Assessment Center. A model for professional development and evaluation.

The concern for ensuring the competence of physical therapists subsequent to their entry into the profession led the Missouri Physical Therapy Association to develop a mechanism that could be used both to assess competence and to foster professional growth. A self-assessment system using a multimethod testing scheme was designed and named The Assessment Center. Participation in The Assessment Center enables individuals to assess voluntarily their own practice competence and to use the results of this assessment to plan educational pursuits that may enhance professional growth. The purpose of this article is to describe the structure and operations of The Assessment Center. Proposals for further development of the testing scheme and diffusion of the project's concept are discussed.