Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to inform students about how they can expect to receive feedback about interpersonal, professional, affective, and/or socioemotional non-cognitive skills essential for growth as student physicians. DGSOM periodically provides students with written feedback to formally document and facilitate communication about a student’s development in these areas.
Policy Statement
Written narrative assessment is to occur when an assessor-student interaction is of sufficient length to permit direct observation and assessment of student behavior reflective of the DGSOM Graduation Competencies (e.g., interpersonal skills, rapport building, teamwork, communication). Narrative assessment is used for formative feedback and may also be factored into a course grade and/or may be included in or inform the content of the MSPE. As with all assessments of student performance, in instances of sustained or severe substandard performance, non-cognitive skills may be reviewed by APC.
Interactions that are likely to permit narrative assessment may include but are not limited to:
Availability of Assessments
Students may receive narrative assessments immediately, periodically throughout the course, but at least at the end of each block or clerkship to foster improvement or sustained high performance in the next course or clerkship. Assessors are encouraged to provide feedback as proximal to the event as possible. When time and resources permit, students may be shown the narrative comments in real time to facilitate discussion, have comments made available immediately or shortly after the learning/assessment event, or made available at regular intervals throughout the course or clerkship.
Approved by Clarence H. Braddock, III, M.D., MPH, MACP, Vice Dean for Education, July 2020