Grades vs Education

[Jacob(smooth)]

Main issue with some undergrads I've found is their expectancy, or rather, their belief that they deserve a good grade for just turning up.

Oh my yes.

Personally I'm much in favor of grades and testing. I sort of have to be. Podiatry is a medical discipline and we have a duty of care to the future patients of the students we grade! Without a robust system of assessment, grading and yes, testing, we might well end up releasing people into clinical practice who are not safe. Although I'm only really interested in two grades, safe of fail. The other grades are mere measures of how far someone is from unsafe.

I also think testing is a good idea, and stress testing at that. One cannot simulate some of the stressful situations one will encounter, they always know that it is "just a test". However if people are unable to cope with a stressful exam or clinical viva then they will also be unable to cope with an abusive patient, a bleeder or a clinical emergency.

When I deliver the anaphalaxis training I make the students open, draw up and simulate delivery of adrenalin whilst holding their breath. That is nowhere near the level of stress and adrenalisation they will experience the first time someone swells up and starts choking in front of them... but its a start. Its amazing how much of a difference that makes.

I once had a student get as far as dressing a toe she'd removed a nail from... without removing the tourniquet. . Her excuse was that she was feeling pressured because I was watching her and asking questions. She was most surprised when I did a Gandalf....