learner-engaged, and Evaluation-guaranteed were 7, 9, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 1, respectively. The strengths, weaknesses as well as potential solutions in each of the seven aspects are also discussed separately.Conclusions: Current assessment progra...