Prerequisites

You must complete and receive a passing grade on all of your third year clerkships as a prerequisite for CPX registration. Conditional grades are not acceptable.

Please click here for important information on testing accommodations.

CPX Schedule- 2009

The exam is scheduled over two weeks starting in July. Orientation for the CPX will begin at 12:00 pm for weekday administrations and at 9:00 am for Saturday administrations. The examination is held in the Clinical Skills Center on the first floor of Burnett-Womack and will last approximately 6.5 hours.

Available Testing Dates:

*Saturday testing dates reserved for students on away rotations (documentation required); **September and October testing date reserved for students on delayed clerkships and for students who do not pass in their first attempt. These dates are pre-assigned and are required.

Taking a Leave of Absence

If you are planning to take a leave of absence following the completion of your clerkships, you must take the CPX prior to the beginning of your leave.

Registration & Ranking

*Saturday test dates are reserved for students on out-of-state rotations first.

Registration for the CPX is open at 12:01 am June 2 until 11:59 pm June 30. You will be asked to rank your preferences for the CPX dates using a lottery in one45. You will be randomly assigned to a specific day. There are no guarantees for specific date assignments. Absences from selective/elective rotations WILL BE EXCUSED to take this exam.

If you did not submit your rankings by the June 30, 2009 deadline, you will be matched with one of the open slots.

Test Date Assignments

You will receive an email confirmation of your assigned CPX test date and time, so please make sure that you frequently check your School of Medicine email account for CPX information. Test date assignments will also be posted with Student Affairs (231 MacNider).

Switching Dates

You may switch your assigned exam date or time if you can find a fellow student who is willing to make a switch. BOTH students must submit the request, in writing, to kelli_howard@med.unc.edu no later than July 17. All changes must be approved, in writing, by the Clinical Skills and Patient Simulation Center, and no changes will be accepted after the July 17, 2009 deadline. Students may not switch into or out of the September or October testing dates. Students who show up to take an exam outside their registered date will not be permitted into the exam.

Orientation

Information about the CPX is available on this web site at CPX Orientation. This site addresses questions about exam content, standards, and feedback.

Absence

The School of Medicine requires that students be excused from fourth year selectives and electives to take the CPX examination. Course directors know that the CPX is a requirement for graduation, and they should convey this information to their faculty. You should not be placed on-call the night before or following the examination. If you have difficulties obtaining release time from clinical responsibilities, you should notify one of the contacts listed below. An unexcused absence from the assigned exam date can result in failure of the CPX. If you are late for the exam and miss any case(s), you will not receive a passing score for that case(s).

Grade Reporting and Feedback

Results of the CPX will be held until after the August testing dates to allow all students the opportunity to complete the exam. You will receive a report and profile of your performance on the five competencies. You are scored on performance criteria established for each case, and are not scored relative to the performance of your classmates. The performance criteria reflect minimal clinical competence and are considered essential by the school's faculty.

The CPX is graded as Pass/Fail. A student who receives notification of failure on the examination must complete a remedial program and be reassessed on either September 25, 26 or October 24. STUDENTS WHO NEED TO RETEST WILL BE ASSIGNED TO AN OPEN SLOT AND ARE NOT PERMITTED TO CHANGE THEIR ASSIGNED RETEST DATE. A passing grade on the CPX is a requirement and must be achieved prior to graduation from the UNC School of Medicine. Only the final grade will be recorded on the official transcript.

Contact Information:
Kelli Howard, Clinical Skills Intern

Clinical Skills Center
Office of Educational Development
UNC-CH School of Medicine
CB 7530 Rm.1043 Burnett-Womack Bldg.
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7530
Main Office: (919) 966-3643