Abstract
The Summative Assessment for Musculoskeletal Injuries, an HE4 module at a University in the North of England, did not assess communication skills, therefore, it was not the most appropriate method of assessing clinical competence. An experimental approach was developed to evaluate the students’ clinical experiences gained on their clinical placement at the Sports and Spinal Injures Clinic (SSIC) within the University. The aim was to develop an approach to alter the weighting of the mark scheme for the module to include assessment of communication skills. A group consisting of students, male and female, completed a question online survey before and after clinical experience. The proposed approach allowed alteration to the weighting of marks in the current mark scheme to now include a percentage of marks awarded for communication skills, interpersonal skills, professionalism and differential diagnosis. This will ultimately enhance the assessment of clinical competence and constructive alignment.