Dear editor

We thank the reviewers for their valuable comments on the manuscript. We thank Prof. V Bedin for the comments. Unfortunately we are not able to extend the manuscript to the clinical years as we do not have sufficient personal experience about the assessment during the clinical years of training. Also at the Xavier University School of Medicine like in most medical schools in the Caribbean the clinical training is conducted in different hospitals in the United States.

We thank Dr. Dutt for the comments. We have studied the effect of different assessment methods used in Nepal, have obtained student feedback on both newer methods of teaching-learning and assessment methods and are citing some of the articles in this response.^1-6 We are working towards implementing newer methods of assessment at Xavier University School of Medicine in Aruba. There will be greater emphasis on formative assessment and assessment of attitudes which are usually not emphasized in medical schools. Small group work, activities and problem-based learning are being emphasized and students are being assessed during the small group sessions

References:

1. Shankar PR, Das B, Partha P, Shenoy N, Dubey AK. Inter-rater reliability of the assessment of communication skills in Pharmacology. JNMA J Nep Med Assoc. 2003;42:350-3.
2. Shankar PR, Subish P, Dubey AK, Mishra P.  Postgraduate students as simulated patients in Communication skills learning and assessment. Pharmacy Education 2006;6: 191-5.
3. Shankar PR, Dubey AK, Upadhyay DK, Subish P, Alwar MC. Educational sessions on assessing rationality of prescriptions: student feedback. Pharmacy Education 2006;3: 157-9.
4. Shankar P R, Chandrasekhar TS, Subish P, Mohan L, Upadhyay DK, Mishra P. The Views of Medical Students about the Purpose and Objectivity of Assessment in a Medical College in Western Nepal. J Clin Diagn Res. 2010; 4: 2271-8.
5. Shankar PR, Gurung SB, Jha N, Bajracharya O, Ansari SR, Thapa HS. Practical assessment in Pharmacology at a new Nepalese medical school. J Clin Diagn Res. 2010;4:3314-6.    

4. Shankar PR, Dubey AK, Upadhyay DK, Subish P, Deshpande VY. Mishra P. Sessions on rational use of medicines: Student feedback. PharmacologyOnLine Newsletter 2007;1:162-72.