Abstract
Medical student assessment during clerkships is largely driven by clinical performance ratings, but many students perceive clinical evaluations to be “unfair.” 1,2 Although more training of evaluators may address this issue, lack of a shared mental model for what defines different levels of performance may contribute to the perception of unfairness.3 Frame-of-reference (FOR) training is an approach to promote a shared mental model by using a “frame of reference” against which raters can compare and evaluate their students. Studies have shown that FOR training allows raters to apply the outlined standards and result in more accurate ratings.4,5 However, FOR training is often resource-intensive, and prior studies have not included training students. The objectives of this study were to develop an online, interactive, frame-of-reference training module to facilitate FOR training, to determine if FOR training for students can improve rating accuracy and enhance understanding of clerkship expectations for clinical performance, and to compare if there are differences between faculty-led, in-person versus remote FOR training.