Does group discussion of student clerkship performance at an education committee affect an individual committee member's decisions?
BACKGROUND
To determine whether deliberation as part of a group affects an individual's decisions for grading and remediation of marginal students.


METHODS
In academic year 2001-02, members of a Department of Medical Education Committee prospectively completed pre- and postdiscussion surveys about their decision-making processes for third-year internal medicine clerkship students presented for marginal performance. Postdiscussion written comments were analyzed qualitatively.


RESULTS
A total of 23 (14%) students were discussed, resulting in 297 individual committee member decisions (3,090 educator-minutes). A total of 76 of 297 (25%) decisions were altered following committee deliberations, changing the grade and/or remediation for nine students. Only seven of 76 (9%) changes were anticipated. Qualitative analysis revealed four underlying themes for changing: influence of members; data provided; clarification of process; and factors outside the clerkship.


CONCLUSIONS
Group discussion influenced individual committee members' decisions for one-quarter of marginal students. The committee process allowed for clarification of the record, faculty development, and full discussion of student performance.
Gaglione
Margaret Mackrell
MM
Department of Internal Medicine, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA 23708, USA.
Moores
Lisa
L
Pangaro
Louis
L
Hemmer
Paul A
PA
D000328:Adult; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D032802:Committee Membership; D003657:Decision Making; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States