Policy Statement
The Department of Medical Education Registrar’s Office at the Keck School of Medicine of USC abides by the Record Management Policy established by the University of Southern California. As an official repository for medical student records, the Office is charged with setting record management standards in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as recognized best practices. In addition to compliance with university’s record management policy, the Department of Medical Education Registrar’s Office has adopted the Guidelines for Maintaining Active and Permanent Individual Student Records developed by the Association of American Medical College’s (AAMC) Committee on Student Records (COSR).
Procedures
Admission Records
Primary admission applications to the Keck School of Medicine’s (KSOM) doctor of medicine programs are submitted electronically by each applicant through the AAMC centralized American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), and supplemental applications are submitted electronically through the Keck School of Medicine’s Med-Admit admission application system. In accordance with the AAMC Records Management and Retention Policy, AMCAS limits schools’ access to application data to 5 application cycles through AMCAS School Tools. The KSOM Med-Admit supplemental application system receives primary admission application components through a data transfer from AMCAS.
The Keck School of Medicine also participates in the AMCAS Letter Writer Service. All applicant Letters of Evaluation to support their application for admission to KSOM are submitted through this service and are retained and delivered to medical schools only within a single application year.
To retain admissions documents and files for a period of time in accordance with AMCAS, university policy, professional standards and legal requirements, admissions applications will be managed as follows:
- Primary admissions applications will be retained for a period of 5 years in AMCAS
- Supplemental admissions applications (including the primary admissions application components transferred from AMCAS):
- Matriculating Applicants: The supplemental application will be retained for matriculating applicants for a period of 5 years after graduation or separation from the medical school.
- Non-Matriculating Applicants: The supplemental application for non-matriculating applicants will be retained for a period of 3 years after application term.
- Letters of Evaluation will be retained within a single application year
The following admissions application materials will become a part of the medical student record and retained in accordance with the Guidelines for Maintaining Active and Permanent Individual Student Records:
| Type of Record | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| AMCAS Application; excluding Letters of Evaluation | *AMCAS data is maintained in electronic format for 5 years after the year of application. |
| Supplemental admissions application (including AMCAS application components) | Retained for 5 years post-graduation or separation from the medical school. |
| Transcript(s) for coursework completed at another educational institution | Permanent student record |
Student Records
The medical student record includes, but is not limited to the following:
- AMCAS application
- Supplemental application
- Transcript(s) of coursework completed at other institution(s)
- Transcript of all medical school coursework
- Dates of enrollment in medical school, including matriculation date, start and end dates of each academic year, dates of leaves of absence, withdrawal, dismissal and/or graduation date.
- Student Photograph
- Medical Student Performance Evaluation
- Course Schedule
Student health and immunization records, criminal background check results, toxicology screening results and disciplinary action records proceedings (except the final disposition) are not part of the medical student record.
Retention of the medical student record in its active and permanent form follows the Guidelines for Maintaining Active and Permanent Individual Student Records. The full guidelines are available on the AAMC Committee on Student Records website.
This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as required to remain compliant. Questions regarding the procedures for maintaining records should be addressed to the Registrar at (323) 442-2553.
Reviewed and approved: January 18, 2017
Medical Education Executive Council