The Clinical Problem Solvers

Episode 390: WDx #35: Demystifying Feedback

Apr 16, 2025

Dr. Julia Armendariz, a hospitalist and clinician educator, shares her passion for feedback in medical education. She emphasizes the critical role of constructive criticism and goal-setting among learners. Julia debunks common myths about feedback and highlights strategies for creating a positive team environment. She discusses the importance of timely feedback in fostering growth and explores how to establish a feedback culture in personal relationships. Her insights shed light on mentorship, collaboration, and the joys and challenges in medical education.

53:28

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Episode guests

Julia Armendariz

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Quick takeaways

Effective feedback is a crucial communication tool for improvement, emphasizing the importance of continuous engagement over mere evaluation.

Creating a supportive environment through team bonding and structured goal-setting enhances the feedback process and builds learner confidence.

Deep dives

The Role of Feedback in Medical Education

Feedback is defined as communication intended to improve performance, irrespective of the individual’s current skill level. This concept emphasizes the idea that everyone, from beginners to seasoned professionals, has room for improvement. The distinction between feedback and evaluation is crucial; while evaluation ranks performance against a standard or peers, feedback is dynamic and focuses on bridging gaps in skills. Engaging in a culture of continuous feedback fosters growth for both trainees and educators, reinforcing that it is a valuable tool for all, similar to how even professional athletes rely on coaches for ongoing improvement.

Intro

2min

Exploring Feedback Culture in Personal Relationships

2min

Exploring the Joys and Challenges of Medical Education

3min

The Power of Feedback in Performance Improvement

13min

Building a Collaborative Learning Environment

31min

Exploring Support and Streamlining Documentation

2min

Description: Dr. Julia Armendariz joins Kaylin, Sharmin, and Cheryl to discuss feedback. She shares why giving feedback is so critical as well as an approach to feedback and goal-setting with learners. She also debunks common myths, highlights potential pitfalls, and shares her strategies to create a positive team learning environment.

Julia’s bio:

Julia Armendariz, MD, is a hospitalist and clinician educator in the Bay Area who works closely with trainees on the wards and in the classroom. She is the co-director for the Medical Education Elective for the Stanford Internal Medicine Residency, where she shares her passion for Med Ed with Stanford junior and senior residents. Her special areas of interest within Med Ed are communication, specifically feedback, and the struggling learner. She is also a facilitator for a national CME course called MODEL (Maximizing Ongoing Development and Educational Leadership) within the Veteran’s Administration, where she delivers a feedback workshop for attending physicians. She is currently collaborating with faculty at Stanford and other academic programs for research projects, including resident perspectives on faculty feedback delivery, how to improve feedback skills for attending physicians, and how to coach feedback givers. Outside of medicine, Julia loves gardening, the ocean, and spending time with family and friends.