Academic Evaluation (Grades, Evaluation, Promotion and Processes)
Courses and Clerkships
The FAU College of Medicine curriculum is organized by year of study (1, 2, 3, and 4). Years 1 and 2 are divided into
a fall semester and a spring semester each year. Each year or semester includes a series of independent courses
and clerkships, with several courses or clerkships occurring concurrently. Student performance is assessed in each
course or clerkship. Students must pass each course or clerkship in the curriculum, as well as integrated competency
assessments, their Learning Portfolios, and USMLE examinations, to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress.
Course numbers and credits are assigned to each course. Courses vary in number of credits, intensity of scheduled
time, and duration. They are organized to begin and end on common dates in each year or semester and generally
have a uniform weekly schedule. Students are expected to participate in scheduled curricular activities from the first
to the last day of study in each year or semester, excluding mid-semester breaks. To the degree possible, exams for
concurrent courses will be scheduled so that exams do not compete with other learning activities.
Course or Clerkship Syllabus
The syllabus for each course contains the learning objectives, course schedule of activities, the topics to be
presented, the faculty involved, a listing of course materials, the evaluation system and grading policies.
Examinations
The majority of written in-class exams will be conducted as web-based objective examinations, using secure
questions; this means that the exam questions will not be available for study before or after exams. Exams will be
timed and proctored and students will take them in a classroom set specifically for secure exams that includes wired
connections for their laptop computers linked only to servers hosting the exams at either the College of Medicine or
the National Board of Medical Examiners.
Students will have opportunities to raise concerns about exams or ask specific questions via a survey at the
conclusion of each computer based exam. Exam results will be posted without student identification and students will
receive their results individually.
Course directors are expected to use a variety of performance measures in addition to secure, web administered,
objective exams. The performance measures and percentage contribution to the final grade in each course or
clerkship will be described in the syllabus.
Grades
The final grade in each course in Years 1 and 2 will be Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U). In Years 3 and 4, the
final grade in required clerkships will be Honors (H), High Satisfactory (HS), Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U). All
electives will be graded Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U).
Grading for Courses in Years 1 and 2
Grading for each integrated basic science course will consist of two components. In order to pass a course the
student will be required to pass both components.
The first component consists of accumulated points in 1) written in-class examinations covering medical knowledge
and 2) other assessments such as essay questions or papers, oral exams, laboratory practical items, problem-solving
exercises, presentations, completion of online quizzes, etc. The course director will have discretion in choosing what
types of other assessments to use in his/her course and may use more than one type. A passing grade for this
component will be >75% of total points possible. The percentage contribution to total points will be distributed as
follows for each course:
In-class written exams =
Other assessments =
Total =
70%
30%
100%
The second component is PBL. Grading for PBL will consist of a narrative facilitator assessment form and will be
graded by the facilitator as S or U without assigned numerical points.
Grading for Foundations of Medicine will consist of five components. In order to pass the course the student will be
required to pass all components.
The first component consists of accumulated points in objective assessments of clinical skills and reasoning. A
passing grade for this component will be >75% of total points possible.
The second component consists of accumulated points on assessments covering medical and clinical knowledge,
with a focus on application, evaluation, and analysis of knowledge, rather than factual recall. These assessments
may include essay questions or papers, oral exams, problem-solving exercises, presentations, projects, completion of
online quizzes, etc. The course director will have discretion in choosing what types of assessments to use in his/her
course and may use more than one type. A passing grade for this component will be >75% of total points possible.
The remaining three components will each consist of a narrative faculty assessment form and will be graded by the
faculty member as S or U without assigned numerical points. These will include 1) preceptor evaluation for the
longitudinal clinical experience; 2) facilitator evaluation for Science of Clinical Practice small groups; and 3) faculty
leader evaluation for Clinical Learning Groups.
Honors in Years 1 and 2
Students who demonstrate consistently outstanding academic performance throughout the first two years of medical
school will be eligible for an Honors commendation that will be included in their permanent records and their Medical
Student Performance Evaluations (MSPE) for residency applications.
