The AMC has just delivered its first online clinical examination for international medical graduates following extensive testing and development. The pilot examination is a major milestone in the AMC re-starting the clinical examination following the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you to international medical graduates who participated in the pilot examination
The AMC thanks all of the candidates who participated in the pilot examination held today. We are excited to have recommenced the examinations with the online delivery approach to support international medical graduates progressing toward registration and practice in Australia
An update on the success of the day
The pilot day is an important part of the final testing prior to the examinations ‘going-live’. A significant amount of testing has preceded this pilot examination which included three mock examinations and other testing. Business continuity plans and online support were also developed for the pilot today. A second pilot examination has also been scheduled.
As with all online activities, the examination is susceptible to many possible technology issues. While every effort has been made to address these risks there were some technical issues experienced during the day. These included a time delay with the admissions process and the presentation of the briefing video. There were also some other minor issues. All of these issues were able to be addressed through the continuity plans that were in place and the examination was successfully completed.
The benefit of conducting these pilot examinations as a final stage of testing is to identify any issues and learn from experiences. Our teams are working to complete further development prior to the scheduled second pilot examination and commencement of the ‘live examinations’.
Thank you to the clinicians and educators who contribute to the AMC examinations
This latest innovation in the AMC’s Assessment area would not be possible without the long standing commitment of clinicians and educators to standards of medical practice in Australia. The AMC thanks AMC senior examiners, examiners, item writers, and panel and committee members, as well as colleagues and critical friends.
We know that clinicians and educators faced many additional challenges during 2020 which may have limited capacity to engage in the innovations and developments the AMC is implementing. The AMC remains committed to supporting best practice in assessment, the engagement of members of the profession in the AMC’s assessment and testing work.
We hope that 2021 will provide additional opportunities for the AMC to engage with its examination contributors, as we continue to innovate.
