The Medical Council of Canada takes the stage at the Ottawa 2024 Conference in Melbourne

The Ottawa 2024 Conference on the Assessment of Competence in Medicine and the Healthcare Professions is a key event in the medical education calendar bringing together leaders for in-depth discussions on critical topics. This year’s four-day conference, held in Melbourne, Australia, boasts over 600 in-person presentations.

The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) is delighted that our own Dr. Viren Naik, Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Maxim Morin, Director of Assessment, will be sharing their expertise in nine presentations, many alongside colleagues from the Australian Medical Council, with whom the MCC shares a mutually beneficial working relationship.

The presentations and workshop discussions touch on significant themes that will resonate with those working in medical assessment in Canada and around the world:

• The impacts on learning and the education process following cancellation of large-scale Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) in several countries (including Canada)
• Online assessment delivery, and key considerations when determining the most suitable exam delivery modalities
• The potential of data analytics to maintain the credibility of high-stakes assessments
• An exploration of best practices and guidelines for incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into exam design, development, and evaluation processes
• The opportunities and challenges technological advances present in high-stakes assessments
• The legal framework and considerations involved in appeals and accommodations for high-stakes certification examinations in Australia and Canada
• The importance of recognizing the unique skills and experiences of international medical graduates (IMGs), improving assessment processes to facilitate their integration, and strengthening support networks to enhance their cultural adaptation
• The role and impact of high-stakes certification exams in addressing the global health human resource crisis

As part of the MCC’s ongoing work to ensure that our examinations are rigorous, defensible, and address the evolving health care environment in support of safe care for people across Canada, we are proud to participate in the international knowledge sharing at the Ottawa 2024 Conference.

For more information on the Ottawa Conferences, visit ottawa2024.au.

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For those attending in person, consult the conference program and consider participating in the following:

CONFERENCE WORKSHOP – Future Directions of High-Stakes Assessment Post-COVID: Navigating Challenges and Embracing Innovations

Sean Gehring, Jon Dupre, Viren Naik, Paul Glover

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ORAL PRESENTATION – Navigating the Path: Challenges and Outcomes for International Medical Graduates Seeking Immigration to Canada or Australia

Julie Gustavs, Amanda Barnard, Viren Naik

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CONFERENCE WORKSHOP – “Life’s Not Fair” – But Exams Can Be!  Approaches To Fairness and Legal Considerations in Test Appeals and Accommodations

Viren Naik

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CONFERENCE WORKSHOP – Risk vs Reward: What delivery modality should be used for delivering high-stakes certification examinations?

Maxim Morin, Viren Naik, Sean Gehring, Jon Dupre, Paul Glover

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SYMPOSIUM – Death of the OSCE? Implications of replacing formal examinations of clinical and communication skills with Workplace Based Assessment

Katharine Boursicot, Eric Holmboe, Sandra Kemp, Jennifer Williams, Riitta Möller, Viren Naik

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ORAL PRESENTATION – The Role of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for High-Stakes Certification Exams

Maxim Morin, Kim Ashwin, Paul Glover, Jon Dupre, Jen Desrosiers

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SYMPOSIUM – The Future of High-Stakes Certification Exams for Medical Licensure in a Global Health Human Resource Crisis

Viren Naik, David Prideaux

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SYMPOSIUM – Remote exam delivery: A tale of Beauty and the Beast

Liz Farmer, Amanda Barnard, Meghan Lovett, Maxim Morin

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ORAL PRESENTATION – Exam security: should we fight a losing battle?

Kim Ashwin, Maxim Morin