Are we giving proper feedback to medical students? Experience from a Saudi Medical College

Providing feedback to medical students improves the quality of medical education. However, there is still a paucity of published data on feedback, particularly in the Gulf region. The aim of this study is to assess the feedback given to medical students and examine the obstacles and predictor factors preventing medical staff from providing their students with appropriate feedback.

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine, Taibah University, KSA. All teaching staff were invited to fill in a predesigned structured questionnaire about socio-demographic characteristics, data related to feedback given to students the previous academic year, and obstacles preventing them from providing appropriate feedback.

Of the 110 invitees, 95 faculty members responded (response rate of 86.4%), and 65.3% reported giving feedback (95% CI = 55.8%-74.8%). There were no significant differences in the characteristics of the given feedback when analysed according to staff gender, department, degree, and academic rank. The mean number and duration of the given feedback were significantly higher among professors, followed by assistant then associate professors respectively. Self-confidence, being judgmental, no time to give appropriate feedback (female and clinical staff), teachers' inadequate skills in giving feedback (basic sciences staff), and absence of students' advisorship (male staff) were the most important obstacles to providing feedback.

This study showed that a considerably high proportion of medical staff provide student feedback. There is a need to improve obstacles that potentially prevent giving appropriate feedback to medical students and to provide remediable solutions.