Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) held its 2nd Medical Examination Design Innovation Competition on April 15, which was a qualifier for the China Medical Education Exam-Item Innovation Contest. The event, taking place in Lecture Hall 8 of Building 2, was attended by 15 teams from Tongji Medical College, spotlighting the endeavor to push forward the medical education reform through cutting-edge assessment design.

Rethinking Assessments: Where Pedagogy Meets Innovation

Organized by the Medical Education Office, with support from the Undergraduate School, the competition tasked teams with creating examination/test questions that aligned curriculum objectives with clinical problem-solving. Entries were evaluated against three criteria: Design originality (e.g., integrating AI ethics into diagnostics exams); Educational impact (measuring competency development); and Analytical rigor (statistical validation of question validity).

Vice Dean Prof. Shu Xiaogang, who observed the finals, noted: “This is more than how to measure the mastery of knowledge better—it’s about training future physicians to think adaptively in high-stakes scenarios.”

Judges’ Insights: “Questions Shape Mindsets”

An eight-member expert panel, led by Professor Huang Yaling (a pioneer in medical education reform), gave the final comments. Prof. Huang praised the attending teachers for their originality and professionalism. She urged the test designers to better integrate teaching goals with examination design, making the design more scientific and practical.

Next Stop: National Stage

The winning teams will attend the 2nd China Medical Education Exam-Item Innovation Contest, to be held later this year. Last year, HUST teachers secured two gold medals at the national competition for their excellence in designing neurological and geriatric examinations.