Promotion

In order to be promoted to each successive year of the medical curriculum, a student must have passed every section of every course in the preceding year.

Grades

At the conclusion of each course, the course director must submit promptly to the Dean’s Office a final grade. In first year the grades are Pass/Fail. In second year the grades may be Honors, Pass or Fail for each student. Additional comments are optional. An additional evaluation form may be used by any course director. This form will be made available to the students at the end of the course for their inspection. The academic progress for each student is reported to the appropriate Class Faculty Committee at each of its meetings.

A grade of Honors indicates an outstanding performance in the course, while a grade of Fail indicates an inadequate mastery of the essential material of the course, as determined by the department or course faculty.

Warning Letters

If, during a course, it is determined that a student’s performance is unsatisfactory, and that the student is in danger of failing the course, the course director shall inform the student by email or letter indicating this and offering assistance; copies of these letters are sent to the student’s Advisory Dean and the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs. These letters shall not be used for evaluations relating to postgraduate education nor for evaluative purposes other than in the course of origin.

First Year Curriculum Academic Progress Policy

Students are strongly encouraged to attend all classes and small groups at which the synthesis of knowledge occurs. To be promoted to the second year, students must pass each section of each course and all courses in the first year curriculum.

Exams are scheduled by the Committee of First Year Faculty Course Directors in the summer preceding the academic year. Personal events should not be scheduled at the time of exams. There are cumulative exams in the Histology laboratory practical. Make-up exams for exams missed due to acute student illness, family emergency or extenuating circumstances, may be given at the discretion of the Course Director at any time during the academic year, without the approval of the First Year Faculty Committee.

Remediation after failure of an exam or missed exam other than mentioned above, in a course or a section of a course may be offered only after approval by the First Year Faculty Committee. Each student is permitted a maximum of two such course remediations per year. Such re-examinations may be written or oral, at the discretion of the Course Director. A summer make-up course requirement is equal to a make-up exam.

Students who are having academic difficulty will be offered support services that are available in the College, including but not limited to mentoring, consultations to identify potential difficulties which may be contributing to the student’s lack of success, and other services deemed to enhance the student’s opportunity for success.

Final grades in each course will be pass or fail. At the end of the academic year, the First Year Faculty Committee will decide which students are promoted or failed at a meeting of the entire Committee. If a student is deemed to have insufficient knowledge to be promoted to the second year, the First Year Faculty Committee may recommend correction of this perceived deficiency by remediation for a short period and re-examination in the failed course prior to starting the next curriculum, by repetition in a summer course, or by repetition of the entire first year curriculum without exemption from any course. Faculty may terminate the matriculation of any student who does not pass all courses and of any student whom faculty believes to be unprepared to move forward in the curriculum.

Students who are failing at the end of the first semester may, at the discretion of the First Year Faculty Committee, be offered the opportunity to leave the academic program and re-enter the College’s first year curriculum the following academic year after having met requirements of the Committee to correct those factors which may be affecting the student’s performance. Provision of such an opportunity is not automatic.

If a student disagrees with the decisions of the First Year Faculty Committee, the student may appeal that decision to the Committee, accompanied by their Advisory Dean, and another member of the Faculty of the College as advocate.

If the Committee reaffirms their original decision, the student may appeal the decision to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, who may refer the matter to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Council.

Second Year Curriculum Academic Progress Policy

Students are strongly encouraged to attend all classes. Participation in small groups is mandatory as this is where the synthesis of knowledge occurs.

Exams are scheduled by the Committee of Second Year Faculty Course Directors in spring preceding the academic year. Personal events should not be scheduled at the time of scheduled exams.

To be promoted to the third year, students must pass each section of each course and all courses in the second year curriculum. Re-examination after failure of an exam in a course or a section of a course may be offered only after approval by the Second Year Faculty Committee. Each student is permitted a maximum of two such re-examinations per year, including all courses. Such re-examinations may be written or oral, at the discretion of the Course Director.

Make-up exams for exams missed due to acute student illness, family emergency or extenuating circumstances may be given at the discretion of the Course Director without the approval of the Second Year Faculty Committee.

Students who are having academic difficulty will be offered support services that are available in the College, including but not limited to, mentoring, consultations to identify potential difficulties which may be contributing to the student’s lack of success, and other services deemed to enhance the student’s opportunity for success.

Grades are weighed by the number of hours in each course. Final grades in each course will be pass, honors or fail. At the end of the academic year, the Second Year Faculty Committee will decide which students are promoted or failed at a meeting of the entire Committee. If a student is deemed to have insufficient knowledge to be promoted to the Major Clinical Year, the Second Year Faculty Committee may recommend correction of this perceived deficiency by remediation for a short period and re-examination in the failed course prior to starting the next curriculum, or by repetition of the entire second year curriculum without exemption from any course.

Students who are failing at the end of the first semester may, at the discretion of the Second Year Faculty Committee, be offered the opportunity to leave the academic program and recommence the second year curriculum the following academic year after having met requirements of the Committee directed to correcting those factors which may be affecting the student’s performance. Provision of such an opportunity is not automatic. Students who are failing several courses at the end of the first semester may be dismissed at the end of the first semester with termination of the student’s matriculation and without the opportunity to re-enter the second year curriculum.

If a student disagrees with the decisions of the Second Year Faculty Committee, the student may appeal that decision to the Committee, accompanied by their Advisory Dean, and another member of the Faculty of the College as advocate.

If the Committee reaffirms their original decision, then the student may appeal the decision to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, who may refer the matter to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Council.

Failures

At the end of the academic year, the final grades for all courses in that year are reviewed by the Class Faculty Committee. If a student has failed one course, the Class Faculty Committee will determine how that failure can be corrected, that is either:

1. by re-examination on the recommendation of the department,
2. by the successful completion of a remedial program,
3. by the successful completion of an appropriate course in the failed discipline at an institution selected by the Committee, or
4. the Committee may require repeat of the entire curriculum if it feels the student is not adequately prepared. Students required to repeat a year of the curriculum must pay full tuition and fees.

Re-examination after failure of a course shall be undertaken only after completion of the academic year and on the recommendation of the Class Faculty Committee.

If a student has failed more than one course, the respective Class Faculty Committee, after considering the student’s total academic performance for the year, will decide whether re-examinations will be permitted, whether remedial work or courses will be acceptable, or whether the year will be considered to have been failed. In the event of the latter, the Committee may then recommend either repetition of the year or termination of matriculation at the College.

Remedial Work

Remedial work in courses may be offered at the discretion of the department. Remedial work to correct a course failure is at the direction of the Class Faculty Committee on the recommendation of the department.

Appeal Mechanisms

If a student questions the recommendation of a Class Faculty Committee, a request for reconsideration may be made to the chairperson of the Committee, who will arrange a meeting of the Committee at which the student and his/her Advisory Dean and/or another member of the medical school faculty may appear. If a student is dissatisfied with the decision of the Committee on appeal, he or she may request a review by the Dean and the Executive Committee of the Faculty Council.

Monitored Status

Students may be promoted to the next year on monitored academic status as deemed necessary by the Class Faculty Committee for any reason the Committee judges sufficient. Monitored status entails regular review of a student’s performance in each course during the following year to identify early any potential problems. Course directors may then intercede with tutors, guidance and other support systems to improve the student’s learning experiences and ensure their academic success.