The Medical Student Performance Evaluation in global medical education: addressing a missing Middle Eastern...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Assessment and Evaluation
• Global Health

Background:

• The Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) is crucial for residency selection, offering an overview of undergraduate medical student performance.
• Significant variation exists in MSPE content and application despite Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) guidelines.
• Limited data address MSPE framework adaptation and use outside North America.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the structure, implementation, and standardization of the MSPE.
• To explore program director perspectives on MSPE use.
• To examine MSPE-equivalent systems in the Middle East, using Alfaisal University as a case study.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review utilizing a structured literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar.
• Identification of peer-reviewed articles, national guidelines, and policy documents.
• Thematic synthesis of literature and examination of the Alfaisal University MSPE implementation.

Main Results:

• The review details the MSPE's evolution and persistent challenges in grading, narrative evaluation, professionalism reporting, transparency, comparability, and standardization.
• MSPE-equivalent systems in the Middle East lack extensive peer-reviewed analysis and formal guidance.
• The Alfaisal University model illustrates successful implementation of a standardized evaluation framework in a non-North American context through systematic data collection and faculty involvement.

Conclusions:

• This review contributes to discussions on learner evaluation, cross-institutional comparability, and global assessment standards in medical education.
• Findings can inform medical schools, educators, and policymakers in developing fair and transparent performance evaluation systems.
• The Alfaisal University case study offers a practical model for standardizing medical student evaluations in diverse settings.