Academic Standards & Achievement (formerly Student Promotions)

Effective as of June 25, 2003
Revised May 28, 2004, June 28, 2005, Dec 15, 2006, May 24, 2007

Note: Changes to this policy are pending and will include the name change as well (fall 2008)

Objective: This policy has been adopted by the Student Promotions Committee to maintain academic standards and insure fairness and consistency in its decisions regarding students with academic deficiencies.

Outline of policy:  This policy specifies how the Student Promotions Committee will deal with a student's academic deficiencies (D's or F's) in courses, clerkships, and electives and with failures on the Step 1 or Step 2 Examinations of the United States Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE).

Students at risk of failing courses or clerkships: At appropriate times during a semester (e.g. after exam periods or when early evaluations have been received) each course and clerkship director will provide to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs the names of students whom the course director believes are at significant risk of failing the course or clerkship. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs will meet with each student identified and will arrange appropriate tutoring or other support for each student.

Failing grades in preclinical courses and electives: Courses in the first two (preclinical) years of the curriculum and the fourth-year electives are graded Pass/Fail (P/F). When a student receives a grade of F in a preclinical course or elective, the course director will recommend to the Student Promotions Committee whether remediation of the deficiency requires retaking examination(s) or repeating the course. A student may not advance to the clerkships until all deficiencies in preclinical courses are resolved. A student may not graduate until all deficiencies in electives are resolved.

Failing grades in clerkships: Typically, resolution of a D in a clerkship requires retaking examination(s) and resolution of an F requires repeating all or part of the clerkship. The advice of the clerkship director will be taken into account by the Student Promotions Committee in determining how the student will resolve the deficiency. A student may not advance to the 4^th year of the curriculum until all clerkship deficiencies are resolved.

Resolution of academic deficiencies: Any grade of D or F is an academic deficiency. A student with a single academic deficiency may, with the approval of the Student Promotions Committee and the course director, resolve the deficiency during a summer vacation period. A student with two deficiencies in the first or second year may, with the approval of the Student Promotions Committee and the course director, provided that only one of the deficiencies requires retaking a course, resolve the deficiencies during one summer vacation period. When a first or second year course is to be repeated, a student may, with the approval of the Student Promotions Committee, take an appropriate summer course at another medical school. The Student Promotions Committee, with advice from the UVa course director, will stipulate whether the examination(s) in the make-up course will suffice or whether the student must, in addition, pass examination(s) in that subject administered by UVa faculty.

Repeating a year of medical school or withdrawal from medical school: The Student Promotions Committee may require a student with multiple academic deficiencies to repeat a year of the curriculum or to withdraw from medical school, unless, in the judgment of the Student Promotions Committee there are extenuating circumstances (see Table 1). All academic deficiencies must be resolved before a student may advance to the next year of the curriculum.

Table 1. Resolution of Academic Deficiencies (D's or F's)

*unless both deficiencies can be resolved in a summer vacation period

Steps 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE):  In order to advance to the clerkships, the student must pass the USMLE Step 1 Examination.  A student may begin the clerkships pending notification of Step 1 score.  If notification of a failing score on Step 1 is received when a clerkship is nearly completed, the student may be allowed to finish that clerkship.  Then the student will discontinue clerkships in order to work toward retaking Step 1.  The student may not resume clerkships until Step 1 has been passed.  The Step 1 Exam may be taken no more than three times.  Three failures of Step 1 will result in the student's withdrawal from medical school.  A student who fails Step 1 twice may be required to repeat the second year in its entirety, including exams and grades, prior to taking the Step 1 Exam the third and final time.  Students in combined MD/PhD programs must take Step 1 prior to entering the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and must pass Step 1 to continue in their graduate programs.  After completion of the clerkships, the student must take Step 2 of the USMLE.  Passing Step 2 is required for graduation.  The student must take and pass Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge) for graduation. Students failing USMLE Step 2 CK are required to retake the examination after a period of self-study. Starting with the Class of 2005, students must take USMLE Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills) and the results must be received prior to graduation. Passing USMLE Step 2 CS is required for licensure, but not for graduation. Students may attempt Step 1 a total of three times within a 12 month period. Students may attempt Step 2 CK a total of three times within a 12 month period.

