Judging Oneself and the Feedback: Using a Feedback Literacy Lens to Explore How Learners Experience Professionalism...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professionalism Studies
• Feedback Literacy

Background:

• Professionalism is a critical competency in medical education requiring effective feedback for improvement.
• Feedback literacy, how learners interpret and utilize feedback, is essential for skill development.
• The subjective nature of professionalism and potential cultural biases complicate feedback processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how diverse medical learners experience and respond to professionalism feedback.
• To utilize feedback literacy as a framework for analyzing learner experiences with professionalism feedback.

Main Methods:

• A multi-center qualitative study using a critical constructivist approach.
• Interviews conducted with fourth-year medical students and senior residents.
• Data analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis with feedback literacy as an analytic lens.

Main Results:

• Learners perceived professionalism feedback as less valuable when viewed as a character trait versus an improvable skill.
• Constructive feedback prompted critical reflection on professionalism and potential biases, including racial bias.
• Professionalism feedback delivery methods often limited learner agency and elicited significant emotional responses.

Conclusions:

• Learners critically examine professionalism feedback for context and potential bias, particularly racial bias.
• Effective professionalism feedback requires addressing learner agency and potential biases.
• Enhancing feedback literacy for both learners and educators is crucial for improving professionalism development.