Goodness of fit of the items used in the 2nd cycle of evaluation and accreditation of medical schools by the Korea Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation based on the Rasch model

The present study aimed at testing the goodness of fit of the items used in the 2nd cycle of evaluation and accreditation based on the Rasch model. From 2007 to 2011, reports from 40 medical schools in Korea were evaluated and the final decision regarding whether they fulfilled each of the 109 items was made after visits to 40 schools by medical educators trained in the accreditation process. The 109 item data were classified into 41 required items, 34 recommended items, and 34 excellence (bonus) items. Raw data were converted to dichotomous data by treating marks with partial fulfillment or ‘not applicable’ as negative, such that only completely positive marks were treated as positive.