The long case: the case against its revival

SummaryIn their editorial, Michael et al focus on what they see as shortcomings in one important area of clinical assessment of psychiatrists in training and they suggest that methods of workplace-based assessment have failed. However, current thinking in assessment of doctors is to consider assessment systems as a whole and we contend that both forms of assessment – clinical examinations and workplace-based assessments – are needed because they fulfil different needs. This is not to argue that more should not be done to ensure that all who are involved in the assessment of doctors are better prepared for the task or that the current portfolio of assessment methods is complete.