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Multiple Choice Examinations
Testing Applications
Students will utilize the ExamSoft testing application and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) web-based testing browser for most written examinations throughout the four years of the curriculum. In order to utilize these applications, students must procure a laptop that meets the specifications outlined in their cohort’s welcome letter. During the program, students may be advised to wait to download a certain operating system or program upgrades or instructed to update to a newer version of the software, in order to remain compliant with our testing partners’ regulations. Failure to secure a compliant laptop or prematurely downloading upgrades/enhancements could jeopardize a student’s ability to sit for required examinations.
Expectations on Test Day
Students will regularly receive email notifications regarding exam day preparations and expectations. Students are required to follow the communicated guidelines for test day procedures and should adhere to proctor instructions while in the testing room. If a student fails to comply with pre-exam instructions or proctor directions, they may be reported for professionalism issues.
Exam Rescheduling
Should any issue arise that necessitates a change in the planned administration of an assessment, MCOM may administer the assessment anytime during the next 7 days (including weekends) as long as the assessment does not start before 7:00 a.m. and does not end after 8:00 p.m. Students are required to attend, complete and/or submit assessments during the rescheduled time. Failure to do so may result in a score of zero. If the College is closed because of an emergent situation, such as but not limited to a hurricane, exams will be delayed until after the college is reopened.
Grade Determination
The grades are described as follows; however, see course syllabi for specific grade determination.
·- H = Honors
- PC = Pass with Commendation
- P = Pass
- F = Fail
- S = Satisfactory
- U = Unsatisfactory
- I = Incomplete
- R = Remediation Required
- W = Withdraw without penalty
- WP = Withdraw Passing
- WF = Withdraw Failing
Timing of Remediation
Year 1 Courses
Students who receive an R, U, or F grade must remediate the course at the end of the year, prior to taking the Year 1 Comprehensive Exam (Y1CE). Students who earn an F grade will receive a schedule of remediation activities designed and communicated by the course director to be completed after Course 4 ends. Students who receive an R grade due to an exam failure will retake their examination on the preclinical universal makeup day. Year 1 students who must remediate (R, U or F) may need to delay the beginning of their planned summer research or other activities in order to complete their remediation activities. Students who do not successfully complete remediation will be reviewed by the APRC for further action. Students who receive an I grade for work not completed during the course must complete that work prior to taking the Y1CE.
Year 2 Courses
Students who receive an F, R, or U R, U or F grade must remediate the course prior to taking the Comprehensive Basic Science Exam (CBSE). Students who earn an F grade will receive a schedule of remediation activities designed and communicated by the course director after the completion of Course 7. Students who receive an R grade due to an exam failure will retake their examination on the preclinical universal makeup day. Any Year 2 students who must remediate (F, R or U), may need to delay the beginning of their Step 1 preparation in order to complete their remediation activities. Those who do not successfully complete remediation will be reviewed by the APRC for further action. Students who receive an I for work not completed during the course must complete that work prior to taking the CBSE.
Year 3 Clerkships
Students who receive an F, R or U grade in a year 3 clerkship must complete their remediation plan for the clerkship in its entirety prior to proceeding to the fourth year. The remediation plan is determined by the clerkship director in consultation with the comparable clerkship director of the sister campus. The remediation plan is presented for approval by the APRC. If the remediation plan is to repeat a clerkship exam, these are given on the clinical universal make up day(s). If the remediation plan is to repeat the clerkship in its entirety, this will occur at the end of the clerkship year. All year 3 remediation must be completed prior to starting any year 4 academic curriculum, unless granted permission by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education and approved by the APRC. Students who do not successfully complete remediation will be reviewed by the APRC for further action. Students who receive an I grade for work not completed during the course must complete that work prior to proceeding to the fourth year.
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- The student must obtain a passing grade in all courses of the established curriculum leading to the MD degree, including track requirements.
- The student must pass USMLE Step 1, Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (2CK) and Step 2 Clinical Skills (2CS) examinations. (Due to Step 2 CS being postponed for 12 to 18 months, this requirement is waived for the Class of 2021).
- The student must complete a summative Comprehensive Clinical Practice Examination. Details of the Comprehensive Clinical Performance Examination (CCPX) are provided below.
- The CCPX consists of twelve Standardized Patient (SP) stations simulating focused patient encounters in an office or emergency room setting. The CCPX will be administered during the last clerkship rotation of the year. The CCPX is designed to evaluate students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes in the clinical setting. It is also designed to help students prepare for the USMLE Step 2 CS examination, required for licensure and graduation.
- Students are assigned specific focused tasks at each station. All encounters include a rating of interpersonal skills by an SP. Each of the encounters require a focused history and physical examination, based upon the chief complaint. The student must then document the history and physical exam findings, followed by the development of a differential diagnosis. Students must defend these differential diagnoses with findings from the history and physical exam that support the diagnoses. Additionally, a listing of specific diagnostic tests that will aid in patient management are also required. Some encounters require patient counseling.
