Admissions Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest Policy

Policy Statement

All Admissions Committee members must agree to, and electronically sign this statement at the beginning of each admissions cycle, in order to have access to the Admissions documents and reports:

“I understand that as a member of the Committee on Admissions, a member of the Admissions Staff, or a member of the staff in Information and Technology Services, I will have access to information provided by, and on behalf of, applicants to the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. This may include, but may not be limited to transcripts, letters of recommendation, student essays, and various other institutional and personal documents. I will also participate, with other members of the Committee and admissions staff, in discussions and deliberations regarding the qualifications of current and past applicants to the School. I acknowledge that, regardless of whether information comes to my attention in written or verbal form, whether or not it is marked “confidential,” and regardless of the medium of storage, all such information, including all discussions and deliberations of the Committee on Admissions, is deemed by Boston University to be “Confidential Information.” The disclosure of Confidential Information to anyone outside of the Committee on Admissions or admissions staff, including other members of the Boston University faculty and staff, as well as the applicant and his/her family members, is strictly prohibited.

I further understand that, should I have any personal relationship with an applicant or with anyone connected to an applicant, or any other potential source of conflict of interest, I will disclose this information to the Associate Dean for Admissions and recuse myself from all deliberations regarding that applicant. If a first-degree relative (child, sibling, or spouse) of a committee member is applying to BUSM, the committee member must sit out the entire admissions cycle and may rejoin the committee the following cycle.

By selecting “I Accept” below, I hereby agree that I will not disclose any Confidential Information pertaining to any applicant or group of applicants to anyone outside the Committee on Admissions or admissions staff. I will direct any questions regarding this policy or regarding Confidential Information on any applicant or group of applicants to the Associate Dean and Director of Admissions.”

Covered Parties

Admissions Committee Members
Executive Admissions Committee Members

Defined Terms

Confidential information – information that is prohibited to disclose to anyone that is not a member of the admissions committee or admissions staff, in this instance including any and all information contained in an application to the school of medicine AND any information about the status of or deliberations about an application.

Personal Relationship – An applicant who is known to the committee member from any context outside of the application itself. This includes friends, family members, co-workers, patients, etc.

Conflict of Interest – Any situation in which an applicant’s success or failure could have a direct impact on the admissions committee member. Examples include but are not limited to relatives of an employer or supervisor, an employee, relatives of someone with whom you have a pressing financial interest, or relatives of someone with whom you have a political interest.

Responsible Parties

Associate Dean of Admissions

Monitoring

Access to AIMS is only available after signing the confidentiality and conflict of interest policy agreement annually.

Relevant LCME Element(s): 10.2.e

[Approved by the BUSM Executive Committee in July 2018. Revised by the BUSM Executive Committee on January 15, 2019.]