IMPROVEMENT OF FACULTY TEACHING PERFORMANCE - EFFICACY OF RESIDENT EVALUATIONS

Rationale and Objectives. We assessed the effects on the perceived qua lity of faculty teaching of a resident evaluation form that solicits s pecific comments on faculty strengths and weaknesses. Methods. An eval uation form was devised that rated faculty on a scale of 1-10 in teach ing conference qualify, availability, efficiency, and teaching. The fo rm requested constructive comments on faculty strengths and weaknesses . The forms were completed anonymously by residents at all levels. Ind ividual results and means for the department were tabulated and provid ed to each faculty member in a personal interview. Change in performan ce was assessed by comparing faculty evaluation scores for 2 consecuti ve years. Results. The mean faculty scores for teaching conference qua lity, availability, efficiency, and teaching increased from 7.8, 7.9, 7.9, and 7.7 to 8.1, 8.3, 8.3, and 8.1 in each of the respective areas . The scores of the faculty members who initially received the 10 lowe st scores rose to an even greater extent (from 6.2, 6.2, 6.0, and 6.0 to 6.8, 7.4, 7.3, and 6.8 in each of the respective areas), whereas th e scores of the faculty members who initially received the 10 highest scores remained relatively constant. Conclusion. The perceived quality of certain focused aspects of resident teaching can be modified by us e of resident evaluations that solicit specific suggestions for improv ement. With appropriate feedback, this is an effective tool for improv ing the teaching performance of radiology department faculty, particul arly those considered to be the weakest teachers.