[Assessment of medical competence in clinical education].

There has been considerable change in the field of assessment of medical competence. At the moment, competency-orientated assessment, 'mini-CEX' (brief clinical evaluation exercises) and portfolios are quite popular. These methods are based on research findings indicating that medical competence can better be described as a collection of the complex tasks (so-called competencies) that a doctor must be able to perform than as the sum of knowledge, skills, problem-solving ability and attitudes. Mini-CEX represents a method for the assessment of medical competence reliably and validly in a practical setting. Using a portfolio, information on the student's competence can be collated and evaluated from various sources, including mini-CEX. As such, a portfolio has much in common with a patient chart.