After a recent meeting in Brazil to discuss its ongoing collaboration activities with NBME, Hospital Sírio-Libanês (HSL) hosted a symposium with attendees from the student body and faculty of a number of medical schools, government officials, and other healthcare luminaries. The symposium, presented in Portuguese with a simultaneous English translator, provided insight into the NBME/HSL collaboration, the Qualifications in Medicine (QM) exams, and progress toward fostering a culture of assessment in Brazil.
“In the US we have a culture of assessment,” said M. Brownell Anderson, Vice President for International Programs . “We use examinations to make decisions about people’s progress in educational settings, their qualifications to work in a particular field, drive a car, or offer a service.”
Brazil is seeking to build a culture in which healthcare professions can demonstrate the appropriate standard of care.
“Most countries do not use assessments for healthcare professionals beyond designating pass or fail,” said Anderson. “What we’re trying to do in the work we’re engaged in for Brazil and other places is to illustrate the value of assessments beyond that level. We are promoting the understanding of the value of feedback that can be provided in a score report, and the use of assessment to evaluate educational curriculum.”
NBME President Peter Katsufrakis, MD, deemed both the collaboration and the symposium a success.
“Our recent trip to Brazil was an excellent demonstration of the value of partnering with leading institutions who align with our mission and commit to developing a sustainable program of assessment,” he said. “At the symposium, it was clear to see the leadership provided by our HSL colleagues, as well as the varied perspectives of the multiple stakeholders in the room. We could see the excitement created by the potential to enhance their assessment programs. Our partnership clearly seems to be changing the culture in ways that should improve medical education and improve the care received by the people of Brazil.”
Discussions about a collaboration between the NBME and HSL began six years ago and in 2013 a collaboration agreement was signed between the two groups. Together, the two organizations have partnered to develop examinations to assess medical students and select residents in Brazil. The partnership extends beyond the output of the examination, reaching into the very culture of health care in Brazil as HSL seeks to establish a culture of assessment.
