Pre-Clinical Grading PolicyGrading SystemPass-Fail System
During the first two years, courses consist of a variety of lecture, laboratory, and small-group learning formats. Performance, is evaluated periodically based on written examinations, papers, practical laboratory examinations, and group activity participation. The details for the grading of each course are published in the course syllabus by the course director(s). In the M1 & M2 academic years, the only grades assigned are “pass” and “fail”. These are the only grades that appear on the student’s official transcript. While individual test scores within a course are recorded and maintained internally (for program evaluation, monitoring student progress and consideration for AOA), these test scores do not appear in the students’ official record. Remediation
A student who fails to master a course component must remediate it satisfactorily before advancing to the next year of the curriculum. The course director(s) will determine the remediation requirements for the specific course component before the final course grade is submitted.
In the event of a course failure, the Student Promotions Committee in cooperation with the course director(s) determines if and how a remediation will occur. Timing, content, and method of remediation are course- and year- specific.
The basic science courses of the first two years (Structure-Function and Scientific Basis of Medicine), have “block exams” for each course section. For the Structure-Function course, four of the block exams consist of written and practical exams. The Scientific Basis of Medicine has only written exams. To pass each course, a student must pass every block exam. If a student fails one or two block exams, the student will have the opportunity to make up the exam(s). Structure-Function remediation exams occur at least two weeks after the initial exam and prior to a set date in the summer between M1 & M2 year. Scientific Basis of Medicine remediation exams must take place at least two weeks after the initial exam and one week prior to the Introduction to Clinical Clerkship (ICC). If remediation of one or two failed unit exams is satisfactorily completed, the final course grade is recorded as Pass. A student will fail Structure-Function or Scientific Basis of Medicine under either of the following two circumstances. - If the student fails a makeup exam, a grade of Fail may be recorded for the entire course; or
- If a student has a cumulative grade less than -2 standard deviations.
Similarly, failing Medical Decision Making, Problem-Based Learning, and units of Patient, Physician & Society must be remediated satisfactorily in order to pass the course. Remediation requirements are determined by the course director(s) in coordination with the Student Promotions Committee. Failure
If a student fails a course, generally the entire course must be repeated for credit. Associated problem-based learning sessions and units initially passed may have to be repeated. A repeated course is graded on its own merit.
At the end of the second year, students participate in a clinical skills assessment with a trained standardized patient to determine their readiness to begin the required clerkship rotations. Students who do not pass all sections of this exam will be required to remediate failed sections before beginning the third year. The remediation will be determined by the course faculty. Performance in the third- and fourth-year clerkships is based on written and/or oral exams, the faculty’s subjective impression of a student’s clinical knowledge, skills and attitude; and—in select clerkships—an objective structured clinical examination ("OSCE"). The OSCE requires the student to interact with scripted patient “actors” to perform clinical procedural tasks under faculty supervision. A final grade of Honors, high pass or pass will be achieved if a student meets the criteria for the particular grade as outlined by the clerkship director.
If based on the subjective impression of faculty, a student’s clinical performance is deemed to be inadequate, regardless of accompanying examination score, the clerkship final grade becomes fail. The Student Promotions Committee will work with the clerkship director to establish an appropriate remediation. If only the examination is failed and is passed upon the second attempt, the final grade becomes pass. A second failure of the written exam will result in a final grade of fail.
Incomplete
A grade of Incomplete is assigned when an illness or personal crisis precludes completion of a course or clerkship duing the scheduled timeframe. A student is granted an extension period determined by the course/clerkship director(s) in coordination with the Student Promotions Committee. If the necessary requirements are completed within the extension period, the grade of Incomplete will be replaced by a grade of Honors, High Pass, Pass, or Fail. If requirements are not completed within the allocated extension period, a grade of Fail will be recorded. This result would necessitate repeating the entire course or clerkship rotation.
Students can obtain their grades online for Structure-Function, Scientific Basis of Medicine, and the required clerkships soon after completing the course exam or clerkship. Official transcripts may be requested in person or in writing from the Office of Registration and Records (Ward 3-130).
Students who pass a course but whose performance is weak will be so notified of this when grades are distributed. Marginal performance is not recorded on the transcript but is reported to the Student Promotions Committee. A student’s progress may become of particular concern to the Student Promotions Committee if weak performance is reported in two or more courses or clerkships.
Academic Status of “Good Standing”
The academic status of “good standing” indicates that a student is not on probation (enrollment permitted), is not on suspension (enrollment not permitted), and has not failed an initial attempt to remediate an academic deficiency. | 
