Introduction:

Formative assessment is a multifaceted process, which aims to contribute to the formation of an autonomous and reflective professional. It is a powerful resource in medical education.

Objective:

To learn about the formative assessment process in the undergraduate medical internship program at the Natal campus of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte.

Method:

This is an observational study with a quantitative approach, involving the online and in-person application of a questionnaire to teachers and student interns, from July to December 2021.

Result:

Twenty-seven teachers and 79 students answered the questionnaire. The teachers reported a more positive perception than their students, since 51.9% of them have delivered formative assessment, while only 41.7% of 5th year students and 35.5% of 6th year students recognize its performance. Likewise in relation to the definition of learning objectives: 70.4% of teachers stated that they present these objectives, whereas only 25% and 16.1% of the 5th and 6th year students, respectively, recognize such presentation. The teachers and students also have different perceptions in relation to feedback and the use of ICTs in formative assessment: whereas 70.4% of the teachers considered that they provide feedback, only 27.1% and 16.1% of the 5th and 6th year interns respectively, acknowledged receipt of frequent feedback. The use of ICTs was perceived as reasonable by 44.4% of the teachers and widely used by most students. The discussion of cases was the formative assessment method most widely recognized by both groups.

Conclusion:

Teachers and students have different perceptions about the execution of formative assessment in medical internships, and both agree on the need for teacher training to improve the assessment process. There is a need for more discussions on the subject to create a culture of formative assessment that engages teachers and students.

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