Class Faculty Committees

Three faculty committees are appointed by the Dean to review and evaluate the academic progress of each student:

1. The First Year Faculty Committee
2. The Second Year Faculty Committee
3. The Clinical Faculty Committee

Each Committee consists of a chairperson appointed by the Dean and the course directors of that segment of the curriculum, and others designated by the Dean.

First and Second Year Faculty Committees

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.

 

Clinical Faculty Committee

Responsibilities

The Clinical Faculty Committee evaluates the progress of students in the clinical years and is responsible for the certification of students for the Doctor of Medicine degree. In evaluating the progress of students in the clinical curriculum, the overriding concerns of the Committee are the welfare and lives of patients. Decisions on termination of matriculation, repetition of a year, or part thereof, or delay in graduation are made only after thorough review of the student’s record and appraisal of the student’s professional behavior and potential for satisfactory performance.

Grades

All P&S courses in the clinical curriculum are graded for the University Transcript on an Honors-Pass-Fail system. The course evaluation form also asks for faculty to provide a rating of Honors, High Pass, Pass, Low Pass and Fail. The course evaluation form asks faculty to describe the components of total performance and to do so with frankness. Common descriptive terminology is essential in the development of an informative and useful narrative record of student performance.

Readers of an academic record should be able to develop a clear picture of performance trends and levels. Critical in the student’s quest for post-graduate placement is the Dean’s letter, called the Medical Student Performance Evaluation, which is constructed from the complete academic record. The language of this record must be understandable to those writing letters in order that they may convey to program directors an accurate description of the student’s performance. The Committee encourages faculty to take all necessary steps to provide narrative evaluations which fulfill this purpose.

Promotions

In order to be promoted to the elective curriculum, a student must pass all required clerkships of the Major Clinical Year. Failure of more than one clerkship, or evidence of a weak overall record may lead to failure of the Major Clinical Year. One or more grades of Low Pass, problems with professionalism, or a combination of these are evidence of weak performance.

Failures and marginal performances

If a student fails a clerkship, the Committee will require repetition of that clerkship. If a student fails more than one clerkship, the Committee may declare a failure of the Major Clinical Year. A weak overall record, as described above, may also lead to a failure of the Major Clinical Year. Consistent problems with professionalism may also lead to failure of the Major Clinical Year.

Decisions of the Committee will be reached after a thorough consideration of the reasons for failing performance(s) and after a review of the student’s total academic record. The number and duration of clerkships failed will be important factors in the Committee’s considerations. Failure of the Major Clinical Year may result in:

• Repetition of the entire Major Clinical Year
• Repetition of specific clerkships
• A plan of remediation targeting deficiencies
• Termination of matriculation of the student

Students required to repeat a year of the curriculum must pay full tuition and fees.

Elective/Selective Curriculum

In the fourth year the Committee reviews all elective/selective course failures and weak elective/selective performances. If a student fails an elective/selective course, the Committee will require repetition of the same course or the undertaking of a comparable academic program. If a student fails two elective/selective courses, the Committee may declare the fourth year a failure. The Committee may terminate the student’s matriculation or delay graduation until the student has acquired requisite knowledge and skills in programs designed and monitored by the Committee. If a student fails an elective course which has been directed by the Committee for correction of deficiencies noted in a clerkship performance, the Committee may, after thorough consideration of the academic record, terminate the student’s matriculation or delay the student’s graduation.

Student Feedback

The Committee encourages course directors to provide students with clear statements of objectives and performance expectations in each required clerkship and in each elective course. Students should be advised in a clear and timely fashion of deficiencies in performance during the course of each academic program. Mid course feedback is required with signed acknowledgement by the student. Faculty should recommend the steps needed to strengthen performance and should assist students in the achievement of performance expectations. In the clinical curriculum, discussions between students, preceptors (attendings) and course directors should generally take the place of warning letters comparable to those sent in the basic science curriculum. If a student fails to appreciate the seriousness of his/her academic problems and fails to take the recommended steps to correct performance, the course director may elect to send the student an official warning letter.

United States Medical Licensing Examination, USMLE

In order to graduate P&S, students must pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Exams. Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam must be taken, but students in the Class of 2007 will not be required to pass it in order to graduate. The deadline for taking Step 2 Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills Exams is October 31. The Clinical Faculty Committee will delay the graduation of any student who has failed to pass Steps 1 and 2 Clinical Knowledge. The Committee will facilitate the student’s efforts in preparing for re-examination after failure on a United States Medical Licensing Examination. If a student fails to pass one or more of these Steps on routine re-examinations, the Committee may terminate the student’s matriculation. Students may have a maximum of three attempts on each part. Failure of USMLE Step 1 or 2 CK on three attempts will result in termination of matriculation. Students must pass Step 1 and 2, including CS, to be eligible for Step 3, which is taken during residency.

Graduation

Before certifying students for the Doctor of Medicine degree, the Committee must be assured that students have acquired the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for the safe assumption of responsibility for patient care in postgraduate education. The Committee will not certify for graduation any student whom it believes to be unsuited for the practice of medicine.

