Pass/Fail classes in dental school?

[babytomato]

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I'm unfamiliar with how the pass/fail system works at dental schools. Do you have to pass all the classes to move on to the next year? What are the honors classes like?

Thanks!

 

[ncide]

Most schools are not pass/fail.

My school has this grading criteria: A (100-90), B (89.9-80), C (79.9-70), F (69.9 and below), with A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0. If you fail a course you may be asked to remediate it in the summer (this is available for few courses, and the F stays in your overall GPA), repeat the entire year, or be dismissed.

 

[FeralisExtremum]

I'm unfamiliar with how the pass/fail system works at dental schools. Do you have to pass all the classes to move on to the next year? What are the honors classes like?

Thanks!

My school is H/P/F, you have to pass all classes to move on to the next year (if you fail too many you get held back, otherwise there's an opportunity to remediate). There aren't honors classes, just classes you can get honors in, which usually just involves doing well.

 

[babytomato]

My school is H/P/F, you have to pass all classes to move on to the next year (if you fail too many you get held back, otherwise there's an opportunity to remediate). There aren't honors classes, just classes you can get honors in, which usually just involves doing well.

Okay! Do most people pass the classes?

 

[FeralisExtremum]

Okay! Do most people pass the classes?

Yes, the large majority at my school do.

 

[babytomato]

Most schools are not pass/fail.

My school has this grading criteria: A (100-90), B (89.9-80), C (79.9-70), F (69.9 and below), with A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0. If you fail a course you may be asked to remediate it in the summer (this is available for few courses, and the F stays in your overall GPA), repeat the entire year, or be dismissed.

Yes, I thought all schools used letter grades until recently! Have you heard of anyone having to remediate before?

 

[ncide]

Yes, I thought all schools used letter grades until recently! Have you heard of anyone having to remediate before?

Yeah a couple in our class were originally a year ahead of me and so this was their second D1 year, and we've had some people asked to repeat the year, repeat a course, and some were dismissed.

 

[setdoc7]

Keep in mind that even though grades at P/F schools are reported on transcripts as P/F/H, grading for courses are still on a normative system, and the school maintains that record internally.

 

[fit2]

What's the percentage for honors usually (columbia specific I guess) @FeralisExtremum ?

 

[fellowstudent92]

Keep in mind that even though grades at P/F schools are reported on transcripts as P/F/H, grading for courses are still on a normative system, and the school maintains that record internally.

But more importantly, does it COUNT for anything?
Why have an internal record?
I go to true P/F school. I'm still not sure if these grades count though.

 

[FeralisExtremum]

But more importantly, does it COUNT for anything?
Why have an internal record?
I go to true P/F school. I'm still not sure if these grades count though.

It's sometimes used to internally rank students.

 

[fellowstudent92]

It's sometimes used to internally rank students.

Right but the more important question is are these internal rankings valid in comparison to other schools number rankings? Internal rankings are not just grades by the way. They have other factors incorporated into the calculation of those rankings. The validity of internal rankings used by P/F schools is not the same as that of other schools so I’m just wondering how much program directors weight that internal ranking in particular since it’s so massively different from other schools with a class ranking and grades?

 

[FeralisExtremum]

Right but the more important question is are these internal rankings valid in comparison to other schools number rankings? Internal rankings are not just grades by the way. They have other factors incorporated into the calculation of those rankings.

I guess those factors vary by school. At some places it is very much just your grades.

The validity thing is a good question. I have heard of challenges in residency applications by students whose schools did not 'officially' rank them.

 

[setdoc7]

But more importantly, does it COUNT for anything?
Why have an internal record?
I go to true P/F school. I'm still not sure if these grades count though.

IMHO, they count if you apply for post graduate training, as the institutional letter always talks about those students who are the highest achievers. If you go straight into private practice, they probably do not count for much.