Evaluation

Program evaluation is the process of systematically collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer questions about projects, policies and programs, particularly about their effectiveness and efficiency. In the UME program, we use program evaluation to determine whether our program is successful, what is going well, and how the program can be improved. In order to do so, the Evaluation Team collects and analyzes large amounts of data, and provides that data to various stakeholders via reports, dashboards, and other methods.

The Evaluation Team both develops and administers surveys of students, assists other groups who are interested in conducting a survey, and reviews and approves/denies requests to survey our medical students. The primary tool we use for survey creation and distribution is Qualtrics. Please contact Jackie Gauer at [email protected] if you need assistance building or distributing a survey.

At the end of every course and clerkship a student is formally enrolled in, the Evaluation Team delivers an evaluation for the student to complete regarding their experience in that course. The evaluations are used to make improvements to the course, ensure that courses are maintaining compliance with policy and accreditation standards, and also have a role in faculty promotion and tenure considerations.

Course and Clerkship Evaluations are administered via MEDtrics.

Since Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships (LICs) operate on an annual schedule, each academic year the Evaluation Team administers a mid-year and end-of-year LIC evaluation to each student enrolled in an LIC.

• Annual Course Reviews and Annual Clerkship Reviews (ACRs)
• Dashboards and Reports (such as the annual State of UME Report)

Each academic year, the Evaluation Team creates an ACR for every required course, clerkship, and LIC in the curriculum. The ACR compiles data from course/clerkship evaluations, AAMC Year 2 Questionnaire or Graduation Questionnaire, and other sources, and is the document that is used to formally evaluate the performance of the course/clerkship in that academic year. ACRs are presented by the Course or Clerkship Director either annually or semi-annually to the relevant Curriculum Committee (TCSFC, DSFC, or CEC). 

The Evaluation Team maintains or creates many dashboards and reports in order to share and interpret program evaluation data.

The largest program evaluation report we create each year is called the State of Undergraduate Medical Education Report. The State of UME Report is typically around 150 pages, and compiles a large amount of data from many different sources, divided into chapters based on topic area, and summarized via Key Performance Indicators and an Executive Summary listing the Report's major findings for that year. The State of UME Report is typically presented at the January meeting of the Medical Student Education Committee (MSEC), and is then made publicly available to all UMMS students, faculty, and staff.

The Evaluation Team collaborates as part of the MEOC team to support faculty, staff, and students with their medical education data and research needs. In addition to her role as Director of Program Evaluation, Jackie Gauer is also a founding member and Request and Research Manager of MEOC.

Foundations Phase User Guides

Student User Guide [PDF] - z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_User_Guide_Student

Instructor User Guide [PDF] - z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_User_Guide_Instructor

Course Director User Guide [PDF] - z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_User_Guide_Course_Director

MEDtrics Request to Create Account [PDF] - https://z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_Request_Create_Account

Clinical Phase User Guides

Student User Guide [PDF] - z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_User_Guide_Student

Preceptor User Guide [PDF] - z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_User_Guide_Preceptor

Coordinator User Guide [PDF] - z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_User_Guide_Coordinator

Clerkship Director User Guide [PDF] - z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_User_Guide_Clerkship_Director

MEDtrics Request to Create Account [PDF] - https://z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_Request_Create_Account

Faculty who teach in the foundations phase of medical school (years 1 and 2) have the ability to pull student evaluation of instructor data directly in MEDtrics reports.

Instructor User Guide [PDF] - z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_User_Guide_Instructor

Faculty who teach in the clinical phase of medical school (years 3 and 4) have the ability to pull student evaluation of preceptor data directly in MEDtrics reports.

Preceptor User Guide [PDF] - z.umn.edu/MEDtrics_User_Guide_Preceptor

Director of Program Evaluation: Jackie Gauer ([email protected]), PhD, MA
Evaluation Analyst: Junxiu Yu ([email protected]), PhD, MA
MEDtrics support: [email protected]