Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41723383›Full record

ArticleBMC medical education2026

The introduction of workplace-based assessment into postgraduate medical training in South Africa: trainee perspectives.

Emma Daitz, Louis S Jenkins, Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Madeleine Muller, Veena S Singaram, Richard Cooke, Sumaiya Adam, Dini Mawela, Gerda Botha, Thakadu Mamashela and 5 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Emma DaitzDepartment of Family, Community and Emergency Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. emma.daitz@uct.ac.za.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-8701-982X
Louis S JenkinsDepartment of Family, Community and Emergency Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3221-8683
Jacques Janse van RensburgDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5045-8728
Madeleine MullerDepartment of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, East London, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9291-7446
Veena S SingaramHealth Professions Education Unit, College of Health Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, eThekwini, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6974-7423
Richard CookeDepartment of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0827-8720
Sumaiya AdamDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Tshwane, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8769-3273
Dini MawelaDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Tshwane, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2709-9621
Gerda BothaPractice of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Tshwane, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1823-7570
Thakadu MamashelaDepartment of Forensic Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6521-8102
Tashneem HarrisDepartment of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0837-9815
Eric BuchColleges of Medicine of South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3276-9995
Lionel Green-Thompson *Committee of Medical Deans and Deanery, Pretoria, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2950-9527
Vanessa Burch *Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7304-4424
Tasleem Ras *Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5411-9363

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSouth Africa (SA) is moving towards implementing workplace-based assessments (WBA) in all medical specialist training programmes in the country. There are many challenges with implementing WBA, with existing literature suggesting implications for resources, and recognizing regulatory, educational, and social complexities. Research on WBA practices, experiences, and perceptions in the SA healthcare system is limited. The aim of this study was to identify factors that could impact WBA implementation from the perspectives of medical doctors in SA undergoing medical specialist training. The findings report on the perspectives, aspirations, and concerns of these postgraduate medical specialist trainees (also known as registrars and residents).

methodsThis paper reports on the qualitative data generated from a longitudinal mixed methods study that employed focus group discussions (FGDs) to gather data at different points in time of WBA implementation. We conducted two phases of institution-specific, interdisciplinary FGDs at seven universities in two phases. FGDs typically included between 6 and 10 trainees, lasted 60 min, and were facilitated online by a sociologist (ED). Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed thematically and inductively.

resultsSix themes were identified from the data. Trainees had a generally positive attitude towards WBA in theory. However, they expressed anxieties about supervisor bias, unequal clinical contexts, and lack of standardization affecting their assessment outcomes if WBA was to be fully implemented. They reported that consultants were often unavailable for WBA activities and misunderstood the differences between summative and formative assessments.

conclusionsTrainees support WBA in principle but anticipate uneven implementation without structured faculty development, protected observation time, and safeguards for fairness across settings. Early implementation should prioritize role clarity, feedback skills, and context-sensitive quality assurance.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelClinical CompetenceEducational MeasurementEducation, Medical, GraduateWorkplaceFemaleFocus GroupsHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleQualitative ResearchSouth AfricaFeedbackLearning environmentResource-constrained settingSpecialist medical educationWorkplace-based assessment

Identifiers

PMID41723383
PMCPMC13032551

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.