Formative Feedback Policy

PURPOSE
To outline the rationale and requirements for provision of formative feedback to medical students on their performance

AUDIENCE
All School of Medicine faculty educators

LCME STANDARD
9.7 Formative Assessment and Feedback

POLICY

  1. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education requires formative feedback be provided to medical students in all courses and clerkships of four or more weeks in duration.
  2. Course and Clerkship Directors must ensure that one or more faculty instructing during educational experiences provide formative feedback to students as formative feedback is essential for students’ professional development.
  3. Students must be given opportunities to seek and receive formative feedback before receiving a final grade.

      PROCEDURE

      1. Pre-clerkship phase formative feedback includes informal verbal feedback, written narrative feedback, self-assessment questions or graded assignments, within each course and the longitudinal pedagogies (e.g., PBL, clinical skills, and clinical experiences). Students receive formative feedback by the mid-point of the course, and also at a frequency no less than every four weeks.
      2. Clerkship phase formative feedback includes written feedback, at a minimum, by the a mid-point feedback session. In addition to the mid-point feedback, supervising clinicians provide feedback to students throughout the 6-week rotation verbally and/or using formal documentation methods (i.e., clinical assessment forms, mini-CEX, EPA assessments, etc.).
      3. Post-clerkship phase formative feedback includes verbal feedback at minimum, by the mid-point of the course. Supervising clinicians generally provided verbal feedback regularly throughout the 4-week rotations.

      RESPONSIBILITY
      Course/Clerkship Directors

      REFERENCES
      Liaison Committee on Medical Education, Structure and Function of a Medical School - Standards for Accreditation of Medical Education Programs Leading to the MD Degree

      RELATED POLICY/POLICIES
      Clinical Experiences and Mid-Clerkship Feedback Policy
      Timeliness of Summative Assessment Policy
      Assessment by a Health Care Provider Policy

      POLICY OWNER
      Committee on Educational Policy

      REVIEWED & APPROVED BY
      Associate Dean for Curriculum and Medical Education
      Clerkship Phase Director
      Committee on Educational Policy*
      Curriculum Enrichment Advisory Committee
      Curriculum Steering Advisory Committee
      Post-Clerkship Phase Director
      Pre-Clerkship Phase Director

      REVIEWED DATE and REVIEW CYCLE
      July 2024; 3-year cycle