The effect of specific learning difficulties on general practice written and clinical assessments

Background Substantial numbers of medical students and doctors have specific learning difficulties (SpLDs) and failure to accommodate their needs can disadvantage them academically. Evidence about how SpLDs affect performance during postgraduate general practice (GP) specialty training across the di...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical education 2023-06, Vol.57 (6), p.548-555
Main Authors: Botan, Vanessa, Williams, Nicki, Law, Graham R., Siriwardena, Aloysius Niroshan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clinical Competence
Disability
Education, Medical, Graduate
Educational Measurement
Family Practice - education
General Practice - education
Humans
Learning disabilities
Medical education
People with disabilities
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
Training
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Summary:Background Substantial numbers of medical students and doctors have specific learning difficulties (SpLDs) and failure to accommodate their needs can disadvantage them academically. Evidence about how SpLDs affect performance during postgraduate general practice (GP) specialty training across the different licencing assessments is lacking. We aimed to investigate the performance of doctors with SpLDs across the range of licencing assessments. Methods We adopted the social model of disability as a conceptual framework arguing that problems of disability are societal and that barriers that restrict life choices for people with disabilities need to be addressed. We used a longitudinal design linking Multi‐Specialty Assessment (MSRA) records from 2016 and 2017 with their Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA), Recorded Consultation Assessment (RCA) and Workplace Based Assessment (WPBA) outcomes up to 2021. Multivariable logistic regression models accounting for prior attainment and demographics were used to determine the SpLD doctors' likelihood of passing licencing assessments. Results The sample included 2070 doctors, with 214 (10.34%) declaring a SpLD. Candidates declaring a SpLD were significantly less likely to pass the CSA (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.26, 0.71, p = 0.001) but not the AKT (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.44, 2.09, p = 0.913) or RCA (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.35, 1.85, p = 0.615). Importantly, they were significantly more likely to have difficulties with WPBA (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.20, 0.40, p 
ISSN:0308-0110
1365-2923
DOI:10.1111/medu.15008