Following the Medical Education Committee (MEC) faculty retreat in May 2025, the committee has continued discussions relating to medical student experience. One current initiative focuses on how medical students face difficulties distinguishing themselves when applying for residency. To address this challenge, the MEC has recently approved the establishment of a Clinical Commendation designation for MS1–MS3 students.

This initiative is designed to recognize and celebrate exceptional clinical performance, while promoting preparation, engagement, and professionalism in clinical settings.

The move to “pass-fail” in preclinical curricula and on the NBME Step 1 licensing exam has made it more difficult for students to distinguish themselves when applying for residency. However, we now have new data that we can use to recognize outstanding student clinical performance in a data-driven manner. As medical education moves towards a competency-based medical education (CBME) framework, many medical schools have adopted an outcomes-focused approach. Students are evaluated on their achievement of specific, measurable activities, known as competencies, rather than relying on the assumption that students have the necessary skills simply because they spent a certain amount of time in clinical rotations. The primary goal is to ensure that all learners demonstrate the competencies required for safe, effective, and ethical patient care. But a secondary goal of these new evaluation systems is that we can now recognize students whose clinical skills are above and beyond those of a typical medical student.

The Clinical Commendation designation will recognize clinical excellence, provide students with opportunities for distinguishment, and enhance students’ competitiveness in residency application.

We will continue to update as further initiatives are discussed and voted upon.