Advanced Placement Waivers and Transfer of Course Credit
A student may apply for an advanced placement waiver.
- Requests for advanced placement or waiver for any course must be declared by the medical student on the first day of enrollment at the Health Science Center. The student must then present all supporting documents to the Office of the Registrar.
- The student is required to attend all classes and take all examinations until a decision is made regarding the advanced placement request.
- To be placed in advanced standing, a student must have taken a course judged to be equivalent by the appropriate academic department or course director within two years before the first day of classes and awarded a minimum grade of “B,” or have completed a similar course and obtained a minimum grade of “B” in a written comprehensive examination given by the department or course director for this purpose before the student’s program begins at the Health Science Center. Party: Student and Dean of Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM).
- The decision regarding a request for advanced standing will be transmitted in writing to the student by the Dean of TCOM, who will also notify the registrar and the appropriate department or course director.
- Courses for which advanced standing is granted are assigned a transcript designation of “CR” and are not calculated in the cumulative weighted average.
Basic Science Relevance in Clinical Courses
All clinical science materials are to be taught in a way that is relevant to the basic sciences.
- Basic science content specialist and clinical content specialist collaborate to create understanding of progression of the curriculum and to create appropriate objectives for the educational level of the students. Learning objectives developed must be based on AOA, National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME), and AACOM competencies and provide for integrated basic science and clinical science to provide demonstrated relevance.
Clinical Relevance in Basic Science Courses
All basic sciences are to be taught in a clinically relevant manner.
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Clinical content specialist and basic science specialist collaborate to create understanding of progression of the curriculum and to create appropriate objectives for the educational level of the students. Learning objectives developed must be based on AOA, NBOME, and AACOM competencies and provide for integrated basic science and clinical science to provide demonstrated relevance.
Course and Instructor Evaluations
TCOM faculty and administrators rely on student input to maintain and enhance the quality of the curricula. Students are responsible for providing constructive evaluations of each course in which they are enrolled, as well as of the course instructor(s).
Summaries of end-of-course evaluations and student comments are published and available to faculty and administrators after the completion of the course. Student comments and course/faculty evaluations are regularly viewed by faculty and administrators to inform curricular decisions.
At the end of each year 1 and 2 course, students are asked to complete a course evaluation. When a course has multiple instructors, students are encouraged to evaluate each instructor.
Evaluations for all clinical rotations and practical experiences must be completed within 30 calendar days following the end of the experience.
Course Learning Objectives
It is a requirement to provide students with written educational goals and objectives for each educational activity in each course in the curriculum.
- Faculty are required to provide students with written educational goals and objectives for each educational activity in each course in the curriculum prior to the start of the course. These objectives will be placed in the syllabus for each course.
- Clinical content specialist and basic science specialist collaborate to create understanding of progression of the curriculum and to create appropriate objectives for the educational level of the students. Learning objectives developed must be based on AOA, NBOME, and AACOM competencies and provide for integrated basic science and clinical science to provide demonstrated relevance.
- A Content Specialist will confer with the Curriculum Director and Administrative Course Director to identify the required topics for each course.
- Course faculty will be responsible for curriculum delivery and shall provide a final list of required objectives for each identified topic to the Administrative Course Director and/or his/her designee prior to the beginning of each course. These objectives will be written using guidelines established by the Academy of Medical Educators (AME).
- Objectives shall include those core requirements as are needed for accreditation. You may find a list of all UNT Health Science Center (UNTHSC) Accreditation Groups at http://web.unthsc.edu/info/20002/about_us/4/accreditation_summary.
Failed Course and Remediation
The opportunity to remedy academic deficiencies at other than regularly scheduled course times may be extended to medical students. Remediation may occur based upon the recommendations of the Student Performance Committee (SPC).
- A deficiency in any preclinical course occurring in semesters 1 through 4 must be remediated before beginning the next semester.
- A deficiency in a clinical clerkship must be remediated prior to graduation.
Prior to the Class of 2020, for the successful completion of a remediated course the student must earn a final course grade of “70”. Failure to earn a grade of “70”, or better, in a remediated course is grounds for dismissal from TCOM. The date and time of any remedial examination will be determined by the course director in consultation with the associate dean.
Beginning with the Class of 2020, numeric course grades represented as a percent of the total points achieved within a course will be converted to an Honors (H), Pass (P), or Fail (F) grade. The Pass/Fail determination for each course will be determined following course completion by applying The Objective Borderline Method (OBM) in determining a pass/fail cut-off score for borderline scores. For the successful completion of a remediated course the student must earn a final course grade of the determined cut-off score for the failed class. Failure to earn a grade of the determined cut-score, or better, in a remediated course is grounds for dismissal from TCOM. The date and time of any remedial examination will be determined by the course director in consultation with the associate dean.
When a course is repeated or remediated, all attempted credit hours and earned grade points are counted in computing the cumulative weighted average. A notation on the transcript is placed next to these courses to indicate that these courses have been repeated.
- In the event that a student fails a course, he/she will be called before SPC. The committee will weigh the evidence in the case and will make a recommendation to the chairperson of the committee (Associate Dean for Academic Affairs). The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, based on the recommendation of the committee, determines that the student may or may not remediate the course. The student will be notified in writing by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs through UNTHSC approved official methods of communication. The Curriculum Director, Administrative Course Director and essential faculty and/or staff will be informed of the decision.
- Upon determination that the student may remedy the course, the Administrative Course Director will determine the content of the remediation examination or activity with approval of the Curriculum Director.
- The Curriculum Director and Administrative Course Director determine the date and location of the remediation examination and are responsible for administering it. The Curriculum Director and the Administrative Course Director will work with the student and Testing & Evaluation Services (TES) to schedule the remediation exam.
- Any student who earns a failing grade in a repeated course may be recommended for dismissal or may be required to repeat the academic year.
- A student who is not promoted from one year to the next or who earns failing grades during any year will be placed on academic probation. No more than two years will be allowed for the completion of any one academic year and no more than six years will be allowed for completion of all requirements for graduation (exclusive of a leave of absence). A student may not advance to the next academic year until all failing and incomplete (I) grades are removed.
- A student who earns a failing grade in a clinical clerkship must appear before SPC. SPC will make a recommendation to the dean that may include remediation of the clerkship, repeat of an academic year, or dismissal. Any student who earns a failing grade in a repeated rotation may be recommended for dismissal from TCOM.
Incomplete Grades
A grade of “I” (Incomplete) will be assigned only when a student has not completed all academic requirements and assignments, including regular examinations, due to documented illness or circumstances beyond a student’s control. A student may not advance to the next academic year until all failures and incomplete (“I”) grades are remedied. A grade of “I” will be recorded for any student who does not complete required course evaluations within the prescribed time limit.
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