The evaluation of clinical competence.

This review examined new approaches to the definition and evaluation of clinical competence. Competence may be defined in terms of the components of the process of clinical performance or in terms of the outcomes of clinical performance. No single test method is capable of providing a valid and reliable evaluation of all defined aspects of clinical competence. Both in this country and overseas, new test methods and examinations are being developed and the implications which they will have for Australian medical schools are discussed.