Negative Comment in MSPE

[SgtThunderfistMD]

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[Moko]

Got my elective evaluation today and the comments just say: "Good student who can improve in participating and level of interest in rotation. He needs to work on attendance." .. I do not have similar comments anywhere in my MSPE. Honestly just a bit frazzled but wanted some second opinions. How bad is a comment like this on my MSPE for a two week elective not in my field of interest? Do you think it would be worth speaking to a dean regarding the comment?

Are you sure that this comment will be included in your MSPE? Most likely it will be excluded during the editing process unless there is history of tardiness or professionalism issues (which you don't have). You should ask your Dean what their policy is -- e.g. our Dean explicitly stated that they only include in the "10th to 90th-percentile" comments to give a representative picture of each student.

 

[rokshana]

Are you sure that this comment will be included in your MSPE? Most likely it will be excluded during the editing process unless there is history of tardiness or professionalism issues (which you don't have). You should ask your Dean what their policy is -- e.g. our Dean explicitly stated that they only include in the "10th to 90th-percentile" comments to give a representative picture of each student.

agree...in out MSPE letter if something was only once, it generally was not included...only if it was an issue mentioned multiple times did they feel that they had to include it.

 

[SgtThunderfistMD]

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[CopaceticOne]

I do have a meeting with my dean next week. I really hope it is removed, but since it is such a short elective, those are literally the only comments for the rotation. If it was removed, it would literally just say "Good student". It really irks me she said good student, then slammed me three different ways...why not elaborate on the "good" part also?

If it does end up staying, is it a big deal considering how out of character this evaluation is compared to the other 30 comments from other rotations?

2 weeks... "good student" is fine.

 

[Moko]

I do have a meeting with my dean next week. I really hope it is removed, but since it is such a short elective, those are literally the only comments for the rotation. If it was removed, it would literally just say "Good student". It really irks me she said good student, then slammed me three different ways...why not elaborate on the "good" part also?

If it does end up staying, is it a big deal considering how out of character this evaluation is compared to the other 30 comments from other rotations?

Even if it's not removed, you should still be fine. Like you said, it's one comment out of 30+, and you have a reasonable explanation if it's brought up.

Some residency directors have flat out said that they don't even read the full MSPE -- the only line they care about is the one hinting at your rank within the class. They spend their time on the LORs instead. Just make sure you don't get a LOR from that attending

 

[SwedgedOn]

I had an attending write "good student" for a 4 week Sub-I, and it was fine I matched and it never got even mentioned, my attending was just a man of few words. Just make sure the rest of your reviews corroborate that claim in other words, it's general theme for your Dean's Letter. I agree with above, unless a recurrent theme for you, it will be left out.

 

[Lostin_space]

I recently finished a 2-week selective (required) in urology. I performed pretty much equally as on other rotations, although I did once oversleep 45 minutes and show up late to clinic. I accepted responsibility, told the truth about why I was late (didn't make up an excuse or say I had car trouble), apologized, said it would never happen and was always early on other days.

Got my elective evaluation today and the comments just say: "Good student who can improve in participating and level of interest in rotation. He needs to work on attendance." This evaluation is from an attending who compiles comments, I never even ever directly worked with her.

I don't like how they vaguely said "can work on attendance". I would rather they straight up explain what happened with the tardiness the one day, which I believe would be an understandable one-time occurrence. Leaving it vague makes it seem like I was constantly late and/or disappearing from clinic. And I have no idea where they got the other comments like "participation" from.

I do not have similar comments anywhere in my MSPE. Like literally no semblances anywhere in any evaluations of any professionalism or attendance issues. I have never been late/left early/disappeared in a rotation ever before. This was a one-time incident.

Honestly just a bit frazzled but wanted some second opinions. I am a Pass/HP student with >240 on step 1, looking to do EM at a mid-tier to upper-tier program. How bad is a comment like this on my MSPE for a two week elective not in my field of interest? Do you think it would be worth speaking to a dean regarding the comment? Worried this one late day (which I take complete responsibility for) is going to be a red flag. Thanks.

I never seems to amaze me how some attendings think that you should always show extreme interest in all specialties, even those which are required and short term such as Uro, for those that are not interested in going into those specialties. There is a difference between not doing a good job on all rotations, which I think is a must, and showing excitement. You are never going to show as much excitement in specialty that you don't care about and the specialty you are intersted in going into, particularly towards the end where one's focus should be on matching and getting together a good ERAS app. An attending should be able to say hey this student did a decent job, vs. well they are going into X or Y specialty and they did not show extreme interest in my specialty. It truly makes no sense.
I got a similar comment once during internship at the end of my ICU rotation. Attending said - you did an amazing job and I think you are going to be a spectacular doctor. I know this is the last day of your internship and you are going into X specialty, but it's important to show interest in all specialties. It makes no sense.
You should be fine. Rare/one time occurrences typically should never be included on an "overall" application/evaluation. Also another really dumb thing some "evaluators" do. Any student should be judged globally, not on one time events that may happen.

 

[pedstar09]

I had a comment on my Peds eval that said that "The student must continue working on reading and his diagnosis process." Apparently, it was written for everyone who rotated with this clerkship director. I matched into Peds without any problem.

 

[Psai]

I had a comment on my Peds eval that said that "The student must continue working on reading and his diagnosis process." Apparently, it was written for everyone who rotated with this clerkship director. I matched into Peds without any problem.

Everyone says that to fill the mandatory space

 

[pedstar09]

Everyone says that to fill the mandatory space

But, FWIW, I got asked about the same question at multiple interviews...!

 

[ordersol7]

I had for my peds ER elective month. "Hard worker and eager to learn. Needs to read more." On my MSPE. It also happened to be the most negative comment on my whole letter. No one asked about it on interviews. I think when people talk about negative comments they are really referring to more egregious stuff referring to professionalism (i.e. late multiple times despite warnings, problematic interactions with patients, etc) or if the same negative comment is mentioned across multiple rotations. If this is the worst you got you'll be fine.

 

[rokshana]

I had for my peds ER elective month. "Hard worker and eager to learn. Needs to read more." On my MSPE. It also happened to be the most negative comment on my whole letter. No one asked about it on interviews. I think when people talk about negative comments they are really referring to more egregious stuff referring to professionalism (i.e. late multiple times despite warnings, problematic interactions with patients, etc) or if the same negative comment is mentioned across multiple rotations. If this is the worst you got you'll be fine.

evals always have a section that asks for any weaknesses...if you can't think of one, usually you put needs to read more...everyone needs to read more...

 

[ordersol7]

Haha. That or "Be more proactive" God I hated that.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Haha. That or "Be more proactive" God I hated that.

You should have just been more proactive, and it wouldn't have been a problem.

 

[mvenus929]

I had a comment on my Peds eval that said that "The student must continue working on reading and his diagnosis process." Apparently, it was written for everyone who rotated with this clerkship director. I matched into Peds without any problem.

That's not a negative comment. It is said to every single person, ever, especially in residency. The problem is when you aren't at the level you should be.