Optimising standard setting in medical education: The critical role of the assessment committee

Introduction: The effective implementation of changes in medical school curricula requires modifications to assessments alongside teaching strategies. The World Federation for Medical Education emphasises the need for assessment policies to align with educational outcomes. In Myanmar, the Defence Services Medical Academy (DSMA) has adopted an outcome-based curriculum since 2017, but the standard setting in assessments remains pending. This study explores concerns and challenges for enhancing assessment practices. Methods: An explanatory sequential design was used. For a quantitative approach, 36 assessment committee members were surveyed using questionnaires, and pre-and post-test analyses were conducted using SPSS Statistics Version 25. Qualitatively, eight committee members were selected through purposive sampling for in-depth interviews using interpretative methodology with thematic analysis by MAXQDA Software 2022. Results: It shows that most committee members acknowledge the advantages of standard settings, such as improved teaching and learning defect identification, staff knowledge application, enhanced educational programs, and personal contributions to education quality. Half of the committee members expressed concerns about the increased workload and administrative burden, while another half-supported standard-setting implementation. They all appreciate the integration of standard setting in the outcome-based curriculum, recognising its positive impact on student quality and accreditation standards. Challenges include limited human resources, resistance to change, time-consuming, and an increased workload. Conclusion: Committee members suggested that targeted interventions are needed to improve awareness, collaboration, and successful implementation. These should consider perspectives, enhance understanding, define roles, and address resources and resistance. This will optimise standard setting, ensure educational quality, and meet accreditation standards. © 2025 National University of Singapore (CC BY-NC 4.0).