YEAR 2 CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

STUDENT PROGRESS DOCUMENT

 

ABBREVIATIONS

 

CCX	Clinical Competency Examination	Y2CC	Year 2 Curriculum Committee
SOM	School of Medicine	Y2SPS	Year 2  Student Progress Subcommittee
SPC	SOM Student Progress Committee	UE	Unit  Exam
SP	Standardized Patient	TGA	Tutor Group Assessment
EOUA	End of Unit Assessment	OSCE	Objective Structured Clinical Exam

 

AREAS EVALUATED AND METHODS USED

 

	AREA	METHOD OF EVALUATION
1.	Knowledge and self-directed learning	TGA, UE, Doctoring Assessment Tools
2.	Clinical reasoning	CCX and doctoring faculty observation, TGA, Doctoring Assessment Tools
3.	Clinical skills	OSCE, SP feedback, Doctoring faculty observations, mentor observation, Doctoring Assessment Tools
4.	Non-cognitive Behavior	TGA, mentor feedback, Doctoring Assessment Tools
5.	Professionalism	Ongoing evaluation by faculty, tutor group, peers, mentors, staff, and SP feedback, Doctoring Assessment Tools

 

GRADING OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE

 

For each of the four Year 2 units (Hematology, Immunology and Infection; Cardiovascular, Renal, Respiratory; Neuromuscular and Behavior; and Endocrine, Reproductive and Gastrointestinal), students will receive a grade for the EOUA of Satisfactory (S), Concerns (C) or Unsatisfactory (U) in each of three categories: 1) Knowledge (basic science and clinical); 2) Clinical Reasoning and Clinical Skills; 3) Non-cognitive Behavior and Professionalism.

 

GRADE REVIEW PROCESS

 

A student may ask for a review of a grade.  Students may first meet with faculty members to discuss their grade.  Written requests for formal grade review will be directed to the appropriate Unit Director(s) within ten working days of receiving a final exam or unit grade and will be accompanied by appropriate documentation.  The Unit Director(s) will consider the request for review, will consult with appropriate faculty members and/or the Director of Doctoring, and will issue a written decision to the student on the request.  The Unit Director(s) must respond to the request for review within ten working days of receipt of the request for review. 

 

Should the student wish to have further review of the decision by the Unit Director(s), a written request for grade review will be submitted to the Year 2 Curriculum Director within ten working days of the decision of the Unit Director(s).  The Year 2 Curriculum Director must respond, in writing, to the request to review within ten working days of receipt of the request for review.  The decision of the Year 2 Curriculum Director will be submitted as the final grade. 

 

YEAR 2 STUDENT PROGRESS SUBCOMMITTEE

 

The purpose of the subcommittee is to monitor student performance throughout the Year 2 curriculum and to make recommendations to the SPC concerning promotion and remedial activities.  The permanent members of the Y2SPS shall consist of the Year 2 Curriculum Director, the Director of Doctoring, and the Associate Dean for Education and Curriculum.  The Education and Curriculum Year 2 Coordinator will staff the subcommittee.

 

The Y2SPS will meet within seven working days of the completion of the UE for each unit to conduct the EOUA and to make student progress recommendations for the unit to be forwarded to the SPC.  For each meeting, the Co-Chairs of the recently concluded unit and other relevant faculty/staff may be included as members of the subcommittee.  The Y2SPS will also meet within seven working days of the UE for the final unit of the year to conduct the EOUA and to make recommendations concerning promotion of students to Year 3 and summer remedial activities.  The Y2SPS will conduct a case-by-case analysis of student performance across the curriculum, and make recommendations to the SPC concerning promotion to Year 3, required summer remediation, repeat of Year 2, or dismissal from the School of Medicine.         

 

The Y2SPS will meet at other times during the year as determined by the Year 2 Curriculum Director.  The Y2SPS will have the authority to institute appropriate Educational Support activities without prior SPC approval.

 

DEFINITIONS

 

            Educational Support:

 

Ongoing activities throughout the year will occur to improve focal deficiencies in students' study skills, learning strategies, knowledge, clinical skills, clinical reasoning, non-cognitive behavior, professionalism or attitudes.  The activities may be diagnostic, remedial or may involve a formal evaluation.  Deficiencies could be self-identified, apparent in tutor group, or identified in the UE. The Y2SPS will develop a support plan, that may include assistance from specific faculty or mentors, additional educational activities, stimulated recall with a SP, additional clinical skills experience and/or other appropriate activities.

