ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2699

Interdisciplinary - Education in radiation therapy

ESTRO 2024

1 Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital, Radiation Oncology, Waratah, Australia. 2 Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine, Education, Sydney, Australia. 3 University of Washington, Radiation Oncology, Seattle, USA. 4 Australian Council for Educational Research, Policy and Development Division, Melbourne, Australia

Purpose/Objective:

Certification in medical physics involves a formal curriculum framework to define scientific and professional criteria that must be addressed by candidates. Most certification programs rely on high-stakes decision points including final written or oral examinations to determine whether a candidate has the required competence. It is acknowledged that low-stakes, workplace-based, progressive assessment can also be valuable in determining candidate capability. During review of a multi-national medical physic curriculum framework, feedback from stakeholders indicated disparities in workplace-based assessment between clinics. Clinical supervisors with limited teaching or training skills would rely only on assessment methods they felt comfortable with and would often use the same assessment method for all learning outcomes. To improve standardization, efficiency and robustness of workplace-based assessment, a model of programmatic assessment, incorporating a holistic view of performance across multiple assessment datapoints, was created. This model recognizes that as candidate competency develops over time, assessment information can be gathered that incorporates multiple, pre-defined assessment types. The new model ensures effective information on candidates is gathered and reported to measure competence, progression, and the achievement of learning outcomes.

Material/Methods:

As part of the medical physics training program renewal, a committee was charged with forming a model of programmatic assessment. This was completed under the guidance of education and assessment expert consultants. After determining scope and layout of the new curriculum, a series of suitable assessment methods that aligned with the program outcomes, content and teaching and learning strategies were considered. Committee members voted on their preferred assessment method to be used for each learning outcome of the new curriculum and a particular assessment method was assigned if it were collectively determined to be fit-for purpose for the specific learning outcome.

Results:

Many assessment methods were considered with some of the resulting core assessment methods also being composed as Structured Learning Activities (SLAs) due to the feedback from assessment providing a learning opportunity for the candidate. The final SLAs used, were as follows: 1. Entrustment Activity – Candidates are given increasing levels of responsibility/trust in an ongoing routine task, coupled with decreasing levels of supervision. 2. Written Task/Report – A short report outlining the work conducted on a task or understanding of a specific topic. 3. Oral Assessment – A structured oral assessment interview on a topic. 4. Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Activity – An app-based series of questions (from a question bank) that cover the required fundamental content of a topic. 5. Practical Assessment – Observation of a practical skill that is not part of routine quality assurance, but forms part of the normal skill set for a clinical physicist.