Assessing commitment to reflection: perceptions of medical students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professional Identity Development
• Reflective Practice Assessment

Background:

• Developing reflection skills is crucial for medical professionals.
• Assessing these skills can lead to unintended negative consequences.
• This study examines student perceptions of reflection assessment in a longitudinal course.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore medical students' perceptions of assessment focused on reflection and professional identity.
• To understand the impact of assessment on students' commitment to reflection.
• To evaluate the student-mentor relationship in the context of reflection assessment.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study design.
• Semi-structured interviews conducted with 27 medical students (21 first-year, 6 second-year).
• Thematic analysis employed, guided by Braun and Clarke's six-step approach.

Main Results:

• Four key themes emerged: assessment as a motivator, impact on authenticity, perceived subjectivity, and the mentor relationship.
• Students reported high motivation when assessed on the reflection process.
• Ambivalence regarding authenticity and concerns about assessment subjectivity were noted.

Conclusions:

• Assessing the process of reflection in medical students yields high motivation but mixed feelings on authenticity.
• The subjectivity of assessment and the student-mentor relationship are significant factors.
• This assessment method shows promise for evaluating reflective skills while mitigating negative consequences.