GradingandExaminations
GradingattheJohnsHopkinsUniversitySchoolofMedicineisnotviewedasanendinitself.
Althoughgradesareanappropriatemeansformonitoringandrecordingachievementandprogress
towardstheM.D.degree,theyrepresentbutoneindicatorofastudent’sperformanceand
attributes.Descriptiveevaluationsareofequalimportance.
StudentsatJohnsHopkinsreceivecontinualfeedbackontheirprogresstowardachievingthe
educationalobjectivesofthecurriculum.Fortheknowledge‐basedcoursesinthefirst20months
ofthecurriculum,writtenassessmentsoccurapproximatelyevery2‐3weeks;studentsalsoreceive
narrativefeed‐backfromcourseandsmallgroupleadersforeachcourseblock.InClinical
Foundations,detailedfeedbackisprovidedinface‐to‐facemeetingswithcollegeadvisors,aswellas
withonlineevaluations.WiththeGenestoSocietycurriculum,thestudentportfoliowas
introducedasanothermethodoffeedbackandassessment.Periodically,studentsareaskedto
enterdocumentationintotheport‐folio,suchasreflectivewriting,credentialing,andpatientcare
documentation.ThisportfolioisreviewedtwiceayearwiththeCollegeadvisorandusedasa
frameworkforindividualizedlearningplans.
AtJohnsHopkins,thestudenthasaccesstogradesandwrittenevaluations.Competitionbetween
studentsforgradesperseisstronglydiscouraged,emphasisbeingplacedinsteadongivingeach
studentfullopportunitytodevelophisorherparticularabilitiesandinterests.
GradesinthepreclinicalcoursesaredesignatedasPassorFail.Beginningwiththe
LongitudinalClerkshipandTransitiontotheWards,andcontinuingwithsubsequentclinical
clerkshipsandelectives,gradesaredesignatedasHonors,HighPass,PassorFail.Passisawarded
tothestudentwhofulfillsalloftherequirementsofacourseorclerkshipinanentirelysatisfactory
manner.HighPassisawardedtostudentsforexcellentperformance.Honorsisawardedtoa
studentwhohasbeenconsistentlyoutstandinginscholar‐shipandprofessionalism.
ThegradeofFailisusedifastudentdoesnotmeettheminimumperformancerequirementsofa
courseorclerkshipasdefinedbythecoursedirectors.
Ifastudentexhibitsamarginalperformanceinwhichtheminimalperformanceexpectationsofa
courseorclerkshiparemet,butindividualcomponentsofthecoursehavenotbeensatisfactorily
mastered,agradeofUnsatisfactorymaybegiven.Remedialworkwillberequiredbeforeagrade
ofPassisawarded.RemedialworkwillnotallowanUnsatisfactorygradetoberemediatedhigher
thanaPass.Iftheremedialworkforafailinggraderequiresrepetitionoftheentirecourseor
clerkship,theresultinggradewillreflectthestudent’sperformanceontheretaken
course/clerkshipandwillberecordednexttothefailinggradealreadyenteredonthetranscript.
StudentswhodonotcompleteallrequiredcomponentsofacoursearegivenanIncomplete.When
studentsareunabletocompleterequirementsbecauseofillnessorothercompellingpersonal
circumstances,theyshouldpromptlycontacttheAssociateDeanforStudentAffairsinorderto
requestpermissionforatemporaryinterruptionofstudies.TheAssociateDeanforStudentAffairs
willassistinmakingarrangementsforcompletionofcourserequirementsbyanexcusedstudent.
TheIncompleteisaneutralstatementandreflectsnothingperseaboutthequalityofastudent’s
performance.TheIncompletemayberemediatedtoPass,HighPassorHonors.TheIncomplete
mustnotbeusedinlieuofafailingormarginalgrade.
