- St. Georges University School of Medicine has approved a new direct observation requirement for all students starting core clerkships after May 2022 to provide students with formative feedback on their clinical knowledge, skills, and professional behavior
- Students must be observed by a clinical preceptor and provided with formative feedback on their performance during a clinical encounter.
- Students are responsible for notifying their preceptors to arrange the required direct observation.
- The preceptor must select an appropriate patient for the observed clinical encounter.
- The preceptor must complete the Direct Observation Form to provide immediate formative feedback on the selected clinical encounter.
- The Direct Observation Form may be completed during one or several clinical encounters. Each direct observation metric can be performed in small parts throughout the clerkship. This will decrease the time burden on preceptors.
- The student will upload the Direct Observation Form for display into the final evaluation for the Clerkship director to review. Details for uploading the form will be provided on the clerkship Sakai site.
- Completion of the Direct Observation feedback experience and uploading of the form are required for each clerkship. Failure to complete this requirement may negatively impact a student’s professional behavior component grade for the rotation.
The Faculty:
The Direct observation requirement has been developed to assess a student’s clerkship specific learning objectives during a patient encounter.
The Following learning objectives will be assessed:
- Medical Knowledge
- Clinical Skills
- Professional Behaviour
During the direct observation the preceptor will apply the defined scales on the direct observation form to assess SGU students in a clinical setting. Preceptors should follow the below instructions for an optimal learning experience:
- Together with the student, select an appropriate patient
- Inform the patient and ask permission
- Provide constructive feedback to student:
- Feedback is based on an assessment of the student’s knowledge, clinical skills and professional behavior observed during the direct observation of the clinical encounter.
- Give feedback as soon as possible, correct questioning and exam maneuvers in real time.
- Feedback should be constructive, consisting of a combination of positive and negative verbal/written comments with instructions for improvement.
- The entire form does not need to be completed all at once. This will ensure the direct observations will not burden preceptors with excessive time constraints.
- Once the individual metric is observed please circle the appropriate skill level, sign and date in the comment section. (See below)
Students:
Students are to download and print the form found in Core Sakai Resources and have it present at all times during the rotation.
Students must coordinate with the preceptor to examine an appropriate patient.
The student must hand the preceptor the Direct observation form before the observation of the clinical encounter.
Once the clinical encounter is performed the student will receive verbal feedback on the observed metric and have the preceptor circle the appropriate skill level, sign and date the metric assessed. This may be done during different encounters with different preceptors until all metrics on the Direct Observation form have been observed and the feedback form has been completed.
Once the entire form has been completed the student will upload the Direct Observation form into PEL (upload feature) for display into the final evaluation system for the Clerkship director to review.
Pictures of the completed Direct observation form must be saved and uploaded in a JPEG format
Number of Direct Observations:
Internal Medicine and Surgery: (12-week rotations)
- Require 2 completed Direct Observation forms to be submitted by students. The first before the midcore evaluation for formative feedback and the second before the final evaluation.
Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology:
- Require 1 completed Direct Observation form to be submitted by students.
Direct Observation Form:
