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EAA086 Medical Student Performance Evaluation ("Dean's Letter")

Policy Number: EAA086
Policy Title: Medical Student Performance Evaluation ("Dean's Letter")


  1. Purpose

    This policy describes how each student’s Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) is written, by whom it is written, a student’s right to request different author(s), a student’s right to challenge the content of the MSPE, and a student’s access to their MSPE.

  2. Persons Affected

    This policy shall apply to the graduating class of 2024 and subsequent classes.

  3. Implementation Date

    July 1, 2023

  4. Definitions
    1. AAMC
      “The AAMC leads and serves the academic medicine community to improve the health of people everywhere. Founded in 1876 and based in Washington, D.C., the AAMC is a not-for-profit association dedicated to transforming health through medical education, health care, medical research, and community collaborations.” 1
    2. ERAS
      “The Electronic Residency Application Service® (ERAS®) is the centralized online application service you’ll use to deliver your application, along with supporting documents, to residency programs." 2
    3. MSPE (“Dean’s Letter”)
      The Medical Student Performance Evaluation is one of the supporting documents that make up the residency application package.
  5. Policy
    1. MSPE is a summary of the student’s professional development through medical school. It focuses primarily on the student’s academic performance but also summarizes the student’s research and service accomplishments.
    2. The MSPE is written in accordance with recommendations and a template published by the AAMC. It is not a letter of recommendation. 3
    3. The MSPE is written for each student by the Associate Dean for Student Affairsand the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.
      • A student may request a different writer of their MSPE.
    4. Sources of information used to construct the MSPE include academic data posted on One45 for each student, the student’s CV and Personal Statement written as part of their ERAS application, and any professionalism commendations or concerns filed with the Office of Student Affairs.
    5. At the start of the writing of MSPEs, each student shall have a personal interview with the Associate or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to review the information that will go into the MSPE. Before the MSPE is uploaded to ERAS, each student shall be invited to review their MSPE.
    6. A student may challenge the content of their MSPE. (See Appendix C.)
    7. Once submitted to ERAS, the MSPE may not be withdrawn, revised, and resubmitted. An addendum may be submitted to correct or add additional information.
    8. A student may have a copy of their MSPE, upon request, after graduation from the SOM.

1 https://www.aamc.org/about-us
2 https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-residencies-eras/applying-residencies-eras
3 See Recommendations for Revising the Medical Student Performance Evaluation, https://www.aamc.org/media/23311/download?attachment

Appendix A - LCME Standard(s)

11.4 Provision of MSPE

A medical school provides a Medical Student Performance Evaluation required for the residency application of a medical student only on or after October 1 of the student's final year of the medical education program.

Appendix B – Requesting a different writer

A student may request a different writer of their MSPE other than the Associate or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. The student shall make this request in writing to the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs no later than August 1 with a brief statement of the reason for the request. The Vice Dean shall appoint an alternate writer of the MSPE.

Appendix C – Challenging the content of the MSPE

  1. The most common concern, and the main reason students challenge the content of their MSPEs, is about a summary evaluation written at the end of each clerkship by Clerkship Directors. Students may question what is stated, or they may request that a comment made by a faculty member on their individual evaluation be included in the summative evaluation. These matters should be taken up directly with Clerkship Directors ideally at the end of each clerkship when grades are posted, but no later than August 1. If the clerkship director revises the summative comment after a discussion with a student, the revised comment will be included in the MSPE.
  2. Other concerns about the content of the MSPE should be addressed to the Associate or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Consultation with other faculty or staff shall be made if that is deemed helpful in resolving the issue.
  3. The final form and content of the MSPE is the responsibility of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, not the student.

Appendix D – Requesting a copy of the MSPE

A student may request a copy of their MSPE after graduation from the SOM by following procedures outlined in policy EAA029 – Student Access to Educational Records Policy.

Dates Reviewed or Amended

Approved by ad hoc Policy Committee: Jan 24, 2023.

Approved by Central Authority Curricular Committee: March 7, 2023.

Approved by Dean/Chief Academic Officer: March 9, 2023.