The Evaluation System is multifaceted and under constant review by the Faculty. The Faculty reserves the right to change any of these rules and regulations at any time, although in general such changes will not come into effect in the middle of a Promotion Period. For complete Faculty regulations, reference should be made to the Faculty of Medicine
Student Handbook, which is updated annually on the web at
www.medicine.mcgill.ca/ugme under “student evaluation”.
The Faculty operates on a modified pass/fail system. This in effect means that students' standings, class rank, and grades in courses and rotations are not available to any external agency such as hospitals, universities or licensing bodies. For purposes of internal use students' numerical grades are used in the calculations required for student feedback, academic advising and promotion, awards, prizes, Dean's Honour List designation, academic bursaries and Faculty medals.
For the purposes of evaluation, the four-year curriculum is broken down into the following promotion periods. (Subject to change, as necessary.)
The Committee on Student Promotion and Curriculum Outcomes (CSPCO) will review the academic record, professional conduct and general performance of any student on a regular basis and will determine whether the student may proceed to the next promotion period.
No evaluation, examination mark, etc. shall be considered final until passed by the Committee on Student Promotion and Curriculum Outcomes.
Where a student has failed one or more units, or has been found to have been engaged in unprofessional conduct, the Committee on Student Promotion and Curriculum Outcomes will automatically review the student's entire academic record and general performance. The Committee on Student Promotion and Curriculum Outcomes may require the student:
a) to undergo remedial rotation(s),
b) to repeat an entire Promotion Period,
c) to be suspended from the program for up to one year, or
d) to be dismissed from the program. A student who obtains a “failure” or two or more “below expectations" will be placed on probation.
Academic offences such as plagiarism and cheating on examinations, including examinations administered by the Faculty of Medicine on behalf of external agencies, and unprofessional conduct, are considered serious offences which could lead to dismissal from the program. A student who engages in criminal activity and/or who is found guilty of having violated the criminal code will have his/her dossier referred to the CSPCO; this may be considered evidence of unsuitability for the practice of medicine and grounds for dismissal from the program.
The Faculty reserves the right to dismiss from the program any student who is considered incompetent and/or unsuitable for the practice of medicine (see
Red Student Handbook for details).
Note: For selected students, the program includes a one-year integrated clerkship in Gatineau/Hull or outside the city of Montreal. Promotion criteria is the same as Montreal.
A failure in a supplemental examination or remedial rotation in Promotion Periods I, II, III, IV, and V will result in the student being required to repeat the Promotion Period or to be dismissed from the program as determined by the CSPCO. A student may not repeat more than one Promotion Period in the curriculum.
Failure in any unit/course during a repeat Promotion Period will result in immediate dismissal from the program.
The results of all supplemental examinations and the evaluation result of remedial clinical rotations will be recorded in the official transcripts as supplemental examinations, and will be considered as such for purposes of promotion.
It is the student's responsibility to be available for notification of a failing grade. If a student is unable to be located after a reasonable effort by the Dean's office, the consequences will be borne fully by the student.
