San Juan Bautista School of Medicine is committed to providing high quality health care education, service and research that will foster students’ comprehensive development so that they may become capable, competent, skilled, and honest professionals.
To achieve its mission, SJBSM has developed an evaluation system focused in providing timely feedback to students, to identify and assist them with learning difficulties. The system also provides the opportunity for faculty to assess the effectiveness of teaching methodologies.
Evaluation System
The educational goals encompass a broad set of competencies. Therefore, the assessment strategies in our curriculum must be creatively tailored to be congruent with those goals. Students must satisfactorily complete all components of the educational program in a timely fashion to be eligible for promotion and graduation. In keeping with the goal of a balanced and coherent educational program, the school seeks to identify potential academic problems early, and provide non-prejudicial intervention as necessary to assist all students in meeting academic standards.
The Student Learning Assessment process at the School of Medicine is based in the concept of multiple methods at multiple times to assess required competences. Assessment strategies include, but are not limited to written, oral, performance based assessments, group work, portfolios, OSCE, research and community projects. Student performance is assessed by a variety of methods with special emphasis on scientific reasoning, comprehension, and problem solving.
In the MD program, biomedical courses include comprehensive written examinations at the end of each system block of the curriculum with participation of different courses. The Office for Student Learning Assessment provides faculty support to develop appropriate assessment strategies and tools according to the educational goals. The school sets the performance of students based on a criteria-based method.
Beginning with the MD Class of 2012, admitted in the academic year 2008-2009, the SJBSM requires MD students to approve the Step I of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) given by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) for promotion to third year, and the Step II (CK and CS) prior to graduation. Students are also required to take a Clinical Skills Competence Exam (CCX) prior the beginning of their third clerkship; an Objective Structured Clinical Examination in the core clerkships of Internal Medicine, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Pediatrics and Surgery and, a Comprehensive Exam of Clinical Performance (CPX) at the end of fourth year.
Assessment methods
Student assessment within the School of Medicine is based in the concept of multiple methods /multiple times to assess required competencies.
Assessment strategies include, but are not limited to written exams, oral presentations, performance based assessments, group work, portfolios, research and community projects.
Student performance is assessed by a variety of methods with special emphasis on scientific reasoning, comprehension, and problem solving.
Midterm Reports
At midterm of the course or clerkship each Course/Clerkship Director or Program Coordinator, must provide a detailed report of student performance throughout the course. For MD students, the report will include both summative and formative results, and a narrative description of student performance for clerkships, with pertinent recommendations. The reports are intended to improve academic performance and will be submitted electronically. Students are required to access this information frequently in the electronic programs provided by the school, so has to have an idea of their progress.
The Office of the Academic Dean will have access to the student assessment results in order to consolidate this information for pertinent evaluation and corresponding procedures by the Student Evaluation and Promotions Committee.
Final Reports
Program, Course and Clerkship Coordinators report grades promptly to the Registrar Office at the end of each course or clerkship, according to the scheduled date in the academic calendar, using the official format. Final course reports will include both numerical results (score) and grade. Clerkships will also include narrative evaluations.
In addition to the above described information, each final report of the MD academic progress for first and second year will include the evaluation corresponding to those activities developed in the Preceptorship Axe. This information will be provided by the Preceptorship Program Coordinator.
Copies of the consolidated narrative report will be submitted to each student and to the Registrar Office to be held in the official academic record.
Final grades should be available to students no later than 6 weeks after the end of each course.
For MD students in third and fourth year clerkship, final grades will be available four weeks after the shelf test grades are reported.
Student Assessment results are communicated among relevant members of the different academic units to allow appropriate monitoring of student learning progress as well as continuous improvement of the curriculum.
Curriculum Assessment
In agreement with each course faculty, Course Directors or Program Coordinator will develop a draft evaluation of the course, including several measures and methods aligned with the course objectives, according to the institutional guidelines. The guidelines will be shared with all appropriate teaching faculty in the designated course, with an explanation of how the guidelines represent the content that faculty are accountable for teaching. Faculty members are invited to collaborate with course director in modifying or creating new assessment methods. The Curriculum Committee approves the evaluation, distribution and components of each course.
Course Director maintains final authority over design and inclusion of assessment measures and methods for the course.
Academic Counseling
SJBSM provides academic assistance to students who have remediable academic difficulties. Academic assistance includes tutoring, academic skill development counseling, and monitoring
progress.
Promotion and Grading System
The Student Evaluation and Promotions Committee is responsible for evaluating and recommending student promotions throughout the different stages of the academic program. Promotions are granted at the end of each academic year, following compliance with established criteria, including satisfactory completion of all requirements of current and previous years. The minimum cumulative grade point average required to be promoted to the next year is 2.5 within a 4.0 scale.
The School of Medicine uses the following grading system:
| Grade System | |
|---|---|
| A = Excellent B = Good C = Satisfactory D = Deficient F = Failed I = Incomplete W = Withdrawal P = Pass |
IP = In Progress NP = Not Passed R = Repeated T = Transferred NR = Not Registered U = Unauthorized |
A particular course may adjust the standard scale for specific evaluations; however the official report will be made in the standard scale after appropriate conversion.
The standard or any deviation from the standard should be communicated to students at the beginning of the course.
The Curriculum Committee must approve any course seeking to use an alternative grading scale (e.g. Pass/Fail).
Temporary grades:
The Registrar may assign Administrative Grades: In Progress (IP), Withdrawn (W), and Incomplete (I).
“IP” – In progress is used when grade has not been reported.
Withdrawal (W) is reserved for cases where the student withdraws from a course.
Incomplete (I) signifies that the student has not met all requirements for a course for compelling reasons such as family or medical emergencies. Some institutional circumstances may be reason to report (I) grades.
To ensure consistency in the way in which (I) grades are used, no grade of (I) will be assigned without the approval of the Dean for Academic Affairs or the corresponding Associate Dean in charge of the academic program.
Students who receive a grade of “I” (Incomplete) must complete the pending academic work before the deadline established by the Course or Program Coordinator, the Dean for Academic Affairs and/or the corresponding Associate Dean; otherwise, they will receive a grade of “F”.
Students are entitled to request from the professor a revision of the official grade received. The request for revision of a final grade must be submitted in writing to the Department Director with copy to the Course Coordinator) within thirty (30) calendar days following the notification of grades by the Registrar’s Office. A copy of the request must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office within the established timeframe. The professor will discuss the request with the student and will notify the Registrar’s Office of the outcome in writing within ten (10) calendar days.
