THE STUDENT-INITIATED, FACULTY-ASSISTED SYSTEM OF EVALUATION OF CLINICAL TEACHING AT THE UNIVERSITY-OF-VIRGINIA

The University of Virginia School of Medicine has developed a student-initiated, faculty-assisted system to evaluate the faculty who teach the third-year clinical clerkships. All students complete an evaluation at the end of each clerkship, and the fourth-year class and student government compile the results and publish a detailed annual report of the data, offering constructive criticism and recommendations for change. Teaching faculty then review the report and respond to the student government, the faculty clerkship committee, and the student curriculum committee, addressing the contents of the report and initiating proposals to correct deficiencies and improve teaching. The experience of the first two administrations of this system (1988-1990) has been encouraging, and the authors suggest that the system will be applicable to the evaluation of clinical teaching on a universal basis.