On being a supervisor: the importance of feedback and how to give it

Objective: We outline some of the dominant opinions regarding the provision of formative feedback, as expressed by both trainees and their supervisors. Methods: Trainee psychiatrists and their supervisors were interviewed and asked to identify ‘good’ as opposed to ‘poor’ supervision. Results: A recurrent theme in interview data was that of formative feedback. Trainees expressed a desire to receive it, but some supervisors discussed misgivings and a lack of skill in providing such feedback. Conclusions: Formative feedback is an essential part of the supervisor's role. We describe the principles of how to best deliver feedback, in order to increase supervisors' confidence and ability in utilizing this learning and teaching skill.