TY - JOUR T1 - Formative assessments in medical education: are excessive, and erode the learning and teaching experience JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 145 LP - 145 DO - 10.3399/bjgp13X664298 VL - 63 IS - 608 AU - Edin Lakasing Y1 - 2013/03/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/63/608/145.abstract N2 - Over the last decade I have had the privilege of being involved in medical education as a postgraduate trainer and undergraduate tutor. In that time much has improved in terms of standard setting. However, an excessive focus on writing up reflective case studies is proving time-consuming for all concerned, impeding both learners and teachers.In 2007 the examination for Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) changed format, and became a compulsory exit exam to practise within our specialty. The key tenets of postgraduate education are building on the relevant within the basic sciences and clinical specialties, and linking theory with practice. Most would agree that knowing the distribution of the saphenous veins, or the pathophysiology of heart failure, are highly relevant to clinical care, while a detailed recollection of the Krebs cycle is not. To that end, the summative components of the MRCGP are sound. The applied knowledge test (AKT) reasonably tests the application of factual knowledge, while the clinical skills assessment (CSA) is certainly more representative of a consulting practise than the video assessment … ER -