7. Assessment

7.1. Reflective pieces

Reflection is a key skill for all healthcare professionals and learning how to develop reflective practice is an essential part of medical education. The GMC, in collaboration with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the UK Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans (COPMeD), and the Medical Schools Council (MSC), recently published a guide for medical students on how to reflect as part of their practice. The key idea of reflective work is to promote self-awareness. It enables students to explore their understanding of themselves as medical professionals and how they relate to patients. It also provides a space where students can consider and challenge their own attitudes and perceptions, including highlighting learning points for themselves and others. There are many formats that can be used for reflection, including verbal, written and art. During the placement days, the GP tutor may suggest some topics for the group to reflect on and facilitate this. There are also some suggested questions that students might want to consider and reflect upon following each placement day.  

 

There is a creative enquiry option as part of the first reflective assignment. Creative enquiry is part of an educational approach that invites student engagement with their lived experience through the arts. Using multiple languages of expression – arts-based and prose reflective writing has been found to extend reflection and understanding and engage the student voice and perspective. These websites, Human Flourishing and Out of Our Heads, have more information about creative enquiry and lots of examples. Students will be asked to confirm whether they give consent for their reflective pieces to be shared, to either include their details or anonymously, for a QMUL creative enquiry website that is being designed to showcase creative enquiry work by QMUL students from all year groups.  

 

The reflective pieces 

Each student will complete 2 pieces of reflective work during the medicine in society placement

Task 1: Changing identity?  Becoming a medical student  

Options:  

  1. 750-1000 word written reflective piece   

  1. 500 words supported by a creative enquiry piece e.g., a photograph, drawing, poem, piece of music that helps to convey your message.  


This task is for you to consider how becoming a medical student may have changed how you, or others, perceive your identity – do you feel different since becoming a medical student and does this match your expectations? What experiences so far have prompted you to consider this, and how will this help you going forwards as you develop your professional identity?  

If you include a creative enquiry piece, add your explanations of your chosen medium and offer your interpretations of any images and metaphors used.  

 

Students need to submit their work on QM+ and email it to their GP tutor on or before the deadline for their group as below. Late submissions will incur penalties.  

Students who do not submit and pass will not be able to sit the end of year exams until they have passed a remediation task. 

Group B Submission Deadline: Day 7 12/1/2023

Group A Submission Deadline: Day 7 19/1/2023 

 

 

Task 2: Professional development  

750 -1000 words  

In this task the student reflects on an encounter that they have had with a patient during their placement and how this supported their professional development. Students should choose an encounter that made an impact on them and explore why this was such an important meeting for themselves and their learning.  

 

Students need to submit their work on QM+ and email it to their GP tutor on or before the deadline for their group as below. Late submissions will incur penalties. 

Group B Submission Deadline: Day 13 20/4/2023 

Group A Submission Deadline: Day 13 27/4/2023 

 

 

Assessment of the reflective pieces 

  • The reflective writing pieces should be assessed and graded by the GP tutor.  

  • GP tutors will be asked to submit these marks to the QMUL CBME team and provide both the marks and feedback, written and/or verbal, directly to the students as well.  

  • Students should receive their mark by the next placement day after the submission date.  


Guidance for grading the reflective pieces  

  

Merit 

Pass 

Referred 

  

 Impact 

The work moves/engages you. It stays with you/ opens new doors & new perspectives 

 

There were some interesting insights and perspectives that made you think but could have been explored further.  

Themes/ideas addressed superficially.  

Reflection 

 

Insightful reflection - focussed on ‘key issues/ideas,’ explored from different perspectives, context and emotions are considered.  

 

Mix of descriptive account with some reflection e.g., the student considers their emotions, looks at the perspective of others, or identifies ‘key issues/ideas,’ but this could be expanded. 

 

Descriptive account – narrative account of what happened, with little or no reflection. 

 

Aesthetics  

(If creative enquiry piece included) 

Excellent use of chosen medium powerfully conveying the content, assisting the audience in engaging with the message. 

Some originality. Reasonable effort and use of chosen medium.  

Little original thought, little effort, not effective use of medium chosen, not conveying the content well.