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The Correspondence Series served as the Medical School's general file from 1915 until 1959. It includes correspondence, committee records, and reports. Generally it is arranged alphabetically by calendar year, although variant filing schemes were used prior to 1921. Inconsistent rules for alphabetizing were used. For example, correspondence with university president Alexander Ruthven was filed under "P" in 1948, but "R" in 1950. Similar confusion over filing rules exist elsewhere in the correspondence series, although the years just after World War II is where this most often occurs. While filing generally was done by name of title of correspondent, or by the name of the internal committee, a few subject headings do exist. Most frequent are "Budget," "Promotions" (sometimes filed as "Promotions and Appointments" or simply "Appointments") and "Doctor Locations." Promotions is valuable for tracing the careers of individual faculty members. "Doctor Location" is an unusual file used for letters written to the Medical School by physicians wishing to sell their practice or seeking an assistant, or communities seeking to attract a doctor to their location.

The Dean's Correspondence Series, 1915-1959, was appraised at the item level. A written set of criteria was established to determine which material should be retained, and which eliminated. In general, all substantive correspondence, all minutes and reports, and re-occurring folders such as Budget and Promotions were retained. Material eliminated included requests for general information or specific forms, requests for interpretations of the admissions criteria, requests regarding the availability of particular courses (particularly during the summer session), announcements of available internships, non-substantive alumni correspondence particularly in regards to the mechanics of reunions, notices (of staff vacations, temporary vacancies, etc.), referral and consultation letters, invitations, regrets and acknowledgments, letters regarding travel information, particularly hotel reservations, train and plane schedules, and non-Michigan doctor location letters. In general non-substantive documents, including routine correspondence, as well as minor financial documentation or authorizations, were eliminated. Student records were separated from the collection at the request of the Medical School, and returned to them for inclusion in student files. Because the correspondence is arranged alphabetically, in general, there are no separate file folder headings by name of individual or title. Exceptions to this rule were made if the quantity of material was sufficient to justify a folder. All such folders are noted in the finding aid, but the absence of such a folder should not be taken to mean the absence of correspondence by a person.

An addition the Correspondence series (2.5 linear feet) was received as part of the 2002 accession of Medical School records. Covering the years 1990-1997, it is a chronological file of incoming and outgoing correspondence of dean Giles Bole (acting dean July-December, 1990, dean 1991-1996) and interim dean A. Lorris Betz (1996-1998). As it includes everything that required the dean's signature, including sensitive student and personnel matters, this series falls under those extended restrictions.