- All cases have been developed by the Experiential Learning team, clerkship directors, and other pertinent clerkship faculty and are based on common scenarios encountered or discussed during clinical rotations. The skills and behaviors to be evaluated include: 1) interaction with the patient; 2) the quality and appropriateness of history taking and/or physical exam skills; 3) ability to counsel and educate patients regarding their condition and/or risks for disease; 4) ability to develop a differential diagnosis and treatment plan based on encounter-specific information.
- The student must achieve all MCOM Program Objectives for graduation, including the service learning and teaching requirements with appropriate signoff within Archivum.
- Forty (40) hours of service learning and 20 hours of teaching are requirements for graduation. Students have until the end of fall semester of year four to meet this requirement. Relevant deadlines for completion can be found here.
- The service learning and teaching requirements activities must be recorded in Archivum. Instructions for documenting hours can be found here.
- The student must satisfactorily demonstrate the professional attitudes and values expected of a physician.
- The student must have made the appropriate arrangements to discharge all financial obligations to the University and attended the financial aid exit interview session (if applicable). The only exception is the repayment of loans that have a specified maturity date.
- Unless prior arrangements (e.g., research position) have been approved by the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs or his/her designee, the student must have accepted an approved residency for graduate medical education.
- Transfer students admitted with advanced standing from an approved medical school must complete years 3 and 4 of the MCOM curriculum at a minimum.
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USF Morsani College of Medicine Exam Honor Code On my honor as a University of South Florida MCOM Student, I pledge: · I have not received any unauthorized information prior to this examination, · I do not possess or plan to use any unauthorized materials during the examination,
I understand that if I am aware of any violation of the above rules it is my obligation to report this violation to a Class or Student Affairs Representative. |
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Refer to the Ethical and Legal Standards section under Technical Standards for more information on the requirements to disclose.
Professionalism Values
Professionalism
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Professionalism is grounded in the fundamental values of honesty, integrity and fairness and is an essential part of the practice of medicine. Students are expected to display and will be examined by these exemplary behaviors. Students are expected to uphold their responsibility to their profession, and to appreciate that behaviors outside of the classroom and clinical learning environments can impact their progression through program.
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Deborah DeWaay, MD, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education (813-974-7131)
Value Anchor | Behavior | Example |
Responsibility and Accountability | Comes on time and is prepared | |
Informs others that he/she will be unable to attend | Informs faculty of intended absence from a mandatory meeting/class or clinical assignment well in advance so that consequences of absence can be addressed. Students should reference appropriate preclerkship and clerkship guidelines. Emergency absences are reported the same day. | |
Assures continuity of patient care when absent | Arranges for coverage and discusses patients prior to leaving clinic/floor at the end of shift or rotation. | |
Completes assignments, documentation responsibilities on time | Submits all assignments when due. Completes charting on patients in a timely manner. | |
Complies with rules/procedures | Follows directions, rules and procedures; asks for clarification when needed
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Shares workload appropriately and takes on additional responsibilities when appropriate to help the team | Does equal share of work in a group project. Accepts or volunteers for reasonable share of absent member’s duties/work when a team/group member is absent. | |
Responds to communications in a timely manner | Answers emails (<24hrs), pages(immediately), and returns phone calls (as appropriate to situation) promptly. | |
Acknowledges and accepts consequences of action | Acknowledges mistakes and accepts correction or action taken to remediate. | |
Self-Assessment/ Improvement | Accepts and modifies behavior in response to constructive feedback in an appropriate manner | Listens to feedback without being defensive, asks questions to clarify expectations, seeks examples of how to modify performance and constructs an action plan to address areas needing improvement. |
Acknowledges limitations of knowledge, authority and ability | Performs procedures only under direct supervision. | |
Shows the appropriate level of self confidence | Presents in class or rounds with clarity and consistency. Acknowledges gaps in knowledge. Asks questions to help consolidate knowledge and skills. Is not arrogant or withdrawn. | |
Asks appropriate questions | Asks questions relevant to the learning activity or case. Inquiries about appropriate reference sources for furthering learning. | |
Consistently goes beyond the minimum in seeking knowledge and professional expertise | Demonstrates reading about topics or cases beyond the assigned tasks. Demonstrates curiosity about clinical topics and identifies topics for further learning. | |
Balances availability to others with care for one’s self | Attends to own needs for nutrition, sleep and exercise without compromising care of patients. Acknowledges level of personal stress and acknowledges when help is needed. Asks appropriate people for assistance. Counseling number here? | |
Provides leadership or participates in outreach to the community | Volunteers to help run and staff community and international health programs. Organizes others and helps teach wellness in the community. | |
Ethical Behavior | Attributes ideas appropriately | Avoids plagiarism; acknowledges and attributes ideas of peers and others. |
Demonstrates honesty and integrity | Does not seek answers to exam questions during testing administration; does not communicate exam answers to subsequent examinees; documents authentically when providing patient care; does not copy previous work. Adheres to examination honor code during test administrations. | |
Recognizes potential ethical dilemmas | Demonstrates awareness of potential sources of conflict between patients, providers and team members. Demonstrates awareness of conflicts of interest in the practice of medicine. | |
Appropriate Interactions with Others | Demonstrates courtesy, politeness and patience | Listens actively and attentively to patients, families, co-workers and responds appropriately. |
Maintains appropriate boundaries | Does not offer gifts or services to faculty in order to receive special consideration in the future.
