Implementation of multisource feedback for competency assessment in medical students during clinical clerkship: a scoping review protocol
TL;DR
The primary objective of this scoping review is to map the evidence on MSF implementation processes for assessing the clinical competencies of medical students during clinical clerkship while further identifying the instruments, rater types, outcomes and implementation factors reported in this setting.
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Clinical clerkship is a critical transitional phase in which medical students develop core competencies through experiential learning. Workplace-based assessment, specifically multisource feedback (MSF), serves as a vital evaluative framework by triangulating perspectives from multiple stakeholders to mitigate bias. Although MSF is extensively validated and used among practising physicians and in postgraduate medical education, its application within undergraduate clinical clerkships remains underexplored. Medical students represent a distinct population with unique developmental needs, meaning that existing evidence from senior medical cohorts cannot be directly extrapolated to this context. The primary objective of this scoping review is to map the evidence on MSF implementation processes for assessing the clinical competencies of medical students during clinical clerkship while further identifying the instruments, rater types, outcomes and implementation factors reported in this setting. Methods and analysis This scoping review will be conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. An initial search strategy was developed and piloted in PubMed. The comprehensive search will include MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Science (Clarivate) and ERIC (via ProQuest), as well as Grey literature sources, including Google Scholar. All searches were conducted from database inception to 5 May 2026, and were restricted to studies published in English. All primary research designs, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, will be eligible for inclusion in this study. Study selection and data extraction from full-text articles will be performed independently by two reviewers based on the inclusion criteria and a predetermined data extraction form. In the event of any discrepancies, these will be resolved through discussion with the third reviewer. The extracted data will be summarised and displayed in tabular or graphical form. Ethics and dissemination This study does not require ethical approval, as all data will be collected from the published literature. The findings will be submitted for publication to peer-reviewed journals.