Purpose: Formal assessment in medical training commonly evaluates history-taking, examination technique, and clinical knowledge, but less consistently assesses how students relate to patients as persons. This mismatch between stated humanistic values and assessed behaviors may limit growth-oriented feedback on empathy. This study explored students’ experiences of clinical assessment and feedback related to empathy and relational competence. Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with final-year medical students about assessment and feedback during clinical training. Transcripts were analyzed thematically, with attention to how students described being evaluated, what feedback they found meaningful, and whether empathic or relational behaviors were formally assessed. Results: Participants described clinical assessment as narrowly outcome-focused, often rewarding correct information gathering more than the relational process through which information was obtained. Several proposed adding a distinct criterion for how students relate to patients, including empathy, respect, attentiveness, and responsiveness. Participants also recalled rare teachers who gave feedback focused on growth, process, and development over time rather than a single performance outcome. This feedback was described as more motivating and memorable than standard grading. However, it appeared to depend on individual faculty practice rather than intentional curricular design. Conclusion: Growth-oriented feedback on relational and empathic skills is valued by students but inconsistently provided. Incorporating relational competence into clinical assessment and preparing faculty to provide process-focused feedback may better align assessment with the humanistic goals of medical training. This approach supports holistic learner development by moving beyond single-metric measures of success toward assessment practices that recognize empathy, process, and professional growth.