On Requiring Medical Student Participation on Course and Faculty Evaluations: Ethical and Methodological Implications

Many medical schools have policies that require student participation on various course and faculty evaluations. Consequences for non-participation often include threats to withhold grades and prohibiting students from further advancing with their studies. The rationale behind these policies is that mandatory participation is the only way to ensure a high response rate, which many faculty and administrators erroneously perceive as the primary requirement for valid feedback. Unfortunately, there are a number of ethical problems and methodological concerns underscoring these practices. The purpose of this opinion article is to briefly discuss some of the problems associated with this evaluation practice and encourage medical educators to conduct evaluations in more ethically responsible and methodologically appropriate ways.