Grading

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quantum

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I don't understand how you can be graded on your clinical rotation besides pass/fail. How can you be assigned a letter grade for something like this-- its totally subjective?
 
Honors/Pass/Fail is what most places use.
 
quantum said:
I don't understand how you can be graded on your clinical rotation besides pass/fail. How can you be assigned a letter grade for something like this-- its totally subjective?
Welcome to the third year!!!! 🙂
 
Yes, it is often completely subjective, graded by an attending (or occasionally a resident). Usually an exam at the end of the rotation also will count as part of your grade...but the amount the exam grade affects your overall rotation grade varies a lot. I had one rotation where mathematically the only way the exam could affect your grade was if you failed the exam, and another where the only way to get honors in the clerkship was to honor the exam.
 
Mumpu said:
Honors/Pass/Fail is what most places use.

We've got A, B+, B, C, F. How they do it??? Its a mystery.

Most places the shelf exam weighs heavily. This is why the myth that the people who are at the bottom of the class in the first two years will suddenly rise to the top and be the shining stars rarely comes true (NB: I say rarely, not never). Even the socially inept can usually do well as an MS3 if they can just rock the shelf.
 
quantum said:
I don't understand how you can be graded on your clinical rotation besides pass/fail. How can you be assigned a letter grade for something like this-- its totally subjective?

At least clinical electives have an objective measure with the use of a standardized NBME shelf exam, which is anywhere from 20-60% of the grade at our school (although it seems that for our surgery rotation that it is 100% of the grade).

Step 2 CS has no objective component whatsoever. That is an even bigger pile of doo doo.
 
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