Students will be eligible for consideration for “Honors for Years 1 and 2” if they meet the following criteria:

Total points earned in all courses in the first two years in the top 25% of the class. Points earned in each
course will be weighted based on course credits (which reflect contact time in the course) to calculate total
points.

No grades of Unsatisfactory (U) in any course.

Certification by the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs or designee that the student had no significant
professionalism concerns documented by the Physicianship and Professionalism Advocacy Program
(PPAP).
An Honors Committee consisting of 6 faculty (3 who teach primarily in the clinical curriculum and 3 who teach
primarily in the basic science curriculum, none of whom is a course director) will review the files of students who are
eligible for the Honors commendation and will also consider any other evidence of outstanding academic
performance (e.g., narrative comments from faculty) that is available for their review. The Honors Committee will
select the students who will receive the “Honors for Years 1 and 2” commendation. Students will be notified of their
selection by the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs or designee; the letter of notification will become part of
the student’s permanent file and the commendation and criteria will be included in the student’s MSPE.
Remediation of Unsatisfactory Performance
If the final grade earned in a course or clerkship is Unsatisfactory (U), a formal plan (“Plan for Remediating
Unsatisfactory Performance”), including expectations for work to be performed, student assessment, and time period
for the remediation, will be established by the course director, the student, and his/her Learning Community Adviser
and submitted to the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs (SADSA), who will inform the Medical Student
Promotions and Professional Standards Committee (MSPPSC).
Upon satisfactory remediation, the course director will report the satisfactory achievement for the course to the
SADSA, who will inform the MSPPSC and the registrar, who will record the new final grade. The transcript will reflect
both the initial grade of Unsatisfactory (U) and the final grade earned in the course or clerkship. Failure to complete
the plan for remediation (i.e., work not completed or performed at an unsatisfactory level) will be reported by the
SADSA to the MSPPSC for action.
Incomplete Work in a Course
If a student is unable to complete required work in a course, the student may request permission to continue study
with an incomplete status for the course. This requires formal notification by the course director to the SADSA, who
will inform the MSPPSC. The registrar will enter a grade of “I” on the record indicating that the student needs to
remediate incomplete course work.
A formal plan (“Plan for Completing Course Requirements”), including the expectations for work to be performed,
student assessment, and time period to make up incomplete course work, will be established by the course director,
the student, and his/her Learning Community Adviser. When completed, the course director will report the grade
earned to the SADSA.
Students with grades of “U” or “I” may continue in the course of study in a current year of study, pending action by the
MSPPSC at the end of the year. Progression to a subsequent year of study with a grade of “U” or “I” will require
specific approval of the MSPPSC.
Transcript
The official transcript will be organized by academic year, listing all courses and clerkships in the academic year, with
the credit hours for each course or clerkship, followed by the final grade earned grade for each course or clerkship. A
grade of Unsatisfactory (U) that is successfully remediated will be retained on the transcript along with the final grade
earned after remediation. A grade of Incomplete (I) will be removed and replaced with the final grade earned. The
transcript will also record that the student passed the Competency Assessments and the Learning Portfolio and the
USMLE licensing examinations.
Competency Assessments
Competency in clinical skills, critical thinking and general medical knowledge will be evaluated independently from
course work three times during the course of study:
1. At the end of the first academic year during the Competency Week immediately following the end of course work
before the summer break,
2. At the end of the second academic year during the 4 weeks before the period of study for USMLE Step 1.
3. After completion of both Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship Modules at the end of Year 3.
Evaluations will be performed using the Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) format with test stations involving
medical cases that may be virtual, standardized patients, or simulations. Students will be expected to demonstrate
satisfactory performance on each competency assessment to be promoted to the next year of study.
Learning Portfolio
Medical students will maintain a Learning Portfolio, a cumulative record of their achievement of competencies during
medical school that will include evidence of achievement from course assessments, narrative feedback, other
materials selected by the student for inclusion in the Portfolio, the student’s written reflections on the evidence in the
Portfolio in relation to faculty expectations for achievement of competencies, and Individual Learning Plans. The
portfolio will be reviewed with the student on a regular basis by his/her Learning Community Advisor, who will provide
formative feedback. A separate faculty committee will review the final portfolio to assign a pass/not pass evaluation.
