There are striking similarities between medical education of today and progressive education of the thirties with respect to motivation for change, the values to be sought in change, and the zest with which change is pursued. It is in this climate conducive to change that a new approach to evaluation is beginning to make a significant contribution to the systematic modification of medical education. Three case descriptions are presented to illustrate some of the ways evaluation is being incorporated. The first, discussed more fully than the other 2, is an institutional mechanism for systematic data collection and regular multi-channel feedback that has been established by the faculty of the University of Illinois College of Medicine. The second is a research study of certifying procedures used in assessing professional competence in medical education. Investigators felt that the availability of valid and reliable measures of various aspects of competence was a prerequisite for scientific development of more efficient and effective training programs. The third represents a general schema for ongoing institutional self-study that has been made operational to varying degrees in a number of institutions. (JS)