VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

If the Promotion Board does not recommend the student be allowed to repeat the rotation and the student is in the appeal process when the next rotation begins, the student will be allowed to attend the rotation and sit for the end of-rotation exam while waiting on the results of the appeal. However, the rotation nor the exam of a student on appeal will be graded or recorded until/unless the appeal is granted. The student is only allowed to sit for exams in order to allow a student, who may be successful in their appeal, to not fall behind in the curriculum and testing. Clinical Rotation Repeated Performance Issues In general, students should show a progression of improvement in clinical performance throughout rotations. Repeated poor or failing performance in a specific competency area on the evaluation form across more than one rotation may also be a reason for a required remediation at the discretion of the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs in consultation with the clinical chair, the preceptor, and the Promotion Board. Those students who receive a mere “Pass” on multiple rotations will be counseled about overall performance and may be required to complete an additional rotation at the end of the year. Any additional curriculum or required remediation will be based on the performance measure. Those students who continually score in the "unsatisfactory" category or repeated "performs some of the time, but needs improvement" consistently and do not improve over time or who fail one or more rotations may be deemed as not making academic progress and, as a result, may be referred to the Promotion Board and be required to complete additional curriculum. Multiple rotation failures may result in dismissal. Poor ratings on the clinical rotation evaluation in the professional and ethical areas of the assessment are addressed by the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs. The Associate Dean may design a remediation appropriate to correct the behavior or, if needed, may refer the student to the Professional and Ethical Standards Board. In the case of repeated concerns in a professional and/or ethical area, the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs may refer the student to the Campus Dean for a referral to the Professional and Ethical Standards Board or Promotion Board. The Campus Dean will act upon this referral depending on the severity and the area of the performance measure. Poor ratings in this area will include comments as to the exact nature of the rating. The beginning of the OMS IV year is a time when students begin applying and auditioning for residency positions. As part of this process, VCOM creates a summary document referred to as the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) for each student. The MSPE is a required, core component of the ERAS residency application and is submitted by the medical school directly to ERAS, not by the student. In accordance with guidance from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the MSPE is an objective, factual, and comprehensive evaluation of a student’s academic performance and professional development throughout their OMS 3 year of medical school at VCOM and is not a letter of recommendation. The MSPE is prepared by the institution to provide residency program directors with a clear and transparent summary of the student’s academic history, clinical performance, and professional attributes. The MSPE is a cumulative document that includes the student’s GPA, dates of attendance (including any time away from the curriculum such as approved leaves of absence or temporary withdraws), clinical rotation evaluation summaries, narrative summary paragraphs from the Associate Deans, a letter from the Campus Dean, and any other reportable behavioral infractions. The Medical Student Performance Evaluation is a critical component of the residency application process and is utilized by residency program directors when reviewing applications and selecting candidates for residency positions. The Medical Student Performance Evaluation (The Dean’s Letter)

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