Appeal Mechanisms and Monitored Status

This is the same as above under First and Second Year Class Faculty Committees.

Leaves of Absence

P&S expects that all candidates for the M.D. degree will normally be in attendance during consecutive periods until completion of the requirements for the degree. A leave of absence at the request of a student may be granted by the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Requests for leaves must be submitted in writing to the Dean stating the reasons for the requested leave and the anticipated date of return. Leaves of absence will be granted by the Dean only in exceptional circumstances to students who have not completed the first semester.

A leave of absence may be granted if a student is unable to continue medical studies because of illness or emergency family problems. For medical or psychiatric illnesses, documentation determined to be appropriate by the Office of the Dean must be submitted.

Students in their first semester of first year who are required to take a leave of absence or who have been approved for a requested leave of absence during first semester may be required by the Dean to receive review and approval from the Committee on Admission prior to resuming their studies. Such review does not guarantee readmission. Students approved for readmission will start at the beginning of the first year curriculum.

Leaves of absence for military service are granted if the student is called or ordered to active duty or conscripted. A student seeking such a leave should contact the Dean. 

In most cases, leaves are granted for a maximum of one year. Extensions for extended military service or continued recuperation from illness may be granted on a case by case basis. After two years, a student on a leave of absence may have their matriculation terminated; the student would be permitted to apply for readmission at a later time.

The Dean may stipulate conditions for the granting of a leave and for students on leave, the Dean may stipulate conditions for return, including an administrative evaluation described in this handbook on page 98 and/or a review by the admissions committee or appropriate faculty committee.

 

Suitability for the Practice of Medicine

Granting of the degree, M.D., signifies that the holder is a physician prepared to enter postgraduate education for the eventual practice of Medicine and to care for all patients. First Year Faculty, Second Year Faculty, and Clinical Faculty Committees of the College of Physicians and Surgeons oversee the progress of students in the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

This Faculty must be assured that students display good judgment, a sense of responsibility and morality, sensitivity and compassion for patients and individual needs, along with the ability to synthesize and apply knowledge, and to demonstrate that they are capable of becoming safe, effective physicians. Safety in the care of patients is the overriding concern of the Faculty of Medicine at P&S. These Faculty Committees have the final decision on a medical student’s suitability for the practice of Medicine.

Administrative Evaluation

The Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, acting either on behalf of a faculty committee or its own behalf may request, at any time an administrative evaluation of a P&S student by a consulting psychiatrist or other mental health professional chosen by P&S. This evaluation serves to address academic, personal, and/or behavioral concerns that may have been brought to the attention of the Dean’s Office. A failure to comply with a request for an administrative evaluation may affect a student’s academic status within P&S. The content of the evaluation is confidential and is not available to the student. It may be shared with those administrators and faculty that the Office of the Dean deems appropriate.

Medical Student Responsibilities

Taken from Recommendations and Guidelines for Students from the Organization of Student Representatives (AAMC)

Students are expected to demonstrate dedication to acquiring knowledge, skills, both cognitive and non-cognitive, and attitudes necessary to provide competent medical care. Students are expected to be responsible for their medical education and take an active role in the planning of their medical education. A student shall be dedicated to providing competent medical service with compassion and respect for human dignity. In all instances, the student must maintain the dignity of the person, including respect for the patient’s modesty and privacy.

1. Nondiscrimination: It is unethical for a student to refuse to participate in the Care of a person based on race, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, age, or sexual preference. It is also unethical to refuse to participate in the care of a patient solely because of medical risk, or perceived risk, to the student. It is not, however, unethical for the pregnant student to refuse to participate in activities that pose a significant risk to her fetus.
2. Confidentiality: The patient’s right to the confidentiality of his or her medical record is a fundamental tenet of medical care. The discussion of problems or diagnoses of a patient by professional staff/medical students in public violates patient confidentiality and is unethical. Under no circumstances can any medical record be removed from the institution, nor is photocopying of the record permitted. For presentations or rounds, students are permitted to extract information but not copy wholesale parts of the chart.
3. Professional Demeanor: The student should be thoughtful and professional when interacting with patients and their families. Inappropriate behavior includes the use of offensive language, gestures, or remarks with sexual overtones.

   Students should maintain a neat and clean appearance, and dress in attire that is generally accepted as professional by the patient population served.

   Under pressure of fatigue, professional stress or personal problems, students should strive to maintain composure. The student should seek supportive services when appropriate.

