Incremental development of an integrated assessment method for the professional curriculum.

OBJECTIVE: To incrementally create and embed biannual integrated knowledge and skills examinations into final examinations of the pharmacy practice courses offered in the first 3 years of the pharmacy curriculum that would account for 10% of each course's final course grade.
DESIGN: An ad hoc integrated examination committee was formed and tasked with addressing 4 key questions. Integrated examination committees for the first, second, and third years of the curriculum were established and tasked with identifying the most pertinent skills and knowledge-based content from each required course in the curriculum, developing measurable objectives addressing the pertinent content, and creating or revising multiple-choice and performance-based questions derived from integrated examination objectives. An Integrated Examination Review Committee evaluated all test questions, objectives, and student performance on each question, and revised the objectives and questions as needed for the following year's iteration. Eight performance objectives for the examinations were measured. ASSESSMENT: All 8 performance objectives were achieved. Sixty-four percent of the college's faculty members participated in the integrated examination process, improving the quality of the examination. The incremental development and implementation of the examinations over a 3-year period minimized the burden on faculty time while engaging them in the process. Student understanding of expectations for knowledge and skill retention in the curriculum also improved.
CONCLUSIONS: Development of biannual integrated examinations in the first 3 years of the classroom curriculum enhanced the college's culture of assessment and addressed accreditation guidelines for formative and summative assessment of students' knowledge and skills. The course will continue to be refined each year.