Formative Assessments
Throughout the courses and clerkships in all four years of medical school, students will be provided with regular,
formative feedback on their performance. This feedback will take the form of narrative feedback by faculty and peers
and a range of other assessments such as weekly non-graded quizzes on course content. In addition, there will be
several global formative assessments:
1. Year 1 Comprehensive Assessment: A comprehensive exam will be administered near the end of Year 1. The
exam will be a customized NBME exam designed to cover the first year courses. It is a required exam but the results
will not impact student grades. The purpose of this exam is for students to self-assess their overall knowledge at the
end of Year 1 in relation to the USMLE Step 1 knowledge exam, which will be required at the end of Year 2.
2. Year 2 Comprehensive Assessment: A second comprehensive exam will be administered during the spring
semester of Year 2. The exam will be a customized NBME exam designed to cover the year 1 and 2 courses. It is a
required exam but the results will not impact student grades. The purpose of this exam is for students to self-assess
their overall knowledge in relation to the USMLE Step 1 knowledge exam, which will be required at the end of Year 2.
United States Medical Licensing Exams (USMLE)
All students must take and pass the USMLE Step 1 before being promoted to Year 3. Students must also take and
pass the USMLE Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge) and USMLE Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills) exams prior to graduation.
USMLE Requirements
Students must be enrolled in the College to be able to register for and take the USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step
2 CS examinations. Students are expected to take and pass each examination by the deadline for that examination
set by the Medical Student Promotions and Professional Standards Committee (MSPPSC).
Registration Deadlines and Testing Dates for USMLE Step 1
Year 2 students are required to complete applications for USMLE Step 1 in sufficient time to request test dates on or
before the end of the second week in June. Students with circumstances that prevent them from taking USMLE Step
1 by the end of the second week in June must, as soon as possible, petition in writing to the Senior Associate Dean
for Student Affairs and the Vice Dean for Medical Education and Student Affairs, who will review the request and
make a determination.
Promotion
Promotion will be determined for each successive year of study by the Medical Student Promotions and Professional
Standards Committee (MSPPSC), which will make a formal determination of promotion based on whether the student
has satisfied the following requirements:
•
•
•
•
•
Passed all required courses or clerkships in the year under review with a grade of Satisfactory (S) or higher.
Passed the end of year Competency Assessment.
Completed required components of the Learning Portfolio.
Completed the required formative Comprehensive Assessment.
Demonstrated acceptable professional performance.
For promotion to year 3, the student must also receive a passing score on the USMLE Step 1 examination. A student
will be permitted to start the first clerkship module if the USMLE Step 1 score is pending but will be withdrawn if a
passing score is not received within 6 weeks.
Requirements for the Doctorate of Medicine Degree
Prior to graduation and the receipt of the Doctorate of Medicine degree from the Florida Atlantic University College of
Medicine, students must demonstrate proficiency in each of the following six areas:
1. Courses and Clerkships:
•
Students must complete the required core courses and clerkships and the designated minimum number of
elective and selective courses with Satisfactory (passing level) performance.
2. Licensing Exams:
•
Students must pass the USMLE Step I examination before beginning the third academic year.
•
Students must pass the USMLE Step II Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills examinations.
3. Competency Assessments:
•
Students must pass all FAU College of Medicine Competency Assessments.
•
Students must earn certification for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS)
4. Learning Portfolio:
•
Students must receive a passing grade for their final Learning Portfolio.
5. Professional Performance:
•
Students must demonstrate consistent evidence of professionalism as assessed by the MSPPSC per the
Physicianship and Professionalism Advocacy Program (PPAP).
6. Review and approval of academic and professional record by the Medical Students Promotions and Professional
Standards Committee prior to graduation:
•
Students must receive the MSPPSC’s recommendation for graduation and receipt of the Doctorate of
Medicine degree.
The Medical Students Promotions and Professional Standards Committee’s recommendation for graduation and
receipt of the M.D. degree must be approved by the Dean of the FAU College of Medicine.