PURPOSE
Peer feedback is a common practice in medical schools, but formal
instruction is often lacking, leading to less actionable critiques and
student apprehension. This project assessed the effectiveness of a 1-hour
virtual workshop designed to teach first-year medical students the qualities
of effective feedback and the application of the Situation-Behavior-Impact
(SBI) framework.
METHODS
A synchronous virtual workshop was developed and delivered to all
first-year medical students (n=289) at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic
Medicine (SOM) during the Community Service Learning & Leadership course
in Fall 2025. The session included didactic instruction and large- and
small-group exercises focused on reviewing and creating SBI-based feedback
statements. Student confidence was measured using an anonymous pre- and
post-workshop poll on three key areas. To assess learning and application,
two faculty members analyzed a sample of student-created SBI statements
utilizing a rubric. Statements were also analyzed using the rubric in Google
NotebookLM.
RESULTS
Post-workshop confidence levels increased significantly across all measured
domains. Student agreement or strong agreement increased for: listing
qualities of effective feedback (52% pre to 99% post), providing effective
feedback (75% pre to 99% post), and explaining the SBI Framework (18% pre to
97% post). Students indicated agreement or strong agreement (98%) that they
could provide feedback using the SBI Framework. The analysis of SBI
statements showed that, on average, students scored 14.97 out of 20. 11-15
points on the rubric indicate “adequate application; some areas need
refinement.”
CONCLUSION
The one-hour workshop effectively enhanced students' knowledge and
confidence in explaining and providing effective feedback using the
structured SBI framework. This approach addresses a critical gap in medical
education, potentially leading to more meaningful peer evaluations, improved
professional development, and more effective learning environments.