MSPE (Medical Student Performance Evaluation)
Medical School Information Page: The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
Class of 2024
The mission of The University of Toledo is to improve the human condition; to advance knowledge through excellence in learning, discovery and engagement; and to serve as a diverse, student-centered public metropolitan research university.
The mission of The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences is to improve health in the communities and region we serve. We do this by educating excellent clinicians and scientists, by providing patient centered and high-quality care and by producing nationally recognized research in focused area.
Special Characteristics of the UTCOMLS Education Program:
Foundational Sciences Curriculum
Clinical Curriculum: Clerkship phase and Advanced Clinical Experience phase
During the clerkship phase, students have clinical rotations in core disciplines (family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, and one clinical elective. The rotations are structured to provide an integrated learning experience that includes thematically linked discipline dyads:
- Maternal-child health care
- Biopsychosocial approach to care
- Medical/neurological care
- Surgical care
Each dyad builds upon and expands foundational knowledge gained in the preclerkship phase to ensure students develop the critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills they will need to become true master adaptive learners who value health equity. The clinical rotations take place in major hospitals and clinics in Toledo and Northwest Ohio.
The third-year clerkship phase consists of seven core clerkships: Medicine (8.5 weeks), Surgery (8.5 weeks), 6 weeks each of Family Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry, and 4 weeks of Neurology and a 4-week elective.
The M4 year is designed to provide students with advanced clinical experiences that will prepare them for residency and enrich their exposure to clinical learning. During this phase, students have the flexibility to engage in clinical and non clinical electives, interview for residency, and prepare for their transition to post graduate education.
The fourth-year advanced clinical experience phase is a total of 37 weeks of elective time that includes a 4-week Acting Internship, a longitudinal 5-week transition to resident course, and a 2-week Emergency Medicine elective. A maximum of 16 weeks of electives can be taken in any ACGME core discipline. Students complete clinical rotations at The University of Toledo Medical Center, ProMedica Toledo Hospital (and other ProMedica affiliated hospitals in Toledo and northwest Ohio), and at our other affiliated hospitals and outpatient offices. A minimum of 8 weeks of clinical rotations must be completed in one of three rural or one urban Area Health Education Center in northwest Ohio. Additionally, students have eight (8) weeks of flexible time that can be used for residency interviews or Step 2 preparation.
Enrollment Length:
The average length of enrollment for students in the 4-year M.D. program at UTCOMLS is 3 years and 10 months.
Academic Transcript Compliance:
The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences complies with the AAMC “Guidelines for Medical Schools Regarding Academic Transcripts.”
Description of the Evaluation System:
Final Grades in Preclinical Curriculum:
The required preclinical Threads are graded using a system of PASS (P, 70% or greater), and FAIL (F, less than 70%). The systems within each thread are graded using a system of SATISFACTORY (S, 70% or greater) and UNSATISFACTORY (U, less than 70%). An INCOMPLETE (I) is given when a student does not complete a thread or system within the specified time. Students may enroll in a variety of preclinical electives in the College of Medicine, which are graded on a CREDIT (CR)/NO CREDIT basis.
Final Grades for Core Clinical Clerkships:
Clinical clerkships are graded as: HONORS (H), HIGH PASS (HP), PASS (P), DEFER (DF), FAIL (F), OR INCOMPLETE (I). In the seven core clerkships, the final grade is based on a rubric (shown below).
|
Overall Grade |
1. CCE profile |
2. NBME (PERCENTILE based on National NBME average from the previous year) |
3. Departmental Education Program Points (20) |
|
Fail |
Fail PC** |
< 5% |
< 11 |
|
Defer |
Pass/High Pass/Honors |
≥5th |
< 11 |
|
Pass/High Pass/Honors |
<5th |
≥ 11 |
|
|
Pass/High Pass/Honors |
<5th |
< 11 |
|
|
Fail (PROF*) OR (PBLI or IPCS) *** |
>5th |
> 11 |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
≥5th |
≥ 11 |
|
High Pass |
Honors/Pass |
≥ 55th |
≥ 11 |
|
High Pass |
≥5th |
≥ 11 |
|
|
Honors**** |
≥5th |
≥ 11 |
|
|
Honors |
Honors |
≥ 55th |
≥ 17 |
An INCOMPLETE is given when a student does not complete a clerkship within the specified time.
*Remediation through Conduct and Ethics Committee
**Repeat clerkship
***Remediation determine by clerkship director
****High Pass (with Clinical Excellence) will be distinguished on the MSPE on the
end of clerkship narrative
USMLE Step 1 & 2 Requirements:
The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences requires all students to pass Step 1 and Step 2 CK of the USMLE prior to graduation. If a student receives a failing grade on Step 1 after they have started a clerkship block, they are permitted to complete the block, but cannot take the NBME exam nor enroll in another required clerkship until they sit for the exam again; they are permitted to enroll in selected electives (generally pathology or clinical anatomy) during the time they are preparing to re-take the exam with permission from the Office of Student Affairs. Students who do not pass Step 1 or Step 2 CK after three attempts are subject to dismissal.
Clincal Skills Assessment of Medical Students:
During the preclerkship phase, students' clinical skills are assessed at the end of each “thread” (a total of 4 assessments during this phase), including history taking, physical exam skills, clinical reasoning, and documentation. During the clerkship phase, students are required to pass discipline specific OSCEs that are administered during each core rotation. Prior to graduation, each student is required to pass a final clinical skills assessment that is given during the M4 year.
MSPE Narrative Comments:
In accordance with the AAMC MSPE Guidelines, the narrative comments in the clinical clerkship section of the UTCOM MSPEs are summative narratives written by the clerkship director and based on clinical performance.
Process for Composition of MSPE:
- The MSPEs are written by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Admissions and Assistant Deans for Student Affairs, all of whom hold faculty rank in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences in addition to their administrative appointments.
- Each MSPE consists of a 4-6 page narrative document, including comparative graphs and a web address to the Medical School Information Page. The MSPE is generated as a Word document within a web-based MSPE platform developed by the Office of Academic Computing that pre-populates the MSPE template with such data as the student's matriculation date, expected graduation date, final grades, performance in the three sub-components of the core clerkships and summative narrative written by clerkship directors.
- The Summary paragraph emphasizes the student's cumulative GPA and quartile compared to their peers in medical school. It also includes clinical competency score as well as a graph depicting this score.
- The Noteworthy Characteristics paragraph is written by the student and reviewed by the MSPE author.
Process for Student Review of MSPE:
- A draft of the MSPE is emailed in PDF format to the students for review and comment.
- Students are given an opportunity to suggest specific corrections via email reply to an email mailbox designated specifically for ERAS-related correspondence.
- A digitally signed release from the student via email is required before uploading the MSPE into ERAS, MODS or the San Francisco Match for ophthalmology applicants.