EVALUATION OF A MEDICAL-FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - A COMPARISON OF TRADITIONAL PRE/POST AND RETROSPECTIVE PRE/POST SELF-ASSESSMENT RATINGS

Pre- and post intervention self-assessments commonly used to evaluate educational interventions. However, when training influences participants' criteria for their self-ratings (response shift), the validity of the traditional pre/post comparisons is suspect We as the influence of this phenomenon in a national faculty development Program for clinica teachers. We compared changes in traditional pre/post self-assessment ratings with changes in retrospective pre/post self-assessment ratings. Data included pre/post intervention faculty self-assessments and evaluations of faculty by housestaff and students. On dimensions addressed in the training program retrospective pre/post comparisons revealed more significant changes in teaching performance and attitudes than traditional pre/post comparisons. Housestaff and student evaluations were more consistent with the faculty's retrospective Pre/post than with traditional pre/post comparisons. We conclude that compared to traditional pre/post self-assessment retrospective pre/post ratings may provide a more sensitive and more valid measure of the effects of faculty development.