Faculty Underestimate Resident Desire for Constructive Feedback and Overestimate Retaliation

• In Event: Lessons in Instruction: What Works and What Doesn't Work in Professions Education

Abstract

Constructive feedback from faculty to trainees is essential to promoting trainees’ learning, yet is rarely provided. We explored anesthesiology faculty and resident impressions of constructive feedback and the barriers to giving more. Between January and March 2019, we performed a cross-sectional survey study of anesthesiology residents and teaching faculty at two large academic centers. A total of 116 residents (74% response rate) and 127 faculty (49% response rate) responded. Residents were significantly more likely to want to receive constructive feedback than the faculty members predicted. Further, residents are unlikely to retaliate against faculty who provide it. Barriers to providing feedback included time constraints, insufficient confidence/training, fear of retaliation and feelings of futility.

Authors

• Jed Wolpaw, Johns Hopkins University

• Daniel Saddawi-Konefka, Harvard University

• Priyanka Dwivedi, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

• Serkan Toy, Johns Hopkins University