Promotion, Retention, and Remediation Policies

Grades Used for Academic Promotion and Retention
1. Promotion from year to year is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance. The cognitive and non-cognitive (including personal suitability to assume the responsibilities of the medical profession) academic progress of each student is monitored by the Academic Review Committee. The Committee evaluates the student’s cumulative academic performance, not just performance in current or most recent coursework. The student must pass each course to demonstrate overall performance.
2. The Academic Review Committee will consider overall student performance to be unsatisfactory when:
  1. A student receives a grade of Unsatisfactory in any course;
  2. A student receives multiple grades of In Progress resulting from unsatisfactory performance in cognitive and/or non-cognitive academic performance or clinical responsibilities;
  3. A student receives some combination of Marginal Satisfactory, In Progress, or Unsatisfactory;
  4. A student fails to meet school-determined minimal performance requirements on National Board Examinations, United States Medical Licensing Examinations, or other external standardized exams;
  5. A student is identified as having unacceptable non-cognitive academic problems.
3. Students whose overall performance is judged to be unsatisfactory by the Academic Review Committee are placed on academic probation.
  1. While the Academic Review Committee has the prerogative to determine the duration of academic probation on a case-by-case basis, the customary duration of probation is for the entire subsequent academic year.
  2. By placing a student on academic probation, the School is giving the student formal notice that any additional grade(s) of In Progress, Marginal Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory during the term of probation could result in the student’s dismissal from school. In additional, expanded and more specific terms of probation may be stipulated for individual students as judged necessary by the Academic Review Committee.
  3. Students on academic probation are not permitted to run for or hold elected or appointed class, school, or university leadership positions during the time of probation. Students on probation are not eligible to receive summer research and teaching fellowship grants awarded by the School, nor are they eligible for School-sponsored travel awards.
  4. Students on academic probation are not considered to be in good and regular standing by the School. As such, should the School be contacted by an outside entity regarding a student’s status, that entity would be informed of the student’s probationary status.
Freshman Year Promotion Policies
1. To receive a grade of Satisfactory in a preclinical course, student performance must exceed the minimum course requirements. Specifically, students must:
  1. Exceed a minimum cumulative score (to be defined by the course director) on faculty-generated examinations; AND
  2. Pass the NBME subject exams at or above the 7^th percentile nationally on the first attempt; AND
  3. Satisfactorily participate in and complete all required laboratory/small group assignments; AND
  4. Demonstrate acceptable non-cognitive behavior; AND
  5. Complete any other specific requirements as deemed necessary by the course director.
2. A grade of In Progress is assigned when a student:
  1. Achieves a score of less than the 7^th percentile nationally on the NBME subject exam, but otherwise exceeds the minimum cumulative score identified as passing on faculty generated exams; OR
  2. Has unfinished course requirements that the course director will allow the student to finish at a later specified time.
3. A grade of Marginal Satisfactory is assigned when a course director judges that student performance has met but not exceeded minimum course requirements.
4. A grade of Unsatisfactory is assigned when student performance has not met the minimum requirements for overall performance as defined by the course director.
  
  An Unsatisfactory grade will be assigned if a student:
  1. Fails to attain a score at or above the 7^th percentile nationally on the NBME subject exam on the first attempt AND fails to exceed the minimum cumulative score identified as passing on faculty generated exams; OR
  2. Attains a passing score (7^th percentile nationally or above) on the NBME subject exam on the first attempt, but fails to meet the minimum cumulative score identified as passing faculty generated exams; OR
  3. Fails the NBME subject exam (below the 7^th percentile nationally) after taking the exam a second time to remove a previous grade of In Progress; OR
  4. Demonstrates unsatisfactory non-cognitive behavior; OR
  5. Fails to participate in or complete any other assignments and requirements that the course director will not allow the student to finish at a later time.
Remediation Policies of the Freshman
1. Grades of In Progress must be removed before students can register for coursework in the subsequent academic year.
  1. A student who receives a grade of In Progress because of an NBME subject exam failure has one opportunity to remove the In Progress by taking and passing (at or above the 7^th percentile nationally) the subject exam prior to beginning the next academic year.
    1. To remove a grade of In Progress due to subject exam failure(s) in the freshman year, students must repeat the exam in question by the end of the second week in July if they are to avoid registering with the incoming freshman class.
    2. When students pass the NBME subject exam(s) on their second attempt, the grade(s) of In Progress will be changed to Satisfactory or Marginal Satisfactory at the judgment of the course director(s).
    3. When students fail the NBME subject exam(s) on their second attempt, they must repeat the course(s) in its entirety for which the subject exam failure(s) occurred. The grade(s) of In Progress will be changed to Unsatisfactory.
  2. Grade(s) of In Progress assigned because of the student’s inability to complete course requirements for reasons other than unsatisfactory scores on subject exams must be removed before the beginning of the next academic year. Failure to do so will result in the student being assigned a grade of Unsatisfactory for the course in question.
2. Grades of Marginal Satisfactory do not need to be remediated unless:
  1. A student is required to repeat coursework because of grades of Unsatisfactory during the subsequent academic year; OR
  2. The Academic Review Committee judges that a student’s overall record of multiple grades of Marginal Satisfactory is so deficient that repeating those courses would provide the student with a more secure foundation for future academic and professional success.
3. Students with single or multiple grades of Unsatisfactory must repeat and pass those courses for which the grades of Unsatisfactory were recorded prior to advancing to the next academic year.
  1. For a freshman student with a single grade of Unsatisfactory in Evidence-Based Medicine, Gross Anatomy & Embryology, Neuroscience, Physical Diagnosis, or Understanding Your Patient, repeat course-work may be taken during the summer between the freshman and sophomore years at AAMC-approved programs or at Loma Linda University (if available), provided the course director for the respective course supports such a decision and the Academic Review Committee judges that the student’s overall academic record supports such decision, and the student is able to make appropriate arrangements to do so.
  2. For a freshman student with a single grade of Unsatisfactory in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology/Genetics or Cell Structure & Function, the course must be repeated in the following academic year with the new freshman class provided:
    1. The Academic Review Committee judges that the student’s overall academic record supports such a decision; AND
    2. There is available space in the freshman class.
  3. A freshman student with two or more grades of Unsatisfactory should expect to:
    1. Repeat the entire freshman year with the subsequent freshman class; OR
    2. Be dismissed from school.
  Which of these options is applied will depend on each student’s overall academic record and any extenuating circumstances that may have contributed to that record. The ability of a student to repeat the freshman year will also depend on available space once the regular freshman class has been filled with new matriculates. Even if the Academic Review Committee gives a student the opportunity to repeat the freshman year, the School cannot guarantee that there will be space available during any subsequent academic year.
4. The School of Medicine expects students to complete the first two years of medical school within three years of matriculation. Failure to do so will likely result in the student’s dismissal from school.

School of Medicine > Medical Student Education > Policies > Promotion, Retention, and Remediation Policies

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