Navigating the Emotional Minefield of Difficult Feedback in Medical Education

Author

William (Will) Bynum, MD

Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine

william.e.bynum@duke.edu

Will Bynum is currently an Associate Professor of Family Medicine in the Duke University School of Medicine. Prior to arriving at Duke in October 2017, he served for seven years on Active Duty in the US Air Force. Will’s military service included four years of faculty duties in the NCC Family Medicine Residency Program and a deployment to East Africa as the senior medical director of a special operations command. Will currently serves as the Duke Family Medicine Residency Program Director and Faculty Advisor to the Duke School of Medicine Student Wellness Committee. Will’s primary academic interest centers on the role of self-conscious emotion in the medical learning experience. He is conducting this program of research through a PhD in Health Professions Education at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Overview and Objectives

Brief Overview: In this presentation, I explore the emotional complexity (through the lens of shame and guilt) of giving and/or receiving difficult feedback during medical learning. I would provide an overview of the psychology of shame and guilt, use a couple of case studies, and walk attendees through ways to leverage knowledge of self-conscious emotions to provide or receive difficult feedback in a resilient, growth-oriented manner. I would also emphasize the importance of environment and culture in facilitating constructive response to difficult feedback and would explore specific actions attendees can take to create them. The workshop would utilizes cases and group discussion (large and small) to drive engagement

Objectives: By the end of this talk, attendees will be able to:

Define and differentiate shame and guilt and describe how to leverage this distinction in the provision of feedback
Report increased awareness of the emotional responses that difficult feedback may trigger in the recipient
List specific strategies for providing difficult feedback in a way that minimizes risk of shame, facilitates growth, and enhances resilience
List specific strategies for creating environments in which difficult feedback can be provided in a manner that facilitates growth and enhances resilience