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Academic and Student Programs

School of Medicine Winter Update

December 2022 Edition

Hello Wayne,

Cheers to the end of the year! We've got just one more update for you before we all head into our winter breaks, vacations, and holidays. Read on to see what's new at the School of Medicine Academic and Curricular programs.

Congratulations On Student Grades!

We've been working towards a faster grading process and, thanks to all of you, we've met our goal! For the last quarter, all grades were in prior to our two week deadline. This has been a huge accomplishment by the faculty, residents, students and enrollment management department and sets a new standard of excellence, in addition to giving timely feedback to students.

Due to this major accomplishment, students have been able to get their financial aid, prompt feedback for their work, and be able to make adjustments in subsequent rotations.

Let's keep it up in 2023!

What Happens to Your Evaluation Comments?

We know filling out evaluations and taking the time to write comments about each student with whom you rotate can be a daunting process, but these comments are crucial to our student's success and a mandatory requirement for our preceptors and faculty members.

There are two types of comments. The first are related to student performance overall. These comments are added to MSPE letters, which help students get interviews at their preferred residencies and standout amongst the crowds. Your comments here can change the entire career trajectory for our students, so please, take the time to make thoughtful, useful comments whenever possible. The second category on each evaluation addresses areas for improvement. These are just as necessary as the accolades, and preceptors should not be shy about putting them in. They are clearly labeled as not for the MSPE, but are available for the students to review to guide their self improvement

Coaching for Professional Behaviors

You may have noticed that at the bottom of each evaluation form there is an additional mandatory question asking you to note any professionalism concerns for which the student might need coaching. These comments are kept internal, and unlike the comments above, they do not go on the student's MSPE letter or permanent record. Still, these comments provide invaluable feedback for our students. The idea behind this is to give a message to the students and the SOM that the student is in need of a possible course correction in a gentle way. We have a tiered approach to professionalism issues and this questions should address mild issues that we and the student should be aware of. Preceptors are understandably reluctant at times to “get the student in trouble”, but are usually the persons most able to spot and report on minor issues.

Without these comments, students who need improvement don't know what they need to work on and where to prioritize their efforts to become better future physicians, and the School of Medicine can't take appropriate action either. Without your comments, our students are confidently flying in the dark, and we want to be sure to show them how to turn on the lights. If you have a question regarding professional behavior, please contact us!

Want to recognize a student for their professional behavior outside of the evaluation?

Use our PEARLS Professionalism Reward Program to highlight standout students who deserve recognition for their positive behavior or who might need to meet with our professionalism committee to acknowledge areas for growth.

What's Going On With Fourth Year?

With the holidays right around the corner, you might not be thinking about students ascending to the next year of medical school, but our students sure are! Our Class of 2024 starts their fourth and final year of medical school in April. That means registration is just around the corner, with students registering for April-June at the end of January, and July-March '24 at the beginning of February.

After registration, students will get started on their MSPE letters, wrestle over those nerve-wracking decisions about which residency program to rank and how high on the list, and before you know it, our Class of 2024 will be matched, graduated, and ready to head off into the world of medicine as fully fledged MDs. Please join us in wishing our upcoming fourth years an educationally fulfilling and fun year ahead!

Updated Student Handbook

The School of Medicine is always trying to ensure our students are up to date on our handbook and policies, which are important to creating a safe, fair, and educational learning space. We hope to foster the best teaching and learning environment for our faculty, staff, and students with every update we make. Policies and procedures are updated quarterly. Click to see our newest updates to the MD Handbook and Policies Academic Year 2022-23.

Wayne State University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity in all of its operations, employment opportunities, educational programs, and related activities. To learn more about our updated policies, please visit 3.0.2 Non-Discrimination Affirmative Action - Policies and Procedures - Wayne State University.