Now Available: A Guide to the Preparation of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation

The new AAMC document, A Guide to the Preparation of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation, (PDF, 13 pages - 75kb) has been mailed, with an attached cover memorandum from AAMC President Jordan J. Cohen, to members of the AAMC Council of Deans, to Student Affairs representatives of the AAMC Group on Student Affairs, and to representatives of the Group on Educational Affairs and Organization of Student Representatives, as well as to approximately 8,000 graduate medical education program directors.

This Guide introduces the new Medical Student Performance Evaluation, which replaces the former "Dean's Letter." Beginning this year, the Medical Student Performance Evaluation will be the means by which medical schools provide an assessment of students' academic performance and professional attributes in medical school to graduate medical education program directors as a component of the residency application process.

The Guide presents:

• A brief history of the Association's efforts to provide guidance for communicating student performance evaluations to GME program directors
• Documentation of the need to revise and enhance the former Dean's Letter
• A discussion of the various components of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation
• A guide to the preparation of, and a template for, the Medical Student Performance Evaluation, and
• A copy of the Group on Student Affairs Guidelines for Medical Schools Regarding Academic Transcripts.

We anticipate that medical schools will implement the Medical Student Performance Evaluation template on pages 5 through 8 of the Guide as they prepare Medical Student Performance Evaluations during this summer for release on November 1, 2002. The Medical Student Performance Evaluation can be scanned for applicants using the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) in the same way as Dean's Letters have been scanned previously. One component of the Guide, that related to the assessment and reporting of the professional attributes of medical students (Appendix C), will require a phase-in over the course of the next four years. Advice on further development on this component will be sought from the Medical Student Performance Evaluation Advisory Committee to be appointed shortly.

This enclosed document is intended to be helpful to those medical school personnel who will be composing Medical Student Performance Evaluations during the summer and fall of 2002 and to those GME program directors who will receive them after November 1, 2002 and use them in the assessment of applicants to their residency programs.

For additional information, contact mspe@aamc.org.