Developing a Rapid Assessment Program for Student Success in Clinical Education

Successful management of the struggling student in the clinic relies heavily on the early identification of clinical performance deficits. CIs who directly observe student performance, actions and behaviors should aim for early and precise identification of difficulties, which should lead to initial discussions with the student. If the student's struggles require involvement from the educational institution, the CI should promptly contact and collaborate with the DCE. Early communication with the DCE is beneficial, as they can provide support for CIs overwhelmed by the difficulties that accompany working with a challenging student. The DCE provides guidance on determining the depth of deficiencies, the student’s needs, and options for remediation. The Rapid Student Assessment and Review (R-STAR) Program was designed to facilitate a thorough and timely review of students’ Clinical Performance Instruments (CPIs)through partnership with expert clinical education faculty. With the increasing number of students in programs and the competing demands on Clinical Instructors (CIs), the successful management of the struggling student in the clinic relies heavily on the early identification of clinical performance deficits. Judicious review of CPI ratings and narratives is essential to identify discrepancies between the scores given and narrative comments. The R-STAR Program utilizes clinical partners who were carefully selected and specifically trained to review and provide feedback to students and CIs, while identifying those individuals with issues requiring the DCE to prioritize and address. This session describes how to develop an efficient and effective program that may be implemented to help facilitate the timely management of student assessments in clinical education to enhance success.