UGH Eval Question

[78222]

What would you do if you got 1 GREAT evaluation and 1 TERRIBLE eval? My first attending on IM (who I spent a lot of time with) wrote a really good eval for me. Pretty much a "this student is really great. smart. hardworking, etc". The next months attending, who rarely interacted with us and asked me like 2 questions the entire rotation, basically said I am "the lower half of average, lacks iniative, not an academic thinker", etc. I can't believe it. I mean, I'd heard bad things from students and residents but sheesh, the lady hardly even knew me and told me everything was fine at mid month evaluation time. My shelf score+first eval should put me in the A range but because of this eval I'll probably get a B. I really feel like this eval is unfair and inaccurate. Should I contact the course director about it (I worked with her for a week and think she probably would agree more with the first letter) or just wait for my grade?

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[pincheeric]

I would wait for your grade. No reason to look like a nit-picker if you end up getting that A anyway. Then if it turns out that eval did you in go to the course director. There's a good chance even that won't do anything for you. Welcome to the clinical years. You've learned the valuable lesson that every second with those who evaluate you counts. It's a bummer that 2 wrong answers meant a B, but better that she asked 2 questions than only 1!

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

Welcome to third year. If it makes you feel any better just about everyone gets one of these. Bring it up with the course director if it makes a letter grade difference, especially if you plan on doing IM. Had several friends who appealed evals last year, most managed to get comments wiped from the dean's letter but only one (that I know of) was successful in getting an actual grade change.

Regardless of the outcome, learn how to roll with the subjectivity and you'll be a much happier M3.

 

[Ypo.]

Dang, Cerb. Sorry to hear that. Third year is so damn frustrating.

"Lacks initiative" and "lower half of average" are pretty effed up things to write. I would definitely be annoyed.

I would probably talk to the clerkship director about it (depending on whether or not I thought they might do anything to help). Just tell him/her that you met with this attending and asked for feedback at midclerkship, but that they didn't give any indication that you needed to improve, and now they have given you a bad eval and you are confused about how you got it. Chances are this attending has done the same thing to other students.

At the least, you'll make them aware of the problem. I don't know what your clerkship director will do about it. Maybe he/she will talk to the attending discretely. I wouldn't go in with the expectation they will throw the eval out, but make it your point to ask for feedback/clarification. An attending should not write an eval that is in direct opposition to verbal feedback. I don't think it will hurt you to talk about this to the clerkship director as long as you aren't whiny or demanding about it. That's been my experience at any rate.

 

[45408]

I've talked to my clerkship director a few times, and if this happened to me, I'd definitely take it up with him. Legitimate constructive criticism is one thing, but scathing remarks that are based on a few brief interactions is inappropriate. Your evaluations from those who knew you better should be the ones that count in your grade - that's the entire point of it.

 

[78222]

I emailed the clerkship director asking her to talk to me about it but I haven't recieved a response yet. The eval strikes me as very unprofessional. The attending didn't write a single positive comment. Everything was negative, and not in a constructive criticism sort of way, but in a mean sort of way. I was actually warned something like this might happen by a resident before I even started the rotation but I am still shocked by how insulting it is - especially considering how little time we spent together.