What is the MCFD Summative Assessment?
The MCFD Summative Assessment takes place at the end of a three-year training period in the Specialty of Family Medicine. Successful candidates in this Summative Assessment are eligible to become Members of the Malta College of Family Doctors should they also be successful in the Workplace Based Assessment.
The MCFD Summative Assessment consists of two components:
- The Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), and
- The Recorded Consultation Assessment (RCA).
The Applied Knowledge Test is a 195-minute 200 single best answer examination based on the breadth of the specialty. The AKT exam is closely aligned to the Curriculum for the Specialist training Programme in Family Medicine (STPFM) and may include charts, photographs, X-rays and ECGs. The AKT aims at assessing the candidates’ application of knowledge. Questions relate to current best practice, and are to be answered in relation to published evidence.
The Recorded Consultation Assessment aims at assessing the ability of the candidates to show and apply, in a coherent and comprehensive way, their clinical, professional, communication and practical skills to a level that is appropriate for a Specialist in Family Medicine.
This component of the summative assessment covers the following core competencies:
- A holistic and comprehensive approach
- Community orientation
- Patient-centred care
- Primary care management
- Psychomotor skills
- Attitudinal characteristics
Candidates need to present thirteen (13) cases in this component of the assessment. 1 of the cases will be allowed to run up to 15 minutes, while the other 12 will have to be concluded in 12 minutes. The language for the RCA is generally Maltese but a minimum of three cases should be presented in English.
What is the aim of the MCFD Summative Assessment?
The aim of the MCFD Summative Assessment is to identify Family Medicine trainees that have reached the level of “minimally competent GP” as defined by their peers.
Some useful documents for the Trainee in Family Medicine sitting for the Summative Exam 2024 are found hereunder:
RCA 2024 Rules and Regulations
The meeting between the Assessment Team, the GP Trainees sitting for the 2024 exam and their GP Trainers is scheduled for 8th April 20:00hrs. Those interested to participate are to send their email to [email protected]
Calls for participants in the assessment are found hereunder:
The MCFD Data Retention Policy and the MCFD General Privacy Policy, updated in March 2022 are available here:
General Privacy Policy MCFD – March 2022
Data Retention Policy MCFD – March 2022
The Assessment Team for the upcoming Summative Examination met prospective candidates for the Summative Examination 2022 and their trainers. The Call for Application for the Summative Examination 2023 is available here:
In the last week of September 2023, the candidates will be receiving communication through the platform where they will be given links to access their RCA accounts and instructions on how to upload the videos.
What comes after successful completion of the Specialist Training Programme in Family Medicine?
After successful completion of training, the new Specialist in Family Medicine can opt to remain employed in the public primary health care service (by following the calls issued by the Primary Health Care Department and be subject to the needs of the service) or can opt to go into the private primary health care service (the initial steps needed to do so are found in this document: Starting a private practice in family medicine)
Information on the Get Qualified Scheme:
Get Qualified is an initiative that supports the personal development of individuals for the achievement of qualifications and certifications required by industry. The incentive is applicable to individuals following a course of studies leading to a certification, diploma, degree or post-graduate degree courses. Upon successful completion the student will benefit from a tax credit enabling them to recover part of the costs incurred. On receiving information from the Training Co-ordinators in the Specialist Training Programme in Family Medicine of successful completion of training of a GP Trainee, the Honorary Registrar of the Malta College of Family Doctors collates the necessary certification and sends the material to the Specialist Accreditation Committee. On successful completion of status as a Specialist in Family Medicine with the Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training, the Honorary Registrar sends the material to Malta Enterprise, the entity in charge of the Get Qualified scheme. All of these entities have their specific procedures and schedule of meetings which the MCFD abides with. For queries contact [email protected] Further information is available here: https://education.gov.mt/en/get-qualified/Pages/Student.aspx
Information on MRCGP(Int)
On notification by the training programme co-ordinators of successful completion of the Specialist Training Programme in Family Medicine and on notification by the office secretary of the MCFD of membership of the Malta College of Family Doctors, the Honorary Registrar sets in motion the standard procedure with the RCGP to allow the new Specialist in Family Medicine to carry the title MRCGP(Int).