Did They Write That? Narrative Comment Appeals in Clerkship Assessments
The ability to appeal a grade in medical school provides means for students to query that their clinical performance is appropriately reflected. While many schools have clear policies on grade appeals, under 20% of medicine clerkship directors report having received training in adjudicating grade appeals. As more medical schools transition to pass/fail grading and as other traditional academic metrics are changed (eg., Step 1 Pass/Fail), there is increasing emphasis on using narrative comments to convey student competency level to residency programs. This change has understandably heightened student and clerkship director awareness of the importance of these comments.
Narrative comments from the evaluations are communicated to residency programs through MSPE. In agreement with the Match, deans are prohibited from changing narrative comments once finalized by the clerkship director, which has led to situations where students feel their summative comments are inaccurate. Schools may not have precedent or policies to address this aspect of the grade appeal leaving clerkship directors without adequate guidance.
This interactive workshop will compare narrative comment appeal processes across several medical schools, provide clerkship directors with techniques to manage a narrative comment appeal, and use actual redacted narrative comment appeal materials in a small group to discuss principles of fair adjudication. The high-stakes nature of grades highlights the importance of having a fair and equitable process. We will also explore using the basic principles of arbitration in settling disputes, including efficiency, privacy, convenience, flexibility, and finality.
Narrative comments from the evaluations are communicated to residency programs through MSPE. In agreement with the Match, deans are prohibited from changing narrative comments once finalized by the clerkship director, which has led to situations where students feel their summative comments are inaccurate. Schools may not have precedent or policies to address this aspect of the grade appeal leaving clerkship directors without adequate guidance.
This interactive workshop will compare narrative comment appeal processes across several medical schools, provide clerkship directors with techniques to manage a narrative comment appeal, and use actual redacted narrative comment appeal materials in a small group to discuss principles of fair adjudication. The high-stakes nature of grades highlights the importance of having a fair and equitable process. We will also explore using the basic principles of arbitration in settling disputes, including efficiency, privacy, convenience, flexibility, and finality.