Explaining the Dimensions of Effective Clinical Evaluation in Medical Education: Medical Students' Perspectives

Introduction: Clinical evaluation is an essential component of medical education, profoundly impacting students’ learning processes and the development of their clinical skills. This study examined medical students' perspectives on clinical evaluation. Method: This qualitative study used Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis framework to examine the views of 31 medical students in their internship and clerkship years at Yazd and Kerman Universities of Medical Sciences during the 1403–1404 academic year. Participants expressed their views on clinical evaluations via semi-structured interviews. The accuracy and validity of the data were ensured through the criteria of Guba and Lincoln. Results: The results of the content analysis showed that participants raised two main themes and five sub-themes regarding clinical evaluation. The main themes included evaluation goals (Pedagogical orientation, feedback-based improvement cycle and perceived competence) and the evaluation process (learning-evaluation paradigm fit and educational justice). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that medical students perceive clinical evaluation as effective when it meets three key criteria: first, it acts as a tool to guide the learning process, second, it provides constructive and timely feedback, and third, it is implemented with educational equity. From the participants’ perspective, when assessments align with learning objectives and uphold educational equity, they not only enhance instructional quality, but also increase students’ self-confidence and motivation. These results emphasize the need to revise clinical assessment practices by considering these key components.