 

Summer Remediation:

 

Remediation of Knowledge, Clinical Skills, and/or Clinical Reasoning will occur during the summer remediation period and will last for a period of time determined by the Y2CC.  Students will study under the supervision of unit Co-Chairs, and/or the Doctoring Director and any appropriate faculty.  Remedial activities will be tailored to the specific deficits previously identified.  At the of the remediation period, students will take a formal examination.  The examination may consist of SPs, CCXs, and/or written basic science or clinical questions.  A written report of the results of the examination will be forwarded by the relevant faculty to the Y2SPS.

 

CRITERIA FOR Y2SPS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SPC

 

The following criteria are guidelines for the Y2SPS.  Exceptional circumstances may require exceptional courses of action.  Recommendations made by the Y2SPS will be forwarded to the SPC for review and approval.

1. The Y2SPS may recommend that a student be required to complete Educational Support activities in an area of focal deficit, which is identified on any EOUA, irrespective of the grade received in the area, during a subsequent unit or during the summer remediation period.

2. A student who receives a grade of Unsatisfactory (U) on the EOUA in the category of Knowledge for a single unit will be required to remediate the Knowledge portion of that unit during the summer remediation period.  This may necessitate a delay in preparing for and sitting for USMLE, Step 1, as well as delaying entry into the clerkships.

3. A student who receives a grade of Unsatisfactory (U) on the EOUA in the category of Knowledge for a single unit, and receives a grade of Concerns (C) in the category of Knowledge on the EOUA of another unit will be required to remediate the Knowledge portion of both units during the summer remediation period.  The same recommendation will be made for a student who receives a grade of Concerns (C) in the category of Knowledge on the EOUA for two units.  In either case, the recommendation will necessitate a delay in preparing for and sitting for USMLE, Step 1, as well as delaying entry into the Year 3 clerkships.

4. A student who receives a grade of Unsatisfactory (U) on the EOUA in the category of Knowledge for two or more units will not be permitted to remediate either unit.  The student will be required to repeat Year 2 or may be recommended for dismissal from the SOM.

5. A student who receives a grade of Concerns (C) on the EOUA in the category of Knowledge for three or more units will not be permitted to remediate any of the units during the summer remediation period.  The student will be required to repeat Year 2 or may be recommended for dismissal from the SOM.

6. A student who receives a grade of Concerns (C) or Unsatisfactory (U) on the EOUA in the category of Clinical Skills and Clinical Reasoning or in the category of Non-cognitive Behavior and Professionalism for a unit will be required to complete specific Educational Support activities.  These activities shall be structured and specifically designed to remedy the deficiency or deficiencies identified in the EOUA.  Such activities may involve additional work with nurse educators, clinical mentors or other faculty.  In addition, the recommended activities may include diagnostic tools such as “stimulated recall” and may require a formal examination.  Should the nature of the deficit(s) be of sufficient magnitude or be repeated in multiple units, the student may be required to participate in remedial and/or diagnostic activities during the summer remediation period or may be required to repeat Year 2or a recommendation for dismissal may be made.  Depending on the extent of the summer remediation, a delay in preparing for and sitting for USMLE, Step 1, as well as a delayed entry into the Year 3 clerkships may be necessary.

7. Recommendations from the Y2SPS to the SPC may be made based on poor performance in a unit across multiple categories.

8. Failure of any examination during the summer remediation period will result in a recommendation that a student repeat Year 2 on Academic Probation.

9. A student identified as committing acts of unprofessional behavior will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Student Progress System document.

10. Students who, prior to the end of Year 2 curriculum, have been approved by the SPC to repeat the entire Year 2 curriculum for reasons of academic performance will be strongly encouraged to participate in the remainder of the Year 2 activities including assessments.  The results of exams and assessments will not be transmitted to the SPC.

11. A student repeating Year 2 who receives an EOUA grade of (C)oncerns or (U)nsatisfactory in the category of Knowledge will be recommended for dismissal.  Recommendations that result from an EOUA grade of (C)oncerns or (U)nsatisfactory in the categories of Clinical Skills and Clinical Reasoning or Non-cognitive Behavior and Professionalism will be made on a case-by-case basis.  Depending on the pattern and severity of the perceived deficit(s) a recommendation for remediation (in the summer or otherwise) or a recommendation for dismissal may be made.