Section 2: Feedback and Emotional Preparedness

How to give feedback when a student responds with reactionary emotions

• If they have a tendency to cry → A hard message doesn’t have to be delivered in a hard tone. Deliver the feedback thoughtfully and with consideration. Pick the time of the meeting carefully, so that they can go home after the meeting instead of having to see patients afterwards.

• Talking to someone who yells →  Stay calm. Don’t fight fire with fire, because it gives them a reason to conclude that you do not have their best interests in mind.  Be willing to shut down a meeting that is not constructive or professional.

• Talking to someone who gets defensive → For a person who has an excuse for everything, and tries to shift blame, say something like, “I see this as your responsibility–let’s talk about why you don’t see it this way,” or “When you blame someone else, you become the victim, which isn’t helpful to you.”
• Recurring patterns of poor emotional responses to feedback → Repetitive poor responses to feedback might warrant something like, “I notice every time we sit down to discuss feedback, you become [upset, angry, defensive]. I want to help you succeed. What can I do to help you receive feedback with more openness? Focus on good intentions and moving to the same side of the table to help with student growth.

Take into account both sides of Self-Reflection Skills

• Self-Reflection skills of the student – are they constantly or rarely self-evaluating, do they take constructive feedback well, etc.
• Self-Reflection skills of the preceptor – receiving feedback from students and improving your own communication skills, learning from student evaluations, trying new strategies when a student does not learn from their errors or fails to learn new skills.