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Abstract
Background. Medical students are routinely evaluated through standardised measures to ensure competency in various areas, including clinical, behavioural and communication skills. Patient feedback and self-assessment can complement traditional evaluations to enhance clinical skills; however, there is a paucity of research on how students utilise multimodal feedback to guide improvement.
Objectives. To provide insights into the effect of multimodal feedback on students’ identification of performance gaps and development of improvement strategies.
Methods. This study retrospectively reviewed preceptor evaluations and compared them with self-evaluations of 4th-year medical students for a required course at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNM SOM). As part of the student assessment assignment, students were required to obtain feedback from three patients using the Patients’ Feedback in Clinical Practice questionnaire. The data were entered into REDCap, a secure database hosted by UNM SOM, and a thematic analysis of preceptors’ and student narratives was conducted.
Results. Eighty-six students completed the course between June 2024 and April 2025. Three students did not complete the self-assessment assignment, resulting in 97% of the assignments being analysed. Scores for both preceptors and students ranged from 3 to 5. The mean scores were 4.8 for preceptors and 4.7 for student self-evaluations. Twenty-six students collected patient evaluations (31%). Not every student was able to complete this portion of the assignment owing to clinic limitations. Patient feedback ratings ranged from 2.3 to 5.0.
Conclusion. Incorporating patient feedback fosters self-evaluation, reveals blind spots, and strengthens clinical competence.
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