Medical Student Performance Record (MSPR)

The purpose of the Medical Student Performance Record Policy is to complement the Student Records Policy by prescribing college-level requirements for the creation of, access to, and appeal of the Medical Student Performance Record (MSPR).

This policy ensures that the Undergraduate Medical Education program meets or exceeds the following Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation standards:

Accuracy: The College of Medicine is committed to providing medical students the opportunity to review the accuracy of their Medical Student Performance Record throughout their undergraduate studies.

Confidentiality: The College of Medicine is committed to maintaining the confidentiality and security of all undergraduate medical education student records, including the Medical Student Performance Record.

Responsibility: The Medical Student Performance Record Policy establishes clear responsibilities for the creation of their academic record.

Transparency: The College of Medicine is committed to ensuring a transparent approach to the creation and appeal of contents listed in the Medical Student Performance Record.

Student File: Any documentation collected or compiled for a student currently enrolled in the Undergraduate Medical Education program or who are on an approved leave of absence from the program, with the exception of documentation in the Professionalism File. The Student File includes application records and educational records.

Medical Student Performance Record (MSPR): An official record that certifies a medical student’s overall standing in their program, displays commentary on student performance in their core rotations and elective courses, and provides insight into a medical student’s leadership, mentorship, and award history, housed in the educational records section of the Student File.

Permanent File: Any documentation collected or compiled for a student who is no longer enrolled in the Undergraduate Medical Education program due to graduation, dismissal, withdrawal, or death.

This policy applies to all undergraduate students registered in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at the University of Saskatchewan irrespective of the geographically distributed site they are currently assigned to.

Related policies include:  Management of University Records Policy (University),  Student Records Policy (UGME),  Procedures for Student Appeals in Academic Matters (University), Undergraduate Medical Education Procedures for Academic Appeals (UGME)

1.0 Creation of the Medical Student Performance Record

The Medical Student Performance Record contains information on a medical student’s standing in program, displays commentary on student performance in core rotations and elective courses, and lists a medical student’s leadership, mentorship, and award history. It provides contextual information on a medical student’s performance that would otherwise be absent on a student’s academic transcript.

Content for inclusion in the Medical Student Performance Record is collected during each term of the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. However, the Medical Student Performance Record is created by the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education (or designate)between a medical student’s third and final year of undergraduate studies. It is included in the educational records section  of the Student File.

2.0 Access to the Medical Student Performance Record

The Undergraduate Medical Education Office is responsible for the overall stewardship of the Medical Student Performance Record. This office will provide medical students the opportunity to review the contents of their Medical Student Performance Record in the first semester of their final year of undergraduate studies or at the individual request of a medical student. Access to these records shall otherwise be limited to college personnel on a need to know basis.

Medical students can request that the Undergraduate Medical Education Office allow them to view their Medical Student Performance Record alongside the educational records within their Student File. Student requests to view their file will be responded to by the Undergraduate Medical Education Office in a timely manner.

3.0 Updating the Medical Student Performance Record

The program may add comments to the MSPR from other valid assessment sources in the event that there are insufficient comments from the Summative Assessment Form.

4.0 Challenging Contents in the Medical Student Performance Record

Medical students are provided the opportunity to challenge the contents of their educational records should they consider the information contained in the record to be inaccurate, misleading, or inappropriate. However, challenging contents of the Medical Student Performance Record can only be made under certain conditions.

4.1 Informal Mechanisms: Challenging Content on the Final Grade Sheet / Summative Assessment Form

Medical students are expected to review all formative and narrative assessment data contained on the Final Grade Sheet / Summative Assessment Form (or equivalent document) for each course, module, or rotation they complete at the time of receipt of the assessment data. They are expected to request changes to any inaccuracies, misrepresentation, or inappropriate content on the Final Grade Sheet /Summative Assessment Form (or equivalent document) by informally consulting with their preceptor or relevant Rotation Subcommittee. A student wishing to pursue an informal consultation should initiate this as soon as possible after receipt of their assessment results, recognizing the deadlines for formal appeal (below).

Medical students who are dissatisfied with the results of their informal consultation may formally appeal the formative and narrative assessment data contained on their Final Grade Sheet / Summative Assessment Form (or equivalent document) within thirty (30) days of the results being released to the student – see Section 4.2. Failure to appeal content during this period will result in the assessment data being permanently added to their Medical Student Performance Record.

In the period immediately preceding the release of the Medical Student Performance Record for the CaRMS process, medical students may not be provided a thirty (30) day window to appeal the contents of their final grade sheet / summative assessment forms. During this period, medical students should consult the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, as soon as possible to determine an appropriate course of action.

4.2 Formal Mechanisms: Challenging Contents of the Medical Student Performance Record

Medical students are expected to challenge content intended to be added to their Medical Student Performance Record before their records are updated by the Undergraduate Medical Education Office.

Medical students who wish to challenge content published on their Medical Student Performance Record must submit a formal petition to the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education. Only under exceptionally extenuating circumstances shall formative and/or narrative assessment data contained on a Medical Student Performance Record be altered or redacted.

The Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, is responsible for providing oversight to the overall administration of the Medical Student Performance Record Policy at the College of Medicine.

The Manager, Undergraduate Medical Education, with the assistance of the Undergraduate Medical Education Office, is responsible for the implementation, monitoring, maintenance, and evaluation of the Medical Student Performance Record Policy at the College of Medicine. This includes the development and stewardship of the standard operating procedures associated with this policy.

The Student Academic Management Committee is responsible for evaluating, reviewing, and updating this policy every three years.

Instances or concerns of non-compliance with the Student Record Policy should be brought to the attention of the Vice-Dean, Education or the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, within the College of Medicine.

The Manager, Undergraduate Medical Education, provides overall stewardship to the standard operating procedures associated with the Medical Student Performance Record Policy at the College of Medicine.  See Standard Operating Procedure – Medical Student Performance Record.