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Assessment & Evaluation Hub

The Center for Medical Education’s Assessment Hub consists of faculty and staff experts in assessment and evaluation. This group oversees Program, Curriculum, Educator, and Student Assessment for the Yale School of Medicine.

Education Program & Curriculum Evaluation

Evaluations occur through various means, including continued collection of student, faculty, and curriculum leader feedback (i.e., live feedback discussions and written evaluations); tracking and reporting of student learning outcomes; and review of these evaluation data by Preclerkship Course, Clerkship, and Advanced Training Review Subcommittees of the Education Policy and Curriculum Committee (EPCC). These Subcommittees consist of representative students, faculty, and staff.

Educator Assessment

Assessment of individual educators occurs through rating scale and written feedback from students. While aggregate teaching results are included in the above Subcommittees’ curriculum reviews, individual teacher assessments are shared with individual teachers largely for formative purposes, with assessment results over time becoming part of the faculty appointment and promotion process. The Center also sponsors peer observation of individual teachers with peer feedback used strictly for the benefit of faculty to enhance their teaching.

Student Assessment

Student assessment focuses on the individual learner, to provide students with meaningful information both to help them learn (formative assessment) and to certify that they have met the standards for advancement (summative assessment). Under the guidance of coaches in the Longitudinal Coaching Program, students use assessment data to calibrate their self-assessment, reflect on their development, and articulate personal learning plans. The Center collaborates with stakeholders across YSM, including course and clerkship directors, to improve the effectiveness of student assessment throughout the medical school curriculum.

Assessment Hub

  • John Encandela, PhD

    Professor of Psychiatry; Executive Director of Evaluation & Assessment at the Center for Medical Education, School of Medicine

    My contributions to education and research during my career have focused on organizing and delivering health-related services for vulnerable populations and training health professionals. With a PhD in Sociology of Medicine, I initially worked on national and international evaluations of HIV/AIDS programs and mental health services. More recently, I've applied my skills to medical education, primarily assisting faculty in assessing trainees and training programs and designing curriculum in health professional education. At Yale School of Medicine, I serve as the Executive Director of Evaluation & Assessment at the Center for Medical Education. My expertise includes evaluating health professional education curricula; training faculty, staff, and students in feedback methods; improving assessment systems for educators; and consulting on program and curriculum evaluation approaches for scholarly work. I teach curriculum development and evaluation in the Masters of Health Science/Medical Education program and other educational programs. I am chairperson of the School of Medicine's Learning Environment Subcommittee of the Education Policy and Curriculum Committee. Additionally, I integrate LGBTQI-health topics into the curriculum and serve on the Dean's Council for LGBTQI Affairs. In select graduate medical education programs, including my academic department, Psychiatry, I gather and analyze qualitative data for internal reviews of training programs.
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Make a Request

  • Request a ConsultationFor developing curricula, identifying and tailoring appropriate assessment methods, using technology to enhance teaching, and more
  • Request a Teaching ObservationThe Center's faculty observer watches the session, records feedback, and meets with the teacher privately afterward to talk together about the feedback.