Evaluations

[Zweisamkeit]

I'm starting 3rd year next week and I have a quick question: Who exactly writes your evaluations for each rotation? Are there multiple people? I always thought it was your main resident on your team that you report to, but then I read posts here on SDN where people complain that someone gave them a bad evaluation when they only worked with them for an hour.

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[Pinkertinkle]

Totally school and rotation dependent. In my experience, some rotations you are evaluated by everyone u've said hi to. This system sucks because your grade depends a lot on being lucky and working with people who are more "generous" in their evaluations. Other rotations you are graded by one or two attendings who are supposed to summarize the team's opinion of you. Luck can also play a big part here. That's what third year evals are: 50% luck, 50% hard work.

 

[Zweisamkeit]

Oh joy. Thanks!

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Agreed with above. Usually during your orientation for a given block they'll give you information on exactly who does the evals, how much the evals count (vs. shelf exams, quizzes, what have you). Evals are subjective, and although you should recognize trends and take it to heart if someone sits you down and says "You need to be on time for rounds" or whatever, if you get all worked up about what generic statement this person writes one week vs. that person the next week you'll drive yourself crazy.

 

[FatKid]

OP: M3 and M4 grades are a pure crapshoot. My advice is to not give a ****.

 

[tfom08]

Figure out who is grading you and try to make them like you without making it too obvious that is what you are doing. But really, from what I've seen, the best way is to just smash shelf exams. Most evaluators are going to give you between an 87-93, so you just have to make high scores on your shelf to make honors/A's.

 

[plainolerichie]

The eval system sucks for grading! It's such a crapshoot! Learn that, and you'll at least keep your sanity.

Try to figure out who evaluates you and ASK the medical student educator/ clerkship coordinator who evaluates you. Then, at least whenever you spend time with those people, "work hard" but even more importantly "seem" excited, which is always bright-eyed bushy tailed, smiling, slightly higher pitched voice... Actual reading and learning about field you are rotating may or may not help with evals.

But when you do read something, you can't just "read" and think about it, but you then have to tell them that you read "blah, blah" at whatever source. Just reading is useless for evals, even if you get every question they ask about a disease correct and know the correct work up, signs and symptoms, etc. You haveto literally say "I was reading up on XXXXXX last night..."

Interns at our program at least don't evaluate you so you can let your guard down around them and you should try to hang around the second year/senior as much as you can who do evaluate you! Nothing against interns, they are usually nicer at least initially, but much more stressed though. I spent most of my first two rotations hanging around interns and not the senior/residents and got bad evals.

Some people give default of bare bones just passing score unless you do spend a lot of time and seem overly excited. Some seem to start at 100, but will give you points off if you are around them enough for them to know your weaknesses. Some won't honor anyone from evals, some just give 100% to all! But yeah, either way, it's a crapshoot.

PS, This is coming from a bitter 4th year about evals .