Office of Undergraduate Medical Education (OUME)

Medical Student File Retention Guide

 

The purpose of this guide is to provide basic information for courses and clerkships on the retention of medical student files after graduation.

General Principles

1. The Registrar’s office has the medical student’s important information and the file retained by course and clerkship includes only information leading to a grade.
2. All medical student paper files should be kept in a secure location and locked when not in use. Electronic files are protected by the UMass Chan Medical School sign-on process.
3. Photocopies of a file may be sent to a medical student upon a request in writing.
4. All material in a medical student’s file including performance evaluations written by faculty members and emails is potentially subject to subpoena.

File Retention

1. Medical student with no grade concerns: Evaluation information leading to a grade  (e.g., exams, worksheets, and projects) should be kept for 5 years after program completion and then purged.
2. Medical student with grade concerns:
1. Medical Student who has successfully remediated requirements and assessments for a grade:  Retain the grading information for 5 years after completion of the program and then purge.
2. Medical student with grade concerns and has met with the Basic Sciences Academic Evaluation Board (BSAEB) and/or the Clinical Sciences Academic Evaluation Board (CSAEB) and is not successful in remediating requirements and assessments: Retain the grading information for 10 years.
3. Grade Appeals to Course/Clerkship Directors: Documentation of appeals submitted by students to course/clerkship directors should be retained for 5 years after the appeal decision is finalized.

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Posted SEPT 15 2023 | cjb