Formative Evaluation

Formative evaluation is an assessment by the FCA in the form of feedback to the student regarding their performance during the clinical practicum.  Ongoing feedback provides the student with the opportunity to enhance their performance during the course of the clinical practicum.  Role performance areas in which the student has achieved competence should be discussed with the student, as well as those areas that have been identified as weak, and needing improvement.  Specific recommendations from the FCA on strategies for improving clinical performance will be helpful to the student and can be documented in anecdotal notes in assignments.   

Summative Evaluation

Summative evaluation describes the student’s performance, development, and improvement at the conclusion of the clinical practicum.  The summative evaluation of performance is based on the criteria indicated on the clinical evaluation tool provided in Typhon.  Although students are often not able to meet the performance competencies immediately, they should be able to demonstrate progression of skills and competencies.  The written narrative is an extremely important part of the evaluation. Comments are valuable in assessing the student’s knowledge, skill level, and immersion in the course.  Clarity of comments and specific examples of situations that illustrate the comments written on the evaluation form are important to learning.  Written comments are particularly valuable if the student needs remediation in a specific competency area.  It is important to include the student’s self-evaluation during the preceptor/student evaluation discussions.  The evaluation should be reviewed with the student at the end of the quarter.  

FCAs should document anecdotal notes that can be used to develop the end of quarter evaluation.  Student strengths, as well as weaknesses, should be documented.  In the event that a student’s behavior is unprofessional, or the student places the patient in danger (e.g. including medical errors), an anecdotal note should document the event and the primary course faculty must be contacted.   

Summative and formative evaluation provides the FCA with the tools to identify and discuss deficiencies that may indicate clinical failure.  FCAs should inform the primary course faculty of clinical performance deficiencies and/or problems at the time they occur.