Considerable effort has focused on developing methods to reliably assess undergraduate medical students' proficiency in clinical skills. There is strong evidence that global rating can be a feasible and reliable alternative for rating undergraduate medical students in the clinical setting. Professors have routinely assessed clinical competence with a subjective rating. This score, given by a specialist, is not objective and is subject to biases. The use of a well-designed instrument with various items rated on a scale offers the advantage of specifying what should be assessed, thus helping professors distinguish between different levels of performance. Using this method, faculty can express their global perception of the students in a more objective way in relation to two distinct spheres of technical competence (containing items like patient history, physical examination, medical knowledge, clinical knowledge, problem-solving, and work habits) and humanist competence (including communication with patients and families, respect, reflective skills, sensitivity to context, and teamwork).
Educational Measurement; Clinical Clerkship; Clinical Competence; Students, Medical