Evaluating Trainees

Timely and systematic evaluation completes the learning cycle. It provides the trainee with a yardstick by which to compare his/her performance to a predetermined standard. Evaluation is most meaningful when it provides the trainee with a summary of the information the faculty has collected through previous observations and which has been shared in earlier feedback sessions. Plans for handling the evaluation process should be discussed at the beginning of the rotation; trainees have the right to understand "upfront" what will be evaluated and when and how evaluation sessions will take place. We recommend that office-based faculty give their trainees a blank copy of the evaluation form at the beginning of the rotation, informing them that they will be expected to evaluate themselves by the end of the month. In this way the actual evaluation discussion can center on discrepancies between how the faculty evaluates the trainee and the trainee's self-evaluation. As with feedback, evaluation skills quickly improve with practice.

Definition

Evaluation is the process of making judgments based upon factual information and observations in order to rate, rank, or assess the trainee's status at a given point.

Purposes

• To summarize performance for the trainee and faculty.
• To communicate meaningful summary information to other parties.
• To provide information for planning future educational experiences.
• To identify areas that need revision.
• To compare a trainee's skills to those of others, or to some predetermined standard.

Timing and Setting

• Evaluation sessions should be predetermined and regularly scheduled.
• Evaluation should take place in a protected environment.

Guidelines for Evaluation

• Evaluation should be verbal and written when possible. If verbal only, the one being evaluated should be asked to review his/her understanding of the evaluation.
• Evaluation should be conducted in an unhurried atmosphere. The evaluator should undertake an evaluation only of what he/she can adequately cover in the time available.
• Evaluation must be based on explicit and common goals.
• Evaluation must be based on an atmosphere of trust between trainee and faculty.
• Trainees deserve and need to know how they will be evaluated prior to the evaluation session.
• Evaluation should be based on systematic observation recorded over a period of time.
• The one being evaluated should have the opportunity to provide input, not in order to change the evaluation, but to contribute his/her understanding of his/her performance.
• Formal evaluations should be predetermined and regularly scheduled.
• Multiple evaluations are better than single, end-of-experience evaluations. Early input allows for the correction of behavior and directs where the trainee should focus his/her effort.

Assessment and Evaluation