Grading Policy and Links to Grading Forms

The final score is calculated using the distribution provided below. Grade is calculated based on final score and criteria outlined below. Become familiar with each of the rating forms early in the rotation to give you a better sense of what is expected:

A score on the NBME written exam that is below the 10% national norm group will require further remediation to pass the course. The final grade will depend on performance in other parts of the course and on any extenuating circumstances.

Approximate Grade Cutoffs:

Honors: final score 91 or above AND shelf exam score above mean

High Pass: final score 86 or above

Pass: final score below 86

Fail: inability to score above 10% nationally on shelf upon retake OR substantial difficulty in multiple areas of the rotation as assessed by clerkship director.

What if a student fails the Shelf Exam or the OSCE: If the student has performed above the mean on all other aspects of the rotation, remediation consists of a retake of the failed exam. Until the exam is taken the student will have a grade of "incomplete" on the transcript. Once the exam is retaken, the numeric average of the two grades is used to calculate the final grade.

If the student experiences difficulty in any other part of the rotation (below the mean in any component or any concerns in the domain of professionalism) remediation is individualized. The student receives a condition grade for the rotation. If the remediation is satisfactory, the condition grade is converted to a condition-pass.

What if a student disagrees with his/her grade, or has questions about the written comments ?
Students with questions about their grades should first contact their AHEC Campus Director about their concerns. Students should not call their preceptor as first step. If needed, the AHEC Campus Director will contact him/her. If student and AHEC Campus Director do not resolve the concern, student may appeal to the Clerkship Director. If not satisfied with that appeal, the next levels of appeal are, in order, to the Chair of Family Medicine and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

The University’s Policy on Prohibited Harassment and Discrimination (www.unc.edu/campus/policies/harassanddiscrim.pdf) prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of an individual’s race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.  Appendix B of this Policy provides specific information for students who believe that they have been discriminated against or harassed on the basis of one or more of these protected classifications.

Students who want additional information regarding the University’s process for investigating allegations of discrimination or harassment should contact the Equal Opportunity/ADA Office for assistance:

Equal Opportunity/ADA Office

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

100 E. Franklin Street, Unit 110

Campus Box 9160

Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599

Telephone: (919) 966-3576

Fax: (919) 962-2562

Email: equalopportunity@unc.edu

Any administrator or supervisor, including a department chair, associate dean or other administrator, who receives a student’s complaint about prohibited harassment or discrimination must notify the Equal Opportunity/ADA Office within five (5) calendar days of receiving the complaint.  If a student raises a claim of prohibited harassment or discrimination during an academic appeal, an investigation of the student’s claim must be performed under the direction of the Equal Opportunity/ADA Office.  The school or department must await the results of the harassment or discrimination investigation before deciding the student’s academic appeal.