Pediatric Clerkship

Grades are determined by CPA evaluations from Inpatient & Outpatient (40%), Newborn (2.5%), Urgent Care (7.5%), your professionalism & timely assignment completion (5%), your scores on the OSCE (15%), clinical reasoning assessment (7.5%), written notes (7.5%), and the Shelf Exam (15%). CPA forms are not as likely to come from your subspecialty service unless you really were very involved  for several days and worked closely with at least one senior resident or attending. Please note that professionalism points may be gained or lost from any of these sites. Once grades are published, they are final. Your grades are not based on comparison with other students in the group (they are not curved). Inquiries about grades may be made by appointment only. If you wish to schedule a meeting with the directors to discuss your grade, you may contact Quiana Smothers with 3-4 dates/times that you are available to meet.

A. CLINICAL PERFORMANCE Breakdown: (50 points)

Your score will be determined by a weighted average of all your different CPA forms from your clinical experiences:

Inpatient (20%)

Outpatient (20%)

Newborn Nursery (2.5%)

Urgent Care (7.5%)

B. FINAL EXAM: (15 points)

The final examination for pediatrics is the National Board Subject Examination. This is a multiple-choice exam comprised of 100 questions and accounts for 15% of your grade.  Full points (15/15) will be awarded if a student passes the exam. The passing score for clerkship purposes is a subject NBME test score that meets the annual 10th percentile nationally for the prior academic year. If a student fails the final examination he/she may repeat the exam provided his/her cumulative point total for the clerkship is in the passing range (> 62 points). If a student passes the repeat examination, a “PASS” will be awarded for the final clerkship grade.

C. OSCE: (15 points)

At the conclusion of the rotation you will participate in an OSCE. This OSCE will assess your history-taking, communication, knowledge, and clinical reasoning skills – this is very similar to your experience in your first and second year CSA. It will take place in the CEC of the Olson Building. You will receive more information about the OSCE as we near the end of the rotation.

B. CLINICAL REASONING ASSESSMENT: (7.5 points)

A 30-minute online assessment will be administered on Mid-Clerkship Day through Canvas. Material is based on the content of the Clinical Reasoning Workshop and the 10 required CLIPP Cases.

C. WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION: (7.5 points)

Our Note Assessment Director will 1 submitted full written H&P of your choice, and one progress note chosen at random from your time on inpatient wards, using the electronic medical record. Validated templates will be used and you will receive timely feedback on your documentation.

D. PROFESSIONALISM: (5 points)

Examples of a lack of professionalism include: inappropriate behavior, unexcused absences or tardiness, inappropriate dress, responding poorly to feedback, use of inappropriate language, and failure to complete assignments by the designated deadlines.

Honors

Honors-level students receive outstanding evaluations from faculty and residents and are viewed as exceptional learners and teachers! They are typically thought of as the primary caregiver to their patients, practice evidence-based medicine, bring in primary literature that is pertinent to their patients, and are able to formulate excellent assessments and plans. In addition, they complete all required assignments, pursue varied resources for additional study, and actively participate in all mandatory and optional clerkship activities. They are viewed as indispensable to their teams and are highly engaged, professional, and courteous in all clinical settings. They achieve at least 86 total points in the clerkship.

High-Pass

Students receiving “High Pass” receive excellent evaluations from faculty and residents and are viewed as very important members of the medical team. They are clinically astute, able to formulate solid assessments and plans, are hardworking and thorough. They complete all required assignments related to the clerkship, pursue varied resources for additional study, and actively participate in all mandatory and optional clerkship activities. They are highly engaged, professional, and courteous in all clinical settings. They achieve at least 77 total points in the clerkship.

Pass

Passing students receive good evaluations from faculty and senior residents. They are able to perform a comprehensive history and physical exam on pediatric patients and develop a sound assessment and plan.  There are no concerns about their performance, either clinically or professionally. They complete all required assignments related to the clerkship and attend all mandatory activities. They are highly engaged, professional, and courteous in all clinical settings. Passing students must demonstrate minimum proficiency in the clerkship with at least 62/100 total points and the passing score for clerkship purposes is a subject NBME test score that meets the annual 10th percentile nationally for the prior academic year.

Fail

Failing students exhibit performance that is below expectations for a similar student at their level of training. Faculty and resident evaluations may indicate significant concerns about their performance (either clinical or professional) as demonstrated by scores of less than an average of 2 on clinical evaluations. Failing students receive a cumulative point score of less than 62/100. If a student receives a failing grade on the National  Board Subject Examination (final examination) he/she may repeat the examination once for a grade of “PASS.” If the student fails the re-take he/she will fail the clerkship and be required to repeat the clerkship. A student’s grade may be lowered or a student may fail the rotation for egregious professional behavior despite academic success.