Journal article
The dishonest dean's letter: an analysis of 532 dean's letters from 99 U.S. medical schools
Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, Vol.74(9), pp.1033-1035
09/1999
DOI: 10.1097/00001888-199909000-00019
PMID: 10498099
Abstract
To quantify the censure of potentially negative information in dean's letters. Concordance between 532 dean's letters and the corresponding transcripts was determined for six variables (failing grade in a preclinical course, marginal preclinical course grade, failing grade for a clinical rotation, marginal clinical rotation grade, leave of absence, and requirement to repeat an entire year of medical school). The evaluated variables were not found in the dean's letters 27% to 50% of the time that they were present on the transcripts. In three of nine instances (33%), a failing grade in a clinical rotation was not included. Four students had been required to repeat an entire year, but this was noted in only two cases. In toto, 35 of 104 (34%) of the variables identified on the transcripts were not reported. In addition, deans were significantly less likely to report a student's USMLE 1 score if the score was at or below the 20th percentile (p = .03). Some deans suppress negative information in their letters and potentially obfuscate the residency selection process.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The dishonest dean's letter: an analysis of 532 dean's letters from 99 U.S. medical schools
- Creators
- M Edmond - Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0509, USA. medmond@hsc.vcu.eduM RobersonN Hasan
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, Vol.74(9), pp.1033-1035
- Publisher
- United States
- DOI
- 10.1097/00001888-199909000-00019
- PMID
- 10498099
- ISSN
- 1040-2446
- eISSN
- 1938-808X
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/1999
- Academic Unit
- Infectious Diseases; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9983905643102771
Metrics
19 Record Views