College of Medicine

• What is the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE, formerly known as the “Dean’s Letter”)?
• The MSPE is a summary of your performance across the first, second, and third years of medical school.  Essentially, you are writing your MSPE as you complete each section of the curriculum.  There are six components to the MSPE –
  1. Identifying Information section (student's legal name and name and location of the medical school)
  2. Unique Characteristics section, for which students may submit an initial draft, highlights your background, experiences, strengths, and accomplishments prior to and during medical school.
  3. Academic History section includes month and year when you matriculated into medical school and your expected graduation from medical school.
  4. Academic Progress section includes information about your academic performance and professional attributes in preclinical/basic science coursework and core clinical and elective rotations.
  5. The Summary section includes a summative assessment of your comparative performance in medical school, relative to your peers.
  6.  The Appendices section includes graphic representations (histograms) of your performance relative to your peers in different areas, as well as information about UCF COM.

  The MSPE is written by the Associate and/or Assistant Deans for Students.  Though the MSPE is a summary document rather than a letter of recommendation, we recognize that, on occasion, students may feel that the Associate and/or Assistant Deans for Students may have a conflict of interest in writing the MSPE (e.g., a student may feel that he/she has revealed extremely sensitive and personal information to the Associate/Assistant Dean for Students, and that this information may bias the MSPE).  If this is the case, then the student may submit a request in writing to the Associate Dean for Students to have an alternate letter writer (who will be the Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs).  There must be ample evidence to support the potential conflict of interest, and the Associate Dean for Students must approve the request.

• How do I request a letter of recommendation for residency?
• When requesting a letter of recommendation, you will want to give your letter writer ample time to prepare your letter.  You should schedule a time to meet with the letter writer in person, and during the meeting, you should ask if the individual is able to write a strong letter of recommendation for you.  You should also have a copy of your CV and a draft of your personal statement available for the letter writer.  You will need to create a slot for each letter writer using ERAS.  Once you have created a slot, you will be able to print out the Letter of Recommendation form with instructions for your letter writers.  Please note that we strongly recommend that you waive your right to review the letter, as this is an important consideration for residency programs.  If you have any questions about the process, please contact Soraya Smith.

• How do I request a letter of recommendation for scholarships, summer programs, etc?
• When requesting a letter of recommendation, you will want to give your letter writer ample time to prepare your letter.  You should schedule a time to meet with the letter writer in person, and during the meeting, you should ask if the individual is able to write a strong letter of recommendation for you.  You should have all of the information about the scholarship and/or summer program available for the letter writer – name of the program, eligibility requirements, deadline, who to address the letter to, etc.  Be clear about whether the letter is to be sent directly to the program by the faculty member or if it will be included with your application.  You should also provide a copy of your CV and any essays that you are required to submit (even if in draft form).  In all cases, you should make the request at least 2 weeks in advance, and preferably 4 weeks in advance.  When requesting a letter from the Office of Student Affairs, you must submit the Letter of Recommendation Request Form at the time of the request.

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• Who do I contact if I have more questions regarding student financial services?
• Dawn Herrod or Lisa Minnick at Student Financial Services- UCF College of Medicine. medfinaid@ucf.edu

• How is financial aid disbursed?
• Office of Student Financial Services must verify enrollment in the M.D. program before disbursing aid. Please allow two to three weeks after the first day of class. Financial aid will be divided up into two equal payments to match the division of billed expenses. The first disbursement will occur in August/September and the second will occur in the January/February time frame.

• When are payments due?
• The annual costs will be divided into two equal payments. One-half of the balance will be due on the Friday of the second week of classes in August for M1s and M2s, and the Friday of the second week of classes in May/June for the M3s and M4s.  The other half will be due on the Friday of the second week of classes in January for all students. Students with financial aid will only be responsible for the balance after subtracting the anticipated financial aid.

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• Can I apply as a visiting medical student to UCF College of Medicine?
• Currently, we are not accepting visiting students but will in the near future.

• I have changed my name since graduation? Who should I notify at UCF College of Medicine?
• Once you have graduated, your name on your academic record remains the same.

• Where do I turn in student loan deferment forms?
• College of Medicine Registrar's Office, 6850 Lake Nona Bldg., Suite 115, Orlando, FL 32827-7408

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