Understanding the Experiences of Designated Assessors: an Interpretive Phenomenological Study.

Introduction: The expanded use of Entrustable Professional Activities in medical education has led to a call to address concerns about implementation challenges and the validity of this framework for assessment. The use of well-trained, designated assessors (DAs) who not only provide feedback to learners but also participate in summative decision-making about learners' competency is one approach to address these issues. The lived experience of faculty who serve in this role within a program of assessment, including their beliefs and practices, has not been described in the literature. This study examines the experiences of designated assessors at a single institution, concentrating on their dual roles as formative assessors and summative decision-makers. Methods: The experiences of designated assessors were explored using an interpretivist phenomenological approach. All DAs at one institution were invited to participate in the study. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The interview guide was designed to investigate various aspects of the DA experience. An iterative process of content analysis, careful consideration of participants' statements, and memoing ultimately yielded three themes. Results: Six of eight eligible participants were interviewed. Three themes were developed from in-depth interpretation, which inform the designated assessor's experience. These interpretations center on role enactment, community meaning-making, and the identification of struggling learners. Discussion: Designated Assessors provided rich descriptions of their processes, shared experiences, and meaning they derive from these experiences. The DAs experience the unique assessor community they are building, the consequential nature of the assessments, and the high-quality assessment data they provide as valuable to learners and those who support them.