Student must take USMLE Step 2 CS and CK by December 30th of their fourth year after successful completion of their core clerkships (effective for Class of 2008).

CPX: Students are required to take and pass the Clinical Practice Exam (CPX) at the end of the academic third year. Students failing the CPX are required to review their performance with an assigned attending. The attending is responsible for addressing their deficiencies and confirming their clinical competence.

Overall time limit:  All of the requirements for graduation, including passing Steps 1 and 2 of the USMLE, must be completed within 6 years from the date the student matriculated in The School of Medicine.  A student in the MD-PhD combined degree program must complete the graduation requirements for both degrees in a maximum of 8 years from the date of matriculation.  The Medical Scientist Training Program can extend this time under extenuating circumstances.

Appeals:  A student may appeal an action of the Student Promotions Committee to the Dean of the School of Medicine.

Procedure for handling a deficiency (added 12/15/2006)

• Course or clerkship director notifies both the student and the Office for Student Affairs of non-passing grades.
• Student is contacted by the Office for Student Affairs to come and meet with the Sr. Associate Dean for Medical Education. At the meeting, the Student Promotions policy is discussed and the student is notified of the next Student Promotions Committee meeting.
• The student is added to the agenda for the Student Promotions Committee.
• Students may request to meet with the Committee.
• All students subject to administrative withdrawal or who may be required to repeat an academic period are expected to meet with the Committee.
• The Promotions Committee reviews each student’s record and determines remediation or other action based on the Student Promotions Policy
• The Chair of the Committee notifies each student in writing of the Committee’s decision.
• The Office for Student Affairs schedules the remediation required by the Student Promotions Committee.
• Students can appeal the decision of the Student Promotions Committee by following the Appeals Procedure.

Student Promotions Committee meetings are scheduled at the end of each academic period.

Questions about the Student Promotions Committee or the procedure should be direct to the chair of the committee.

Appeals Process

Procedure for Student Promotions and Petitions (Approved by General Faculty, February 24, 1976; Modified: December 2, 1996, May 24, 2000) 

1. All academic deficiencies and petitions for readmission to the School of Medicine should be presented to the Student Promotions Committee which acts on behalf of the Faculty. Decisions made by the Student Promotions Committee will be presented to the Faculty for information only.
    
2. If the Student Promotions Committee requires a student to withdraw from the School of Medicine or to repeat an academic period, the notification to the student will offer the option of an appeal and a description of the appeals process: the student may formally request that the Dean appoint an ad hoc Appeals Committee to review the decision of the Student Promotions Committee.

   The three-person ad hoc Appeals Committee is drawn from a pool of 10 faculty members named by the Senior Associate Dean. The student selects a member, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs selects a member, and the Dean selects the third member (chair). The Senior Associate Dean serves as staff liaison, ex officio, without vote. The ad hoc Appeals Committee selects one of three options (to uphold, to modify, or to reverse the decision of the Student Promotions Committee) and reports it to the Dean, who will make the final decision.

Policy for Due Process (Adopted by the Student Promotions Committee, February 13, 1975 and Modified December 2, 1996) 

1. The student is notified of the decision of the Student Promotions Committee, informed about the process for appeals, and given a deadline of 7 days from receipt of notification to file his/her appeal.
    
2. The student is permitted to inspect his/her entire medical school file including any material upon which the decision of the Student Promotions Committee was based.
    
3. The student is permitted to have counsel, to submit affidavits and exhibits, and to summon witnesses at the Appeals Committee hearing.
    
4. The Appeals Committee is to conduct the hearing within 14 days of its constitution and may elect to uphold, modify or reverse the decision(s) of the Student Promotions Committee.
    
5. The Appeals Committee will provide the student with all the evidence against him/her, including the academic grades, and will base its recommendations upon the evidence presented at the hearing.

    

The Appeals Committee will provide a written record of its proceedings to the Dean of the School of Medicine.

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