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CUNY School of Medicine Medical Student Performance Evaluation

Overview of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)

The MSPE provides an honest and objective summary of the student’s personal attributes, experiences, and academic accomplishments based, to the greatest degree possible, on verifiable information and summative evaluations. When possible, comparative assessments of the student’s attributes, experiences, and accomplishments relative to their institutional peers should be provided. The MSPE should primarily contain information about the student’s medical school performance, although a summary of premedical experiences and achievements may be included in the Noteworthy Characteristics when relevant.

The composition of the MSPE. The MSPE contains six sections:

1. Identifying Information,

2. Noteworthy Characteristics,

3. Academic History,

4. Academic Progress,

5. Summary,

6. Medical School Information.

The CUNY School of Medicine MSPE sample can be accessed at the following link: MSPE Review Process https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/2023-02/2022%20MSPE%20Sample%202-24-2023.pdf

Please note the following regarding the review of the MSPE:

1. The MSPE is a letter that describes a student’s medical school performance. It is not a letter of recommendation and does not provide support for a specific specialty. The MSPE is prepared following standards set by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) for the preparation of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation which can be accessed at this link: https://www.aamc.org/professional-development/affinity-groups/gsa/medical-student-performance-evaluation

2. Individual student review of their MSPE will be scheduled and the process for review is outlined by the Office of Student Affairs.

3. During the review, the student may provide comments specifically in the “Noteworthy Characteristics” and identify errors in the other sections.

4. All clerkship narratives included in the MSPE have been submitted by the clerkship faculty and may not be changed without the express written consent from the clerkship director with the exception of typos, factual errors, or grammatical errors.

5. If there are any grammatical errors, typos, or factual errors found during the review of the MSPE, the student will have another opportunity to review before it is finalized.

6. Modifying or sharing of the MSPE is considered a violation of Academic Integrity and if done may result in referral to CUNY School of Medicine’s Student Academic Progress Committee.

7. The final MSPE is part of the student’s academic record and regulated by FERPA. The MSPE is housed within the Office of the Registrar.

8. The MSPE will be provided to the student’s selected residency programs as part of the standard residency application process as required by ERAS and NRMP guidelines.

9. Students may contact Student Affairs to discuss the MSPE further, if desired.

Release of MSPE and Addenda

The MSPE release date is established annually by the AAMC Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). As per the AAMC, any changes or additions to the MSPE after the release date will be made as an addendum to the original MSPE. The MSPE may be updated to include an addendum(a) after it has been released to residency programs that a student has applied to. The addendum could include updates to enrollment, academic performance data, and/or violation of the Medical School or City University of New York policies. The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) requires that an addendum be submitted to residency programs if the MSPE is no longer accurate. A MSPE that is false, misleading, incomplete, or not up-to-date is a violation of the NRMP Match Participation Agreement. Any addenda will automatically be sent to all residency programs as required by the NRMP Match Agreement. The MSPE and any addenda will become a permanent part of the student’s academic record at the CUNY School of Medicine.

The CUNY School of Medicine is obligated by the NRMP Match Participation Agreement to notify the residency programs, as well as the NRMP, of any changes in a student’s academic performance or progress that could render the student ineligible to graduate and enter graduate medical education on July 1st in the year of Match. This may require the medical school official to withdraw the student from the match or request a waiver of the match binding commitment if the student has already been matched to a residency program.

Future professional medical credentials committees, residency programs, and other legitimate agencies may require a copy of the MSPE and any addenda from the Medical School for the purpose of licensure, accreditation, and other such related matters. To provide a copy of the MSPE to these external organizations, a formal MSPE release request form must be submitted to the Office of Academic Records. The MSPE is not released to students or graduates of the CUNY School of Medicine. The MSPE request form can be found at this link: https://cunymed.org/registrar/ The CUNY School of Medicine will address telephone and e-mail inquiries from residency program personnel who request additional information or clarification regarding of a student’s application for residency training.