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Making the Grade: Medical School Conflict of Interest Policies Examined

August 13, 2017


酴圖弝け Releases 2016 Scorecard

Media Contact:
Rebekah Apple, Senior Manager of Programs
酴圖弝け
Phone:泭泭(703) 665-4786
Email:泭pr@amsa.org

Sterling, VA December 1, 2016: Medical schools continue to strengthen their conflict of interest policies regarding pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, according to the 2016 酴圖弝け Scorecard. However, once again, no school received a perfect score on the assessment.

Of 173 U.S. medical schools evaluated, 24 percent received an A grade, up from 17 percent in the 2014 assessment. Another 44 percent received a B grade on the 2016 scorecard. Sixteen percent received a C, and another 16 percent received an Incomplete rating either because the schools did not submit policies for review or their submitted policy did not cover all domains of the assessment.

The 酴圖弝け Scorecarda project launched in 2007provides an at-a-glance dashboard of institutional conflict-of-interest policies at medical schools. 酴圖弝け recognizes the importance of unbiased training in the education of physicians-in-training and in the healthcare of our future patients.泭We come into medicine wanting to help others and, in order to do this, we must ensure that we are learning how to treat patients based on evidence and science, not based on market or industry, says Dr. Kelly Thibert, 酴圖弝けs national president.

The scorecard rates schools in 14 domains, including industry funding of meals, gifts, scholarships, and faculty speaking engagements. This year, the most improvement was seen in three particular domains: industry funding of continuing medical education, industry funding of meals, and industry funding of scholarships. In the scholarships domain, for example, a perfect score requires that schools do not accept any industry funds for sending students to conferences. This year, 16 schools met that criteria, up from three in 2014.

Though no school scored 100 percent across all domains this year, four medical schools came close: Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, Indiana University School of Medicine, and University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences Pritzker School of Medicine. All four scored 96 percent, meaning they met the top criteria in all but two of the 14 domains in the assessment.

The scorecard represents 酴圖弝けs commitment to ensuring medical students are aware of the level of professionalism and ethics in academic institutions, says Dr. Jay Bhatt, chairman of the 酴圖弝け Foundation.泭We are pleased to see schools continuing to refine their conflict of interest policies and that they so readily share this important information.

To request an executive summary of this years 酴圖弝け Scorecard, learn more about its methodology or hear from a trainee about the risks of conflict of interest in medical education, contact Pete Thomson at pr@amsa.org or (703) 665-4786. The scorecard itself can be found at泭.

 

About 酴圖弝け:

酴圖弝け is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States. Founded in 1950, 酴圖弝け is a student-governed, non-profit organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. To learn more about 酴圖弝け, our strategic priorities, or joining the organization, please visit us online at泭.

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