Medical School Performance Evaluation (MSPE)

“The MSPE describes, in a sequential manner, a student’s performance, as compared to that of his/her peers, through three full years of medical school and, as much as possible, the fourth year. The MSPE includes an assessment of both the student’s academic performance and professional attributes.” – AAMC

Rising Fourth Years,

In May, you will begin meeting individually with Dean Fleming or Dean Miller for one hour to discuss your Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE, formerly known as the ‘Dean’s Letter’). In preparation for that one-hour meeting, we ask that you contribute to the composition of the Noteworthy Characteristics portion of the letter. We find that your contribution is incredibly important in the letter writing process. Program directors comment that Vanderbilt’s MSPE really helps them understand “who” an applicant is and their potential contributions as a future resident.

To Do List for MSPE:

2-3 Months Prior to Meeting

• Sign up for a meeting with Dean Fleming or Dean Miller
  • An email will be sent with instructions on how to sign up for a meeting
• Work on CV, Personal Statement, Narrative for Noteworthy Characteristics section, bullets for Noteworthy Characteristics section
  • Write a 3-4 paragraph narrative based on the content detail provided below
  • From this narrative take up 3-4 bullets (1-2 sentences each) that best highlight what you have accomplished during medical school
• Have your CV and Personal Statement reviewed by your Mentor and/or Portfolio Coach

2-3 Weeks Prior to Meeting

• Send CV, Personal Statement, Noteworthy Characteristics to Dean
• Upload 3-4 bullet points from your narrative to the MSPE site (https://wag.app.vanderbilt.edu/MSPE)
• If this is not completed 2 weeks prior, your meeting will be canceled and rescheduled for a later date.

Bring to Meeting

• Hard copies of your CV, Personal Statement Noteworthy Characteristics narrative and bullet points

Below is a link to a list of points your composition should include, as well as sample mock-ups. According to the AAMC recommendations this section of the letter should describe the student as follows:

• This section includes information intended to help a residency program selection committee review applicants holistically to achieve a residency class that brings a diverse set of background experiences, characteristics and perspectives.
• Provide a maximum of three characteristics highlighting the most salient noteworthy characteristics of the student.
• This section should be presented as a bulleted list. Each characteristic should be described in 2 sentences or less. Information about any significant challenges or hardships encountered by the student during medical school may be included. 
• Lengthy biographical descriptions are not recommended due to the time required for review and because these details can be found in other sections of the applicant’s portfolio (e.g., ERAS application, personal statement, letters of recommendation, interviews).
• The identification of the noteworthy characteristics can be done by each student in consultation with a designated mentor or advisor, or by the MSPE author.

Examples of bullet format:

Content Detail for Noteworthy Characteristics Narrative

Examples of Noteworthy Characteristics:

Sample One

Sample Two

Appointments

• An email will be sent to your Vanderbilt email address inviting you to schedule your MSPE appointment. You must follow the link contained in this email to access either Dean Fleming’s or Dean Miller’s calendar.
  • DO NOT make changes to the pre-populated email address when scheduling your appointment. Your Vanderbilt email address is the unique ID used to administer your appointment. 
• You may only schedule an appointment on ONE CALENDAR, either Dean Fleming’s or Dean Miller’s. Students found to have appointments on both calendars will have both appointments canceled. The deadline for scheduling an appointment is July 1st. After that time, an appointment will be scheduled for you.
• Students planning to be away during June, July, or August should be mindful of their travel commitment and be sure to schedule accordingly. Every effort should be made to avoid rescheduling or canceling of appointments.
• Your appointment will be approximately 1 hour. Please bring a hardcopy of your Noteworthy Characteristics narrative and bullet points, CV, and your personal statement with you to your MSPE meeting. 
• The appointments will be scheduled Monday through Friday in May, June, July, and early August. Please be sure to mark down the date and time of your appointment.
• Please keep your appointment as it will be difficult to reschedule. We understand some compelling circumstances are unavoidable. To reschedule an appointment with Dean Fleming please contact Dana Modrowski (dana.modrowski@vanderbilt.edu) and CC Katherine Anderson (katherine.m.anderson@vanderbilt.edu) with justification to reschedule and we will do our best to accommodate your situation. To reschedule an appointment with Dean Miller please contact Jacinda Funderburk (jacinda.r.funderburk@vanderbilt.edu) and CC Katherine Anderson (katherine.m.anderson@vanderbilt.edu) with justification to reschedule and we will do our best to accommodate your situation.
• In order to get the time you want, you are encouraged to schedule as soon as possible.