General Guidelines

The pass/fail policy applies to every course (basic science and clinical) offered in the School of Medicine curriculum leading to an M.D. degree.

The pass/fail policy is to be broad enough for each course to determine what constitutes pass or fail performance in that particular course. Consequently, each course chair and clerkship committee must develop evaluation criteria for each course. These criteria should be specific enough to provide goals for the students, but general enough to provide flexibility.

These preset evaluation criteria will be included in the course syllabus for each preclinical course and in the Handbook of Courses for each of the clinical clerkships.

Students are to be evaluated according to the criteria developed for a given course rather than by comparison to the performances of other students in the course. In other words, each student must satisfactorily demonstrate that he/she has met the course goals.

There are only two categories of student evaluation: (1) pass and (2) fail.

Feedback to Students

The course chairs and clerkship committees of all courses (basic science and clinical) are responsible for providing students with meaningful written performance descriptions evaluating progress in the course/clerkship. Narrative descriptions will be prepared for all students by the clinical clerkships. Other courses are encouraged to submit such descriptions, but only as deemed appropriate by their chairs or otherwise specified below.

These performance descriptions should be consistent with the course format and goals, and should include, in so far as feasible, information on the student’s (a) fund of knowledge, (b) critical thinking skills, (c) communication skills. Comments on other categories and on the student’s commitment to learning are encouraged.

Mid-course feedback for major basic science courses and required clinical clerkships is required.

In the case of failing or marginally passing performance, written and verbal feedback is required. A description of the nature of the concern must be reported to the student and to the Student Affairs Office. Students should be informed by the course instructors of difficulties as soon as they arise, so that they have an opportunity to improve their performance. Advisors and/or course instructors should meet with students whose performance is marginal or failing.

In these meetings, the student’s problems should be discussed and plans for improvement developed.

Faculty advisors should be identified and trained. Each student should be assigned an advisor with whom that student should meet around the middle of each academic year to review the student’s performance. Performance descriptions will be made available to the student’s faculty advisor.

All performance descriptions must be provided to the Student Affairs Office within six weeks of the conclusion of a course or clerkship. However, the Student Affairs Office will be notified within one week in the case of students whose performance is failing or marginally passing.

The Student Affairs Office and the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs will monitor the feedback process.

Letters of Distinction

Each course chair and clinical clerkship committee will determine its own criteria for receipt of a Letter of Distinction in that course or clerkship. Criteria for Letters of Distinction should be based on the extraordinary quality of the student’s performance, irrespective of other students in the course. Only truly remarkable performance will be recognized; merely performing ahead of peers and being the best competitor should not suffice. There will be no minimum or maximum number of letters awarded in any given course, i.e., several letters or none may be awarded.

Letters of Distinction may be cited in the Dean’s Letter accompanying internship and residency applications, but will be excluded from medical school transcript.

Letters of Distinction will only be awarded in required courses of four week duration or longer.

Letter of Distinction should be as specific as possible regarding the nature of the student’s accomplishment.

Responsibility for writing the Letters of Distinction will rest with the course chair, who may consult with other faculty, as appropriate.