Pharmacy students' insights on assessment tools and their predictive value in evaluating clinical competencies.

introductionCompetency-based pharmacy education (CBPE) emphasizes patient-centred care and clinical accountability, requiring the translation of core competencies into measurable learning outcomes supported by effective assessment strategies. Within this framework, both formative and summative assessments are essential. However, evaluating clinical competence remains challenging due to the limitations of current methods. Understanding of students’ perspectives is therefore crucial for refining these strategies. This study explores pharmacy students’ perceptions of assessment tools and their perceived effectiveness in evaluating clinical competencies at the University of Gondar.

methodA cross-sectional survey was conducted among graduating pharmacy clerkship students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Ethiopia, who had completed a one-year clinical attachment across multiple medical wards. Data were collected in August 2022 using a structured, self-administered face-to-face questionnaire. The survey explored students’ perceptions of assessment instruments and approaches used within the competency-based pharmacy curriculum. Descriptive statistics and comparative analyses were conducted across multiple assessment instruments to evaluate perceived difficulty, fairness, degree of learning, and frequency of use, using the Friedman test.

resultOf the 135 students approached, 118 participated (response rate 87%). Approximately 64% were regular fifth-year undergraduate pharmacy students in the clerkship program. The formative assessment approach was perceived to enhance confidence (68%) and motivation to study (64%). In the summative assessment domain, 52% of students agreed or strongly agreed that continuous assessment is a fairer method for evaluating academic performance compared to one-off exams. About 50% of students rely primarily on question-spotting as their strategy for preparing for written exams. Furthermore, 47% and 46% agreed and strongly agreed that module grades often depend too heavily on written exams, and that study materials were excessively demanding, respectively. Also, many students (68%) agreed on the utility and objectivity of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in assessing clinical competencies; they rated it as difficult to perform.

conclusionThis survey showed that students view formative assessments as helpful for enhancing learning, motivation, and confidence. In contrast, summative assessments mainly decide grades through a single examination. Although many students found OSCE stations challenging, these tools were considered effective for evaluating clinical skills. These results offer valuable insights into students’ experiences with different assessment methods and can inform the selection and improvement of assessment strategies in competency-based pharmacy education.