Letters of Evaluation Workshop

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Letters of Evaluation Workshop

• Texas Association of Advisors for the Health
  Professions
• 40th Annual Meeting
• Texas AM Health Science Center College of
  Medicine
• Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, College
  Station
• February 5, 2009
• Filomeno G. Maldonado
• Associate Dean of Admissions

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Overview
Letter of Evaluation Workshop2009

• The Letter of Evaluation or Recommendation
• The Health Professions Advisory Committee
  Evaluation (HPAC-E)
• Individual HP Evaluations/Recommendations
• The Evaluation Form
• A Definable Scale of Recommendations
• The Body of the Evaluation
• Significance of the Evaluation
• The Issues

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Letters of Evaluation The Health Professions
Advisory Committee Evaluation
Letters of Evaluation Workshop2009

• Submit a HPAC packet with a summary letter (in
  the range of 1-2 pages).
• Discuss academic promise
• Highlight accomplishments, activities,
  experiences
• Be honest, and evaluate
• Hone in on personality, ability to communicate
  and interact, altruism, depth/breadth of medical
  exposure
• Overall suitability for medical school
• Include at least two professor letters with
  evaluation forms (set a limit for more)
• Use a definable scale of recommendations
• Include an Evaluation Form
• Be timely in submitting packet

• Appropriate faculty input and representation
• Evaluate suitability for professional school
• Give a multidimensional perspective
• Interview to discern attitudes and personality
• Establish a relationship to yield an informative
  evaluation
• If unfamiliar with applicant, submit only letters
  from faculty who can appropriately advocate or
  evaluate the applicant

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Letters of Evaluation The Individual HP
Evaluation/Recommendation
Letters of Evaluation Workshop2009

• Include an evaluation form
• TMDSAS Version
• Include at least one additional professor letter
  with your evaluation form (preferably two)
• Additional letters are acceptable but set a limit
  
• One extra letter can be sent to TMDSAS above the
  required two professor letters or HPCE.
• Additional letters must be mailed directly to the
  schools

• Write a health professions advisor letter (in the
  range of 1-2 pages) discussing the following
• Academic background
• Communication skills and ability to interact
• Breadth and depth of interests activities
• Extent of medical experiences
• Community service and/or altruistic activities
• Personality
• Promise or suitability for medicine

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Letters of Evaluation The Evaluation Form
Letters of Evaluation Workshop2009
Include with individual letter of evaluation but
not in lieu of a letter.

• TMDSAS Version
• http//www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/TMDSAS20Evaluatio
  n20Form.pdf
• Your Version or borrow from others. Some good
  examples
• UT Dallas
• Baylor
• Texas AM
• Rice
• Devise a scale of measurement
• Exceptional (Highest 5)
• Unusually Good (Next Highest 15)
• Very Good (Next 15)
• Average (Middle 25)
• Below Average (Lowest 40)

• Focus on Applicants Achievements,
  Characteristics and Experiences
• Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Social Values
• Reliability
• Leadership
• Self-discipline
• Problem-solving skills
• Motivation to professional school
• Mastery of fundamental knowledge
• Overall Assessment

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Letters of Evaluation A Definable Scale of
Recommendations
Letters of Evaluation Workshop2009

• Important if you are evaluating to rank your
  applicants.
• Determine as a committee or individual evaluator
  a set of definable recommendations, such as
  Tulanes model, provided you have a basis to
  compare
• Exceptionally Recommend one of few superior
  applicants each year. An applicant that stands
  out from all other applicants.
• Strongly Recommend an applicant who clearly can
  handle the rigors of medical school and possesses
  outstanding personal qualities.
• Recommend A good applicant that is capable of
  meeting the standards of medical school.
• Recommend with Reservation an applicant that is
  weak in academic performance or is lacking
  motivation, maturity, community service,
  medically related exposure, etc.
• Do not Recommend Serious weaknesses or
  deficiencies, not prepared for medical school.
• Important to support or justify your ranking of
  the applicant.

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Letters of Evaluation A Definable Scale of
Recommendations
Letters of Evaluation Workshop2009

• UT Dallas model is also another excellent
  example of the committees level of endorsement
• Recommended with Enthusiasm exceptional
  intellectual and personal qualities strong
  evidence of professional motivation reserved for
  a minority of candidates each year. (Highest
  10)
• Recommended with Confidence strong academic and
  personal qualities indicative of highly desirable
  medical school candidates broad understanding of
  and commitment to the profession. (Upper 33)
• Recommended Academic capability that is likely
  consistent with successful professional school
  performance personal characteristics appropriate
  to healthcare career. (Middle 38)
• Recommended with Reservation Marginal academic
  and/or personal qualities may experience
  difficulties in professional school. (Lower 17)
• Not Recommended Questionable personal and/or
  academic qualities unlikely to succeed in
  professional school unsuitable for a career in
  healthcare. (Bottom 2)
• Important to support or justify your ranking of
  the applicant.

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Letters of Evaluation The Body of the HP
Evaluation Packet
Letters of Evaluation Workshop2009

• Write a health professions committee packet or an
  HP Individual letter (in the range of 1-2 pages)
  which includes the following
• The Committee Letter of Evaluation
• Introduce committee members along with titles
• Identify applicant using entire name, middle
  initials, etc., along with TMDSAS and/or AMCAS
  PINs (DO NOT USE SSNs)
• Introduce the applicant
• Highlight academic record and potential for
  success in professional school (MD and MD/PhD
  programs of study)
• Highlight personality (potential for service to
  the public), extracurricular activities,
  including school, community, medical and research
• Highlight unusual or extenuating life experiences
  (if applicable)
• Submit committees recommendation based on your
  defined scale of recommendations
• Conclude with the following
• A statement of academic and personal integrity
• A waiver statement unless included in the
  evaluation form
• Faculty Evaluations Solicited by the Student
  have criteria and limits

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Letters of Evaluation The Significance of the
Evaluation
Letters of Evaluation Workshop2009

• Provides legitimacy and credibility
• Assures authenticity in terms of
• Credentials
• Activities
• Experiences
• Circumstances
• Accomplishments
• Influences decisions regarding applicants
  promise for medicine

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Letters of Evaluation The Issues
Letters of Evaluation Workshop2009

• Lack of consistency
• Lack of organization
• Weak development from point to point
• No logical development from point to point
• Ineffectual separation of ideas
• Crowded paragraphs
• Poor syntax and diction
• Consistently repetitive
• Asking questions instead of getting to the point
• Misleading statements or use of platitudes
• Poor content
• Fails to answer questions
• Fails to get to the point efficiently
• Too long or too short

• Lack of a definable scale of ranking
• Unclear of committees or individuals support
• Not communicating with Deans of Admissions
• Lack of faculty input or representation on the
  committee or in the process of evaluation

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THANK YOU!
Letters of Evaluation Workshop2009

• Filomeno G. Maldonado, M.A.
• Associate Dean of Admissions
• Texas AM HSC College of Medicine
• Office of Admissions
• 159 Joe H. Reynolds Medical Building
• College Station, TX 77843-1114 ? (979)
  845-7743 (Office)
• FGMaldonado_at_medicine.tamhsc.edu
• Leila E. Diaz, M.A., M.Ed.
• Director of Admissions Temple Campus
• Office of Admissions
• 2401 South 31st Street
• Temple, TX 76508 ? [phone] (Office)
• Ldiaz_at_medicine.tamhsc.edu