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Maintains appropriate appearance and demeanor | Good grooming/hygiene; appropriate and clean dress. | |
Respects diversity | Asks about cultural background and acknowledges how these may impact health care. | |
Considers other’s point of view | Listens to others, asks questions to clarify differences of opinion; is not dogmatic, insistent or rude. | |
Demonstrates insight into the impact of their communication & behavior on others | Acknowledges own non-verbal and verbal comments that may signal boredom or disrespect to patients, families or other team members. | |
Patient-Centered Care | Develops rapport with patients | Uses open ended questions, obtains patient’s “story” of the illness, establishes trust with patient. |
Incorporates patient’s views on health and illness into care | Collaborates with patient and inquires as to patient preference for care. | |
Demonstrates compassion toward patients | Being empathetic to better understand what patients are going through. Getting to know patients to better understand their needs. Giving patients someone to talk to, which is especially important for patients who don't have family or friends to lean on. | |
Advocates for the patient | Gets appropriate individuals involved in patient’s care, makes efforts to have team work together for patient’s best interests and follows patient’s progress. |
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Social media responsibility is an important aspect of professionalism. All MCOM colleagues – including students – must adhere to the following:
- Always protect patient privacy. Never reveal any patient health information that could identify the patient. Always abide by all MCOM HIPAA requirements.
- Know and follow university guidelines from the Office of Rights and Responsibilities and Responsible Computing.
- When discussing MCOM, or matters related to the college, students must make it clear that they are not speaking on behalf of MCOM. If students publish content to any website outside of MCOM and it involves work done or subjects associated with MCOM, use a disclaimer such as: "The views expressed on this blog; website are my own and do not reflect the views of the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine."
- Students are personally responsible for content that they publish. Be aware that content published on blogs, wikis, social networks or any other form of user-generated media will be public and often cannot be edited or removed.
- Use a personal (non-USF) e-mail address for social media participation. Do not use a USF email address as a means of identification for social media participation.
- Respect copyright and fair use laws, including materials owned by USF and MCOM.
- Do not disclose confidential or proprietary information. Do not disclose information related to MCOM that is not public. Perception is reality. If identifying as an MCOM student, ensure the profile and related content is consistent with expected behaviors. In social media, the lines between public and private, personal and professional are blurred. By identifying as associated with the college, perceptions are created about MCOM and the student with colleagues and others. If students choose to identify an association with MCOM, be sure that all content is consistent with the college’s values and professional standards.
- Contact the MCOM Office of Student Affairs or USF Health Office of Communications and Marketing if there are any questions or uncertainty about the application of these guidelines to social media activities.
- Faculty or staff who have a scheduling or evaluation relationship with students should not be asked to join a social media site(s).
- Be aware that students must always maintain a professional demeanor, even when off duty.
The American Medical Student Association has also published useful guidance on the appropriate use of social media which can be found here.
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In an effort to improve the evaluation response rate from students and ensure MCOM is receiving the best feedback possible, the following guidelines will be implemented for all enrolled students:
- Students will be required to complete at least 80% of assigned evaluations
- All evaluations should be completed within 25 days upon receipt
- Students may suspend evaluations only under the following circumstances:
- The evaluation was assigned in error
- The student did not work with or spend enough time with an educator (e.g. <1 day at clinic)
- The student did not participate in the activity (e.g. lecture)
- At most, students will be permitted to suspend up to 20% of their evaluations. Once a student exceeds a 20% suspension rate, their completion of evaluations will be reviewed on a case by case basis
- Comments provided on evaluations should be constructive, thoughtful, and professional
Please note that levels of anonymity are strictly enforced and fail safes are put in place to ensure students cannot be identified from their evaluations.
Student evaluation completion compliance rates will be monitored on a quarterly basis and students found to be out of compliance will be required to attend a mandatory one-hour session to complete any pending evaluations and will receive a notice via email from the Evaluation team. Failure to complete evaluations and/or attend the mandatory sessions may result in the following disciplinary actions:
- A written notice from the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education
- A mandatory meeting with the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education
- Appearance before the Academic Performance Review Committee (APRC)
The practice of providing detailed quality feedback is an integral part of developing the professional skills students will need as future physicians. It is the college’s goal that students will not only gain more experience giving and receiving feedback, but will improve essential professional development skills while providing quality insight into our faculty and curriculum for continuous quality improvement.
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