Undergraduate medical student attitudes to the peer assessment of professional behaviours in two medical schools

The objective of this study was to investigate medical school student views on the peer assessment of professional behaviours. Focus groups were held with students at two northern England medical schools which were using peer assessment. The study showed that preparing students to give and receive feedback was a key aspect in the successful delivery of peer assessment. Medical school students are generally positive about the peer assessment of professional behaviours. However, they expressed mixed views about anonymity and how information was to be used. The results imply that peer assessment could offer valuable feedback for formative learning.