Perceived predictive value of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) in anesthesiology resident selection

Study Objective: To study the perceptions of anesthesiology resident program directors about the value of the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) in predicting successful residents. Design: Survey instrument. Setting: Anesthesiology department of a university hospital. Measurements: An online survey was sent to 115 U.S. medical school-based anesthesiology residency program directors. Descriptive statistics were used to report which sections of the MSPE were predictive and which were not predictive. More than 30 qualitative comments were hand-coded for frequency and emerging themes. Main Results: Those sections predictive of success included the (a) academic history summary, (b) academic progress, (c) academic ranking, and (d) the candidate's comparative clinical performance. Non-predictive sections included (a) unique characteristics, (b) pre-clinical comparative performance, (c) professional behaviors versus those of classmates, (d) summary statement, and (e) Appendix E. The strongest theme emerging from the qualitative findings was a desire for the MSPE to indicate candidates' rank. Conclusions: Anesthesiology programs tend to rely on the most objective sections of the MSPE. While program directors valued comments from clinical faculty, they did not hold the preclinical performance relative to peers in similar esteem, and there is a lack of reliability in the MSPE's assessment of professional behaviors.