Policy 403: Assessment Timeliness Policy

Policy Number: 403

Date Approved: 10/23/2024

Executive Responsibility: Faculty Curriculum Committee

References: LCME Element 9.5; LCME Element 9.7; LCME Element 9.8

403.1 Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define the timely expectations for the release of summative assessment, formative feedback, and narrative assessment to students.

In accordance with LCME Element 9.8:

“A medical school has in place a system of fair and timely summative assessment of medical student achievement in each course and clerkship of the medical education program. Final grades are available within six weeks of the end of a course or clerkship.”

LCME Element 9.7:

“The medical school’s curricular governance committee ensures that each medical student is assessed and provided with formal formative feedback early enough during each required course or clerkship to allow sufficient time for remediation. Formal feedback occurs at least at the midpoint of the course or clerkship. A course or clerkship less than four weeks in length provides alternate means by which medical students can measure their progress in learning.”

and LCME Element 9.5:

“A medical school ensures that a narrative description of a medical student’s performance, including non-cognitive achievement, is included as a component of the assessment in each required course and clerkship of the medical education program whenever teacher-student interaction permits this form of assessment.”

403.2 Summative Assessment Timeliness Policy

The due date for final grades and summative narrative comments is six (6) weeks following the conclusion of a module/clerkship/elective. Grades for formative assessment within longitudinal modules must be provided to students within six (6) weeks of the date of the assessment.

403.2.1 Summative Assessment Tiemliness Procedure

The Office of Student Affairs and Admissions (OSAA) monitors the timeliness of grade release and contacts the appropriate module/clerkship/elective directors if grades are not received at the “5 weeks plus 2 business days” internal deadline and work with the clerkship/module/elective director to ensure that grades are released no later than 6 weeks.

Any module/clerkship/elective director that has not met the deadline will be reported to the Associate Deans for Medical Education and Student Affairs & Admissions and that module/clerkship/elective director’s chairperson. The Department of Medical Education (DME) reports quarterly to the Faculty Curriculum Committee (FCC) on the timeliness of grades across the academic year.

403.3 Course and Clerkship Formative Feedback Policy

In the Foundations phase, students have almost daily formative feedback through the daily teaching and learning activities that includes a small, graded component, and with examinations that generally occur every 2-4 weeks throughout a module.

For clerkships, students receive formal mid-rotation feedback from the clerkship director or designee. In clerkships that are 2 weeks in length, it is expected that supervisors discuss student progress, especially if there are concerns to ensure that students have the opportunity to make necessary improvements.

403.3.1 Clerkship Formative Feedback Procedure

Clerkship coordinators monitor the completion of the mid-rotation feedback forms, with reports to their respective steering committees, which are then forwarded to DME on a quarterly basis. Any clerkship director that has not completed mid-rotation feedback during a given rotation cycle will be reported to the Associate Dean for Medical Education and that clerkship director’s chairperson. DME reports quarterly to the FCC on the completion of mid-rotation feedback forms across all core clerkships.

403.4 Narrative Assessment Policy

During the Foundations phase, the Clinical Medicine module will include narrative summative assessments of the students. In the modules that contain a WrightQ series, narrative summative assessments are required for the small group sessions. All clerkships within the Doctoring Phase are to have a narrative summative component of a medical student’s performance. Narrative summative assessments must comply with the Summative Assessment Timeliness Policy (403.2) and be submitted no more than six (6) weeks after the conclusion of the modules/clerkship.

403.4.1 Narrative Assessment Procedure

DME monitors the completion of narrative summative assessments across the Foundations and Doctoring phases. Any module/clerkship director or small group faculty that has not adequately provided narrative summative assessment of their assigned students by the six (6) week deadline will be reported to the Associate Dean for Medical Education and that faculty member’s chairperson. DME reports quarterly to the FCC on completion of narrative summative assessments across Foundations and Doctoring phases of the curriculum.