4. Misrepresentation: A student should accurately represent herself or himself to patients and others on the medical team. Students must never introduce themselves as “Doctor” as this is clearly a misrepresentation of the student’s position, knowledge and authority.
5. Honesty: Students are expected to demonstrate honesty and integrity in all aspects of their education and in their interactions with patients, staff, faculty and colleagues. They may not cheat, plagiarize or assist others in the commission of these acts. The student must assure the accuracy and completeness of his or her part of the medical record and must make a good-faith effort to provide the best possible patient care. Students must be willing to admit errors and not knowingly mislead others or promote himself or herself at the patient’s expense. The student is bound to know, understand and preserve professional ethics and has a duty to report any breach of these ethics by other students or health care providers through the appropriate channels. The student should understand the protocol of these channels.
6. Consultation: Students should seek consultation and supervision whenever their care of a patient may be inadequate because of lack of knowledge and/or experience.
7. Conflict of Interests: When a conflict of interest arises the welfare of the patient must at all times be paramount. A student may challenge or refuse to comply with a directive if its implementation would be antithetical to his or her own ethical principles when such action does not compromise patient welfare. Gifts, hospitality or subsidies offered by medical equipment, pharmaceutical or other manufacturers or distributors should not be accepted if acceptance would influence the objectivity of clinical judgment. Student interactions with commercial interests should conform to the American Medical Association (AMA) guidelines.
8. Sexual Misconduct: The student will not engage in romantic, sexual or other nonprofessional relationships with a patient, even at the apparent request of a patient, while the student is involved with the patient’s care. The student is not expected to tolerate inappropriate sexual behavior on the part of other medical personnel or patients.
9. Impairment: The student will not use alcohol or drugs in a manner that could compromise patient care. It is the responsibility of every student to protect the public from an impaired colleague and to assist a colleague whose capability is impaired because of ill health. The student is obligated to report persons of the health care team whose behavior exhibits impairment or lack of professional conduct or competence or who engage in fraud or deception. Such reports must conform to established institutional policies.
10. Criticism of Colleagues: It is unethical and harmful for a student to disparage without good evidence the professional competence, knowledge, qualification or services of a colleague to a review (judicial) body, staff, students or a patient. It is also unethical to imply by word, gesture or deed that a patient has been poorly managed or mistreated by a colleague without tangible evidence.

    Professional relations among all members of the medical community should be marked with civility. Thus, scholarly contributions should be acknowledged, slanderous comments and acts should be avoided, and each person should recognize and facilitate the contributions of others to the community.

    The medical student will deal with professional, staff and peer members of the health team in a cooperative and considerate manner.

11. Research: The basic principle underlying all research is honesty. Scientists have a responsibility to provide research results of high quality, to gather facts meticulously, to keep impeccable records of work done, to interpret results realistically, not forcing them into preconceived molds or models, and to report new knowledge through appropriate channels. Co-authors of research reports must be well-enough acquainted with the work of their co-workers that they can personally vouch for the integrity of the study and validity of the findings and must have been active in the research itself. Plagiarism is unethical. To consciously incorporate the words of others, either verbatim or through paraphrasing, without appropriate acknowledgement is unacceptable in scientific literature.
12. Evaluation: Students should seek feedback and actively participate in the process of evaluating their teachers (faculty as well as house staff). Students are expected to respond to constructive criticism by appropriate modification of their behavior. When evaluating faculty performance, students are obliged to provide prompt, constructive comments. Evaluations may not include disparaging remarks, offensive language or personal attacks, and should maintain the same considerate, professional tone expected of faculty when they evaluate student performance.
13. Teaching: The very title “Doctor” - from the Latin docere, “to teach” - implies a responsibility to share knowledge and information with colleagues and patients. It is incumbent upon those entering this profession to teach what they know of the science, art and ethics of medicine. It includes communicating clearly with and teaching patients so that they are properly prepared to participate in their own care and in the maintenance of their health. The following are not specific responsibilities of students; they are physicians’ responsibilities, although students are frequently asked to take these on.
14. Disclosure: In general, full disclosure is a fundamental ethical requirement. The patient must be well informed to make health care decisions and work intelligently in partnership with the medical team. Information that the patient needs for decision making should be presented in terms the patient can understand. If the patient is unable to comprehend, for some reason, there should be full disclosure to the patient’s authorized representative.
15. Informed Consent: Students are to understand the importance of the obligation to obtain informed consent from patients, but are not responsible for obtaining such consent. It is the physician’s responsibility to ensure that the patient or his/her surrogate be appropriately informed as to the nature of the patient’s medical condition, the objectives of proposed treatment alternatives and risks involved. The physician’s presentation should be understandable and unbiased. The patient’s or surrogate’s concurrence must be obtained without coercion.

Medical students who fail to maintain the highest degree of personal and professional integrity or whose behavior is not in keeping with achieving both cognitive and non-cognitive skills will be subject to review, disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Violations of these standards are considered to be very serious breaches of professional conduct. Examples of such violations include substance abuse, harassment of patients, faculty, staff or other students, breach of patient confidentiality, falsification of records, unexcused absence, refusal to participate in the care of a patient, and abuse of civil law, hospital rules and University rules governing conduct. Examples of abuse of civil law include sexual harassment, assault, or any other unprofessional behavior. Students must obey all civil laws at all times. Behavior both inside and outside the institution will be held to the same high standards.

Students must be punctual and reliable and maintain a neat and clean appearance with dress and attire that is accepted as professional. Students shall be punctual, reliable and conscientious in fulfilling their professional duties, including attendance at lectures, examinations and all parts of all clinical clerkships.