VIII. PROCEDURES REGARDING STUDENTS IN ACADEMIC DIFFICULTY AND OTHER MATTERS OF ACADEMIC STANDING
A. Academic Difficulty:
For the purposes of the Academic Rules and Regulations, academic difficulty is defined as having an unremediated course failure or being in clear danger of failing a block or course (as certified by the block or course director) or receiving a grade less than Pass while on Academic Warning.
B. Transcript entries after remediation:
1. If a student is taking a block or course for the first time, a grade of Fail or Conditional Pass may be changed to Pass by the block or course director upon satisfactory completion of a re-examination or of limited course work. For the pre-clerkship curriculum, this must be completed prior to one week before the start of the next academic year. Only students who receive Fail or Conditional Pass may be permitted to improve their grades. The original and the improved grade will both appear on the transcript.
2. When a student has failed a block or course and is permitted to satisfy the requirement by repeating a block or course at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School or by passing a remediation program approved by the appropriate block director and by the Dean of Student Affairs, an additional transcript entry without alteration of the original grade will appear. Successful completion of a course at another approved institution will result in a transcript entry without a specific grade.
3. A notation of “Incomplete” will be replaced by a grade by making up the missing material and/or taking the necessary exam(s) as approved by the block or course. This must be done prior to one week before the start of the next academic year in the pre-clerkship curriculum. Incompletes in core clerkships must be completed no later than four months after completion of the last core clerkship, except as approved by the Dean of Student Affairs.Any notations of “Incomplete” remaining at this time will be converted to a grade of Fail.
C. Policy on Withdrawal from Courses:
1. Before receiving permission to withdraw from a block or course, the academic status of the student in that course will be reviewed by the Dean of Student Affairs in consultation with the block or course director. Permission to withdraw must be approved by both the Dean of Student Affairs and the Chair of the Academic Standing Committee. In the event of a disagreement, an ad hoc committee of at least four members of the Academic Standing Committee plus the Chair may be convened to resolve the matter.
2. Withdrawal initiated after a block or course has begun will be recorded in one of two ways:
a. Withdrawal when a student is not in academic difficulty in that block or course will be indicated as W.
b. Withdrawal from a block or course in which a student is currently in academic difficulty will be indicated on the transcript as WF.
3. Limitations on Withdrawal:
a. Students whose academic performance as determined by the block or course director is sufficiently poor as to preclude passing the course will not be permitted to withdraw.
b. A student will be permitted to withdraw only once from any given block or course.
c. A student who has previously failed a block or course will not be permitted to withdraw in academic difficulty when repeating that block or course.
4. A student who has withdrawn from a block or course may not substitute a summer remedial course in place of completing that course at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
5. A student who withdraws from a block or course when in academic difficulty, and fails it the next time it is taken, is entitled to the usual remediation procedures (re-examination/summer course). If remediation is unsuccessful, the student will be subject to dismissal.
D. Professionalism and Behavior
1. When problems are noted in a student's behavior indicating that the student lacks the personal qualifications and attributes deemed necessary to perform the duties of a medical professional as referred to in Section II, action will be initiated by the Dean of Student Affairs. Such action may include referral to the Academic Standing Committee.
2. The Academic Standing Committee will review the academic record of any student for whom two or more Professionalism Evaluation forms have been submitted. Such review may result in placement on Academic Warning or consideration for dismissal.
E. The Academic Standing Committee will review the academic record of any student who has received within one academic year (irrespective of re-examination or other remediation):
1. One or more initial grades of Fail in pre-clerkship blocks or courses.
2. Two or more grades of WF in pre-clerkship blocks or courses.
3. One or more initial grades of CP, Fail and/or WF in a clinical course.
4. Failure of the Summative Clinical Skills Assessment.
Such students may be placed on Academic Warning, and may be required to alter their subsequent proposed academic schedule of course work.
F. Students on reduced academic loads must receive grades of Pass or better. Therefore, for students on reduced schedules, any grade of CP, F or WF will serve as grounds for review and may result in placement on Academic Warning and/or consideration for dismissal by the Academic Standing Committee.
G. Any student repeating a previously failed block or course or repeating a block or course to fulfill a requirement of the Academic Standing Committee or the Dean, must achieve a grade of Pass or better. Failure to achieve a grade of Pass or better will serve as grounds for review by the Academic Standing Committee and may result in placement on Academic Warning and/or consideration for dismissal.
H. Limitations on number of failing grades for students taking a full academic load:
Consideration for dismissal from the medical school will result under the following conditions. For purposes of calculation, grades of WF and initial grades of CP are equivalent to one-half of an initial grade of Fail. In addition, a CP which converts to a Fail is equivalent to an initial grade of Fail:
1. Two or more initial grades of Fail, three or more initial grades of CP, or one initial grade of Fail and one initial grade of CP are received (irrespective of remediation) in blocks of the first year curriculum.
2. One or more initial grades of Fail or two or more initial grades of CP (irrespective of remediation) in blocks of the second year curriculum.
3. A total of three or more initial grades of Fail have been received (irrespective of remediation) in blocks of the first and second year curricula combined.
4. Two initial grades of Fail or three or more initial grades of CP are received (irrespective of remediation) in the clinical curriculum.