Rethinking and contextualizing the continuous assessment of the future general practitioner: the bet of Assessment for Learning

Abstract

For several years now, in many countries, healthcare professional training programs have undergone reforms aimed at adapting professionalization to the changing needs of society, leading to a rethinking of learning and assessment methods. To be effective, these reflections should ideally be adapted to local specificities. This study focuses on a particular context: the training of general practitioners in Frenchspeaking Belgium, with a view to rethinking continuous assessment. A collaborative longitudinal study brought together stakeholders involved in assessment to determine the competencies required of future professionals and the way to support their development. The results led to the creation of a competency framework organized into levels of development and expectations by year of training. Used as a “support tool”, it would facilitate the assessment for learning, which can situate the assistant in their training path and determine the next step they could take to progress toward professionalization.