The F Word

Plus: 2 Ways to Make Sure Your MedEd Paper Pops

Author

Kyan Lynch
September 01, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

👋Hey, it's Ky. I'm so glad to have you in the MedEdge community.

As always, this week’s Newsletter is in SOAP note format:

  • Subjective: An expert opinion or exciting idea

  • Objective: A fact, insight, or pro-tip

  • Assessment: Test your MedEd knowledge

  • Plan: Upcoming dates and events

Subjective: Want to Make Your MedEd Paper Pop? Prioritize These 2 Essential Elements

Dr. Sean Tackett reads a lot of medical education articles—about 15,000 in the last 3 years 😲. He's part of a Johns Hopkins team that picks 3-4 'Must Read' articles each month. To make the cut, an article has to be in the top 1% of those reviewed.

It’s safe to say Dr. Tackett knows what makes a paper stand out. When asked to narrow down the top factors that have the biggest impact, he highlighted two: the title and the quality of tables and figures.

Let’s get more specific.

The Title

First, before I decide to read a MedEd paper, there’s the title. One thing that’s become apparent as we screen ~400 titles and abstracts every month is the importance of a clear and succinct title.

Dr. Sean Tackett

Dr. Tackett identified 4 common missteps authors make when crafting their titles. Below is a graphic overview of each, featuring an example of a title that falls into the trap and one from a 'Must Read' article that successfully avoids it.

Tackett & Lynch 2024. Published in The MedEdge newsletter

Tables and Figures

The second key factor is the inclusion and quality of tables and figures. Dr. Tackett points out that qualitative articles, in particular, can often benefit from graphic elements—but these are rarely used.

Quantitative articles often have conventions for data presentation, although creative figures are typically helpful. In my opinion qualitative articles often miss opportunities to simplify their findings into summary tables or conceptual diagrams; but when those are present, they make a big difference.

Dr. Sean Tackett

Here are two examples of tables and figures in qualitative “Must Reads” articles:

So there you have it. If you're investing time and effort into a medical education manuscript, make sure it ‘pops’! Spend extra time on your title and figures—they might be the key to setting your work apart from the rest.

Follow the “Must Reads” team on Twitter/X: @MedEdMustReads and sign up here to get the selections mailed to you each month.

Objective: Let’s Talk About Feedback

Ahh, feedback—the ultimate 'F' word in medical education.

We all recognize its importance, but let's face it: giving, receiving, and implementing feedback can be a real challenge 🙈🙉🙊.

Fortunately, there are people out there who really get feedback. Two of them even wrote a book called Thanks for the Feedback. If it’s still on your ‘to-read’ list, no judgment—you’ve got a lot going on.

In the book, the authors introduce a pair of 3s ♣️ that I find super useful—one for receiving feedback and the other for delivering it.

The “3 Triggers”

Imagine this: you're in a meeting that just wrapped up. As your colleagues start to leave, your supervisor asks you to 'hang back for a minute.' Your friends glance over with a mix of pity and schadenfreude. Once you're alone, she says, 'I have some feedback for you.' Your heart races. Your chest tightens. You're in full fight-or-flight mode, and you don't even know why.

If that scenario feels familiar, you already understand what Stone and Heen mean by a 'trigger.' In this context, a trigger is an automatic reaction to (probably critical) feedback. It’s normal and expected, but it can really hinder our growth and well-being if we don’t take the time to understand and work through it.

There are 3 types of triggers:

  1. Truth: The feedback feels off, untrue, or unhelpful, and you feel indignant, wronged, or exasperated.

  2. Relationship: The content is overshadowed by your relationship with the person giving it. You think, “Who do you think you are?” or “Really? After everything I do for you?”

  3. Identity: The feedback hits your ooey gooey center, shaking your sense of self and leaving you feeling destabilized, overwhelmed, or ashamed.

When a trigger is set off, the first step is recognizing it. Notice your racing heart, clenched fists, or oncoming tears. Be kind to yourself—it’s a normal reaction.

Next, try to identify the type of trigger you’re experiencing. You might not pinpoint it in the moment, and that’s okay.

Once you recognize the trigger, here’s how to handle it:

Truth: Shift from building a case to being curious. They might have information you don’t. Ask for context, and remember, if they’re misinformed, you don’t have to take all feedback on board.

Relationship: Separate the feedback from the person giving it, but address both. There’s likely an issue between you that’s unproductive—chances are, you both play a part.

Identity: It’s your responsibility to manage your reaction. Are you genuinely considering the feedback, or are you distorting and magnifying it? It takes work, but growth only comes when you can view feedback objectively.

The 3 Types of Feedback

Before giving feedback, whether in a formal setting like a semi-annual review or informally during rounds, it's crucial to know your purpose. Are you aiming to:

  1. Appreciate

  2. Coach

  3. Evaluate

Your choice makes a big difference because, while all three types are necessary, they serve distinct purposes.

Appreciation is about recognition and gratitude. It says, "I see you," "I know you're working hard," and "I'm glad you're here."

Coaching is about improvement. It balances encouragement with instruction, saying, "You're doing great, now here’s how you can take it up a notch."

Evaluation is about judgment and comparison. It communicates, "You're performing as expected," or "Your skills need improvement."

Delivering the wrong type of feedback or giving it when the recipient isn’t ready can lead to crossed wires, frustration, or worse.

🤓 Nerdy Soapbox: I’m not a big fan of the “Oreo/Feedback Sandwich”, if you can’t already tell. Praise - Correction - Praise seems like a really good way to undermine trust to me. But I do see the value in forcing people to look for things to appreciate. Ideally, we should be giving positive feedback/appreciation 9x more often than correction.

Assessment: Quiz Time!

Which of the following is the correct definition of interleaving?

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