Informal:
Informal feedback is given continuously in all settings. It is your instructor's verbal comments about such things as your behavior, answers to questions, and ability to perform procedures. It will rarely be labeled as feedback but should be recognized as such and you should use it to improve your performance. If you are not sure what a comment means, then you should ask for clarification.
Formal:
Formal, written feedback will be available at the end of the second week of the clerkship. First you should complete the Formative Evaluation Obstetrics & Gynecology form in the front of your notebook as instructed. Then, Thursday of the second week of the clerkship, on morning rounds, you will give the form to either the third year resident or chief resident on your service. Your performance will be evaluated by the team and the form returned to you the same day or the next. It is your responsibility to make a copy of the form and give it to the Clerkship Director or the Clerkship Administrator in Gainesville before the end of the clerkship or you will not be allowed to take the final examination.
Illusionary:
Illusion: "A false interpretation by the mind of a sense perception"
Illusionary feedback is the warm, fuzzy feeling you get because everyone smiles and seems to be responding positively to you. While the opposite feeling is usually a good sign that your performance is unsatisfactory, this positive feeling may have no correlation with your actual evaluation. It is NOT valid feedback.
Reviewed: March 18, 2004
Author: kellnerk@obgyn.ufl.edu