What are raters rating? predicting medical student, pediatric resident, and faculty ratings of clinical teachers

Abstract

Medical school evaluation literature reveals concerns about attitudes toward teaching, including cynicism toward the value of teaching in academics and alienation of students from the “work”; of learning. One might reasonably conclude, then, that these attitudes are reflected in higher evaluation scores for those professors who are kinder and gentler to students.

Our study indicates otherwise. The important predictors of medical student, resident, and faculty ratings of teaching excellence were clinical competence, demonstrated sensitivity toward patients and their families, and recognition of the limits of one's abilities. Trainees and faculty generated ratings both reliable (αresidents = .93, αfaculty = .97) and rigorous (i.e., discriminating more from less effective teachers).

Implications for designing and implementing clinical teaching evaluation systems include the need to identify criteria that the department members consider as underpinning responsible evaluation. In formulating these criteria, teaching should be conceived as an integral dimension of clinical faculty's professional competence.