Health Sciences Calendar
2005 - 2006

3.3.14 Evaluation System

The Evaluation System is multifaceted and under constant review by the Faculty. The Faculty reserves the right to change any of these rules and regulations at any time, although in general such changes will not come into effect in the middle of a Promotion Period. For complete Faculty regulations, reference should be made to the Faculty of Medicine Student Handbook which is updated annually on the Web at www.medicine.mcgill.ca/ugme under "student evaluation".

The Faculty operates on a modified pass/fail system. This in effect means that students' standings, class rank, and grades in courses and rotations are not available to any external agency such as hospitals, universities or licensing bodies. For purposes of internal use students' numerical grades are used in the calculations required for student feedback, academic advising and promotion, awards, prizes, Dean's Honour List designation, academic bursaries and Faculty medals.

For the purposes of evaluation, the four-year curriculum is broken down into the following promotion periods.

Promotion Periods - Class of 2009 (admitted 2005) and Class of 2008 (admitted 2004):

Promotion Period I

Class of 2009:
Units 1 to 6, Physicianship A and Physician Apprenticeship.

Class of 2008:
Units 1 to 6 and Introduction to the Patient.

Promotion Period II

Units 7 and 8 and Introduction to the Practice of Medicine (ITPM)
(The beginning of Year II to end of ITPM)

Promotion Period III

Introduction to Clinical Medicine

Promotion Period IV

Core Clerkship

Promotion Period V

Senior Clerkship

Promotion Periods - Class of 2007 (admitted 2003) and Class of 2006 (admitted 2002):

Promotion Period I

Units 1 to 6 and Introduction to the Patient

Promotion Period II

Units 7, 8, 9 and Introduction to the Practice of Medicine
(The beginning of Year II to end of Unit 9)

Promotion Period III

Introduction to Clinical Medicine

Promotion Period IV

Practice of Medicine

Promotion Period V

Back to Basics

STUDENT PROMOTIONS

The Committee on Student Promotion and Curriculum Outcomes (CSPCO) will review the academic record, professional conduct and general performance of any student on a regular basis and will determine whether the student may proceed to the next promotion period.

No evaluation, examination mark, etc. shall be considered final until passed by the Committee on Student Promotion and Curriculum Outcomes.

Where a student has failed one or more units, or has been found to have been engaged in unprofessional conduct, the Committee on Student Promotion and Curriculum Outcomes will automatically review the student's entire academic record and general performance. The Committee on Student Promotion and Curriculum Outcomes may require the student: a) to undergo remedial rotation(s), b) to repeat an entire Promotion Period, c) to be suspended from the program for up to one year or d) to be dismissed from the program. A student who obtains a "failure" or two or more "below expectations" may be placed on probation.

Academic offences such as plagiarism and cheating on examinations, including examinations administered by the Faculty of Medicine on behalf of external agencies, and unprofessional conduct, are considered serious offences which could lead to dismissal from the program. A student who engages in criminal activity and/or who is found guilty of having violated the criminal code will have his/her dossier referred to the CSPCO; this may be considered evidence of unsuitability for the practice of medicine and grounds for dismissal from the program.

The Faculty reserves the right to dismiss from the program any student who is considered incompetent and/or unsuitable for the practice of medicine.

Promotion Periods - Class of 2009 (admitted 2005) and Class of 2008 (admitted 2004):

Promotion Period I

Evaluation will be reflective of the objectives of an individual unit.

The students' performance in each unit will be assessed by intraunit and final evaluation.

The student must complete all units in Promotion Period I successfully and attain a defined average in order to be promoted to Promotion Period II (see Student Handbook for details).

The Committee on Student Promotion and Curriculum Outcomes will review the record of any student failing a unit and, under certain conditions, remedial activity and a supplemental evaluation will be permitted.

Promotion Period II

Evaluation will be reflective of the objectives of an individual unit.

The students' performance in each unit will be assessed by intraunit and final evaluation.

The student must complete all units in Promotion Period II successfully and attain a defined average in order to be promoted to Introduction to Clinical Medicine (see Student Handbook for details).

Promotion Period III

Evaluation will be reflective of the objectives of an individual unit.

The student must complete all units in Introduction to Clinical Medicine successfully in order to be promoted to the Core Clerkships (see Student Handbook for details).

Promotion Period IV

Evaluation will be reflective of the objectives of an individual Clerkship Rotation.

The students' performance in each Clerkship or Elective will be assessed by clinical supervisors and written/oral/OCSE exams.

The student must complete all units in Core Clerkship successfully in order to be promoted to Senior Clerkship (see Student Handbook for details).

Promotion Period V

Evaluation will be reflective of the objectives of an individual Clerkship Rotation. The students' performance in each Clerkship or Elective will be assessed by clinical supervisors and written/oral/ OCSE exams.

Students must complete Medicine and Society and those seminar courses that they have enrolled in. The student must complete all units in Senior Clerkship successfully in order to graduate (see Student Handbook for details).

Promotion Periods - Class of 2007 (admitted 2003) and Class of 2006 (admitted 2002):

Promotion Period I

Evaluation will be reflective of the objectives of an individual unit.

The students' performance in each unit will be assessed by intraunit and final evaluation.

The student must complete all units in Promotion Period I successfully and attain a defined average in order to be promoted to Promotion Period II (see Student Handbook for details).

The Committee on Student Promotion and Curriculum Outcomes will review the record of any student failing a unit and, under certain conditions, remedial activity and a supplemental evaluation will be permitted.

Promotion Period II

Evaluation will be reflective of the objectives of an individual unit.

The students' performance in each unit will be assessed by intraunit and final evaluation.

The student must complete all units in Promotion Period II successfully and attain a defined average in order to be promoted to Introduction to Clinical Medicine (see Student Handbook for details).

Promotion Period III

Evaluation will be reflective of the objectives of an individual unit.

The student must complete all units in Introduction to Clinical Medicine successfully in order to be promoted to the Practice of Medicine (see Student Handbook for details).

Promotion Period IV

Evaluation will be reflective of the objectives of an individual Clerkship Rotation.

The students' performance in each Clerkship or Elective will be assessed by clinical supervisors and written/oral/OCSE exams.

The student must complete all units in Practice of Medicine successfully in order to be promoted to Back to Basics (see Student Handbook for details).

Promotion Period V

The student must complete all courses in Back to Basics successfully in order to graduate (see Student Handbook for details).

FAILURE OF SUPPLEMENTAL EXAMINATIONS OR REMEDIAL ROTATIONS

A failure in a supplemental examination or remedial rotation in Promotion Periods I, II, III, IV, and V will result in the student being required to repeat the Promotion Period or to be dismissed from the program as determined by the CSPCO. A failure on a remedial in Promotion Period IV will result in dismissal from the program. A student may not repeat more than one Promotion Period in the curriculum. Failure in any unit/course during a repeat Promotion Period will result in immediate dismissal from the program.

The results of all supplemental examinations and the evaluation result of remedial clinical rotations will be recorded in the official transcripts as supplemental examinations, and will be considered as such for purposes of promotion.

Notification of Failures:

It is the student's responsibility to be available for notification of a failing grade. If a student is unable to be located after a reasonable effort by the Dean's office, the consequences will be borne fully by the student.