Qualitative EvaluationQualitative Evaluation

Florida State University College of Medicine

Rebecca Shiveler

Office of Medical Education

ObjectivesObjectives

• Provide information on relative importance of writing specific qualitative evaluation

• Choose to write appropriate qualitative input on the evaluation that the Clerkship Faculty provides on a student in a given rotation

Why It’s ImportantWhy It’s Important

• Allows student to understand his/her rate of progress

• Provides time to modify behaviors within a rotation and in subsequent rotations

• Creates a verbal picture for Education Director to base grade upon

• Offers valuable insight for Dean’s letters when applying for residencies

Who Gives Qualitative EvaluationsWho Gives Qualitative Evaluations

• Clerkship Faculty

• Longitudinal Faculty

• Clerkship Directors

• Campus Deans

• Students

When to Give Qualitative When to Give Qualitative EvaluationEvaluation

• Formative Evaluation at mid-rotation

• Summative Evaluation the last week of a rotation

What is Considered Useful What is Considered Useful Qualitative EvaluationQualitative Evaluation

• This type of evaluation is valuable when it is:– Immediate – Clear– Specific– Pertinent

What Does Good Evaluation Look LikeWhat Does Good Evaluation Look Like

• Avoids generalized terms like “good” or “bad” • Instead, creates verbal pictures so that the

reader has a clear sense of positive and/or negative behavior

• Sometimes elaborates on a quantitative comment such as Very problematic, Needs Improvement, or Consistently excellent

Let’s Try Some ExamplesLet’s Try Some Examples

• “Enthusiastic, will make a good doctor.”

• “Fund of knowledge is excellent”

• “Student is not bad at taking patient histories.”

• “Would love to see him/her continue in Internal Medicine.”

•““Enthusiastic, will make a good doctor.”Enthusiastic, will make a good doctor.”

•What, exactly, does that tell us about the student?

•How do we know he/she will make a “good doctor” and what defines a “good doctor”?

•Now let’s explore some statements that are more specific to the evaluation of a student’s skills….

Be SpecificBe Specific

• Student exhibits a caring and compassionate attitude toward patients.

• Completes a sound differential diagnosis in a reasonable amount of time for a third year medical student.

• Possesses a remarkable fund of knowledge for a third year medical student and is persistent about reading and researching presentations to expand that knowledge.

CDCSCDCS

• Log in to CDCS

• If you need some reminders about how the program operates, use the following: – Instructions on using CDCS

Making the Simple ChoicesMaking the Simple Choices

• You are writing an evaluation of a Clerkship student. First you write:

• “Has good clinical skills.”

• Should you keep this wording? (Click the appropriate answer.)

Good ChoiceGood Choice

• This comment is too generic and doesn’t explain why you consider his clinical skills to be good and what you are considering as “good”.

You may want to reconsiderYou may want to reconsider

• Think about the number of clinical skills you use. – Is the student “good” at every one of them? – And, by the way, how are you defining “good”?

• Consider what you have observed in the student’s behavior and try to be more specific both in what skills are well done and in what way.

How can you make it better?How can you make it better?

• “Has good clinical skills.” has two basic problems, identifying what “good” is and reference to “clinical skills” in general.

• Let’s start with “clinical skills”.– Does the student take a thorough history?– Is the physical exam competent and appropriate to

the patient presentation?– Does the student put the patient at ease while doing

the interview?

Considering “Good”, Better, and so onConsidering “Good”, Better, and so on

• What exactly does the word “good” (and others of a similar nature) mean to you?– Is ice cream good?

– Do you get good mileage on your car?– What exactly do those things mean?

• Consider words that are more defining when evaluating a student’s clinical skill set.

Better than GoodBetter than Good

• Think of some adjectives or phrases which might give a clearer view of the student’s performance:

• Would “a well-thought-out differential diagnosis” be preferable to “a good differential diagnosis”?

• Do you get a more accurate picture with “a well-organized and succinct patient presentation” than with “a good patient presentation”?

Try Another VersionTry Another Version

• Now you’ve written:

• “Will make a good doctor!”

• Do you keep this or change it? (Click on your choice.)

Who Qualifies as a “Good Doctor”Who Qualifies as a “Good Doctor”

• This may be a personal opinion, but it isn’t very descriptive of any evidence that would point to the student doing well in medicine.

Change is GoodChange is Good

• If you are enthusiastic about this student, explain why you are. – Does the student evidence a hunger to learn the

specialty? – Is the student particularly adept with communicating

with children and their families? – What is it about this student that would make you

want to welcome him/her into the ranks of your profession?

Changing PerceptionsChanging Perceptions

• Specific terms such as these are important when a grade is to be given or a Dean’s letter written because they change the perception of the Education Director or the Dean by giving him/her a more realistic understanding behind your scoring of “Consistently Excellent” or “Needs Improvement”

Practice Makes PerfectPractice Makes Perfect

• Although it may not come easily, the more thought you give to describing a student’s performance, the easier it will become and the higher the quality of feedback your comments provide.

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