Promotions
TherecordofeachstudentwillbereviewedbytheappropriateCommitteeonStudentPromotionat
scheduledintervalsandactionwillbetakenoneachstudent’sstatus.Inadditiontomaintaining
goodacademicstanding,studentsareexpectedtoadheretotheacceptedstandardsofprofessional
behaviorintheircontactswithfellowstudents,faculty,patients,staff,andothers.Astudentmust
satisfactorilycompletetheworkofanacademicyearinallregardsandbeingoodstandingbefore
advancementtothenextyear.
Duringyearsoneandtwo,studentsmustpasseverycourseinordertobepromoted.Ineitherthe
firstorsecondyear,dismissalisautomaticifastudentreceivestwofailinggrades,onefailingand
oneunsatisfactorygrade,orunexcusedincompletesintwoormorecourses.
Astudentmayrepeatonlyoneyearofthefirsttwoyearsofthecurriculum.Duringtherepeatyear
dismissalisautomaticifthestudentreceivesonefailinggradeortwounsatisfactorygrades.
Duringtheclinicalyears,afailureinarequiredcourse/clerkshipwillbereferredimmediatelyto
thePromotionsCommitteefordiscussionandpresentationofaremediationplan,unlessthe
student’soverallperformancerequiresconsiderationofdismissal.Thestudentwillbepermittedto
completeanysubsequentrequiredcourse/clerkshiphe/shehasbegun,butnoadditionalrequired
clerkshipscanbetakenuntilthefailureisremediated.Unsatisfactoryperformanceintwo
courses/clerkshipsorfailureinasub‐sequentcoursewillresultindismissalfromschoolatthe
discretionofthePromotionsCommittee.
TheCommitteeonStudentPromotionmaymakespecificrecommendationsregardingremediation
ofgradesinanyyear.
Astudentdismissedforacademicreasonsmaysubmitawrittenpetitionforreadmissiontothe
appropriateCommitteeonStu‐dentPromotionsettingforthanexplanationforthestudent’s
deficientperformance,anyextenuatingcircumstances,andanyotherinformationrelevanttothe
student’sfitnesstocontinuetheacademicprogram.Thestudentadditionallymayrequestthe
opportunitytoappearpersonallybeforetheCommitteeonStudentPromotion.
Inaccordancewiththehighstandardofethicalconductrequiredofaphysician,studentsare
expectedtorefrainfromactsofdishonestywhichimpairtheacademicintegrityoftheUniversity.
Studentswhosebehaviorappearstobeunbefittingaphysicianwillbereviewedbyanadhoc
committeeoftheAdvisoryBoardoftheMedicalFaculty,andsuchotherpersonsasmaybedeemed
appropriate.TheadhoccommitteewillbeappointedbytheDean,orintheDean’sabsence,theVice
DeanforEducation.Thiscommitteewilldecideonthestudent’sstatuswithintheschool.Students
reviewedundersuchcircumstanceswillhavetheopportunitytomeetwiththeadhoccommitteein
personpriortoadecision.Astudentwhosestatusisaffectedbyadecisionoftheadhoccommittee
willbeaffordedanopportunitytoappealtotheDeanand,thereafter,totheProvostofthe
University.Acompletedescriptionofprocedurestobefollowedindisciplinarymattersislocatedin
thiscataloginthesectiontitled“InstructionLeadingtotheM.D.Degree.”Itisalsoavailableinthe
StudentAffairsOffice.
AttheendoftheFourthYearthecandidate’sentirerecord,includingbothrequiredandelective
work,willbereviewedbytheCommitteeonStudentPromotion.Thosewhohavesatisfactory
recordsandwhoarejudgedbytheCommitteetohavedemonstratedevidenceofpersonalfitness
foracareerinmedicinewillberecommendedtotheAdvisoryBoardoftheMedicalFacultyforthe
degreeofDoctorofMedicine.Studentsmusthaveresolvedalloutstandingchargesofmisconduct
andviolationsofacademicethicstobeeligibleforgraduation.