Assessment in Geriatric Medical Education

As physicians, we have a responsibility to educate the next generation of learners. Paying it forward is part of our professional responsibility. A common adage in education is that “assessment drives learning”. When studied it has been demonstrated that regular assessment can increase retention, knowledge and motivation to learn (Larsen et al., Med Educ 42:959-966, 2008; Wormald et al., Anat Sci Educ 2:199-204, 2009). In fact, assessment is an important aspect of both learning and teaching as it frames the goals and objectives of an educational curriculum as well as future certification (Norcini Med Educ 37:539-543, 2003). Most practicing physicians are involved in the education of trainees although many have not been formally educated on assessment in medical education. This results in a lack of familiarity with the educational tools at their disposal and limits their ability to assess the effectiveness of their teaching endeavors. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the reader to the various types of assessment tools that are available in medical education and discuss their strengths and weakness.