Evaluation and Grading

While you will only receive one grade for the eight-week Medicine Clerkship component, you should be receiving summative and formative feedback during each of the two four-week Medicine blocks.

Written Evaluation

Please see the section below describing aspects on which you will be evaluated (professionalisms/attitude; clinical knowledge; skills). All students will have a written evaluation of their performance by the attending and resident assigned to the team. These evaluations will be collected and summarized into one final form. If you and your attending completed a midway and final feedback session, there should be no surprises in your written evaluation Final grade is based on the written evaluation but is contingent on completing the required elements above. Delinquency in completing required elements and how that affects your grade is discussed below.

Other Assessment

Aspects of clinical skills with history taking and physical exam will be formatively assessed using EPA mobile platform (no grade given but you will receive feedback as part of this and it is a required exercise). Aspects of clinical knowledge will be assessed through ExamSoft. Students will be able to take the exam in “test mode” to see score and then should have access to test for an additional period of time to take it in “study mode” to reinforce learning. Students are advised to seek additional help from attending or Clerkship Director if they score less than 70% of questions correctly.

Requirement Delinquency Approach

All clerkships have adopted the following statement/timeline:

1. Each student is expected to complete the stated requirements by the date specified by the Clerkship Director (14 days after completion of the component). Failure to do so raises concern about the students’ professionalism and diligence, and this will be reflected in the clerkship grade as well as in the comments section of the final evaluation that will be written at the end of the clerkship.
   
2. The school is, of course, also concerned that students who are not meeting requirements might be having personal or academic difficulties that need attention. For this reason, students who do not complete clerkship requirements will be required to meet with their academic advisor and/or Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
3. If at the date specified by the clerkship director a student has not fulfilled the requirements of a clerkship, the following steps will be taken:
   
   • The student and their academic advisor will be notified that the requirements have not been fulfilled (i.e. the student will receive an email stating that the portfolio is incomplete, the knowledge assessment has not been taken, a write-up has not been handed in, etc.).
   • The student has 30 days from the date specified by the Clerkship Director to fulfill the requirements (i.e. hand in the portfolio, take the knowledge assessment, submit a required write-up, etc.) During this time the student will be assigned a grade of “incomplete”. The student will not be eligible for “Honors” even after fulfillment of the requirements.
   • If the student still has not completed the requirement after 30 days from the date specified by the Clerkship Director, a grade of “fail” will be given.

Criteria by which you will evaluated by attending and residents. (E-value components)

1. Attendance and effort. Freely accepts and satisfactorily discharges responsibility for learning and patient care; is absent only for compelling reasons such as illness or family crisis; assumes responsibility for notifying the staff and managing the schedule in such instances.
2. Relationships with patients. Interactions with patients, families and their significant other are characterized by respect, trust and positive affect.
3. Professional relationships. Interactions with peers, physicians, other healthcare professionals and staff are positive; student functions as a member of the patient care team.
4. Professional conduct. Ethical, trustworthy, reliable, compassionate, unselfish, committed to the patient’s well-being, freely acknowledges his or her own limitations and mistakes, listens and follows instructions, and observes boundaries.
5. Self-directed learning. Identifies limitation in his or her own knowledge; formulates relevant questions arising out of clinical scenarios; is familiar with and utilizes information resources, works independently to find answers and solutions to problems.
6. Interview skills. Able to utilize a range of communication and interpersonal skills to (A) elicit a complete, developmentally appropriate biomedical and psychosocial story of the patient’s illness; (B) respond to the patient’s concerns and needs and establish a trusting relationship; and (C) inform, educate, and enlist the patient to participate in his or her health care.
7. Physical examination skills. Competent in the full range of commonly used examination techniques; focuses the examination in a manner appropriate to the patient’s problem; examines patients in such a way as to minimize their discomfort and embarrassment; and acquires data that are accurate.
8. Reasoning and judgment. Able to organize information gathered from the interview, physical examination, and paraclinical tests and formulate reasonable hypotheses and diagnosis as well as management plans which are cost-effective and consistent with the patient’s interests, needs and preferences.
9. Oral and written presentation. Able to present and summarize clinical information in a concise and coherent manner; handwritten notes are legible; notes reflect the status of the patient.
10. Basic science. Understand basic principles of anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and human development and behavior.
11. Clinical science. Understands the relationships among pathophysiology, clinical manifestations of disease, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of diseases.