Schools that use a grading system

[GoLakers310]

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Seriously, I think it SUCKS *****! If my school was P/NP, I would not be studying this intensely. What sucks it that most of the times, I waste my time memorizing nit-picky details - so that I can get an A or B - that isn't even tested for the board. The P/NP school students have it so much easier, man...

 

[rock_climber]

actually we still have to memorize the nit-picky that aren't on boards as well, especially if you want anything about pass (high pass, honors)

 

[pseudoknot]

If you have honors and high pass you're not at a pass/fail school. The only difference between that and letter grades is you don't get a GPA. It doesn't matter anyway, since even at most P/NP schools they still keep track of your scores and rank you using them.

 

[xx216xx]

yea, we have honors, high pass, pass, marginal pass, and fail; might as well use A, B, C, F

 

[xanthomondo]

yea, we have honors, high pass, pass, marginal pass, and fail; might as well use A, B, C, F

Haha yeah, ditto. I was curious for ranking, though, how does that work? Do they go by everyone's numerical grades or do the Honors, HP, etc get converted into a number for averaging purposes?

 

[Depakote]

as stated above, they're still going to rank you internally based on your scores. That's going to go on your dean's letter in one form or another when you apply for residency.

If that doesn't matter to you, then a P/F system is fine, but don't assume that P/F = no stress

 

[cpants]

Seriously, I think it SUCKS *****! If my school was P/NP, I would not be studying this intensely. What sucks it that most of the times, I waste my time memorizing nit-picky details - so that I can get an A or B - that isn't even tested for the board. The P/NP school students have it so much easier, man...

And this is why I think a graded system is better. You admit that the grading makes you study harder. Seems like it is better for patients if the competitive nature of a graded system motivates student doctors to learn more.

 

[pseudoknot]

Seems like it is better for patients if the competitive nature of a graded system motivates student doctors to learn more.

I think that really depends on what we're studying!

 

[ItOnlyTakesOne]

And this is why I think a graded system is better. You admit that the grading makes you study harder. Seems like it is better for patients if the competitive nature of a graded system motivates student doctors to learn more.

I would think that competitive nature of medical students motivates most people to study hard. Even without grades, the people who stress out and/or spend all of their time studying to get honors probably would still do so because they know that somewhere someone is keeping track of rank, AOA eligibility etc.

One of the issues with grading systems is that is forces course directors to include test questions that may or may not actually be important to your understanding of the essential medical concept just to create a division between those students who can regurgitate that one detail and those who can't (but still may have a good understanding of the topic being taught). Seems like a pretty arbitrary way to decide who gets what grade which may not necessarily equal who will provide the best patient care.

 

[illixir]

Schools with honors and high pass aren't pass/fail. There are a few pass/fail schools that also do not keep any internal rankings at all. This is a distinction you will only know if you ask about it as to whether they internally rank students. All our tests are graded as simply does meet expectations or does not meet expectations; no number scores and right/wrong etc as our final exams are completely essay-based. While the society deans do look over students' records and thus may use slightly different adjectives, there is definately much much less stress in students' lives.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I don't mind the letter grading system. It's more a way for me to chart my own progress than anything since I consider any passing grade in med school to be fine.

 

[Blesbok]

If I wasn't forced to study just a little harder, I would slack just a little more and my board scores would then reflect it and so would my ability to get the best residency possible.

 

[pseudoknot]

I slack anyway.

 

[cpants]

The only argument for pass/fail is that it makes med students' lives less stressful. I don't see how it could possibly make our physicians better trained. From the perspective of schools and society, a graded system makes more sense.

 

[pseudoknot]

The only argument for pass/fail is that it makes med students' lives less stressful. I don't see how it could possibly make our physicians better trained. From the perspective of schools and society, a graded system makes more sense.

Technically this is only true if you can establish that performance in the preclinical years correlates to performance as a physician. This hasn't happened yet, partly because no one can measure "performance as a physician" in a meaningful way. And partly because the stuff we have to learn in the the preclinical years is often worthless bullsh*t.

 

[EMmedic]

The only argument for pass/fail is that it makes med students' lives less stressful. I don't see how it could possibly make our physicians better trained. From the perspective of schools and society, a graded system makes more sense.

But students from pass/fail schools don't do any worse on the boards than students from graded schools so in the end the students learn the same information...with less stress and competition.

I come from a pass/fail school and I think its great - people work together and teach each other because there isn't competition. I think that, as a whole, people don't look at it as 'oh i only have to pass." everyone i know works as hard as they can to do as well as they can. If you don't work your butt off you, get a failing score (less than 75%). I obviously don't have anything to compare it to, but it feels like people work as hard as they can here - i dont' get the sense that people are slacking etc because it is pass/fail.

 

[FenixTx]

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[LuckyBambooGirl]

And this is why I think a graded system is better. You admit that the grading makes you study harder. Seems like it is better for patients if the competitive nature of a graded system motivates student doctors to learn more.

Ditto! This is why I think a graded system is much better! It might make the basic science years a little harder, but in the end it produces doctors with a greater fund of knowledge, which is better for patients! I know memorizing little nit-picky stuff sucks, but you never know when it might pay off!

 

[docscience]

as stated above, they're still going to rank you internally based on your scores. That's going to go on your dean's letter in one form or another when you apply for residency.

I go to a H/P/F school and yes they do rank you internally. But as per the vice dean (who writes the letters) rank does NOT go on the dean's letter unless the student wants it to go on there. And she said that naturally only the top 15% or so of the students want it mentioned on their application.

There is a bar graph on the MSPE (medical student performance evaluation) in the back showing how many got H, P, and F. Most students only pass their classes...so my 89% Pass and my friends 71% Pass look they same on the MSPE. Most students will look the same as far as that goes. However, 3rd year rotation grades are shown as a numerical value on the MSPE!!! This is where one needs to shine!!

This is how it goes at my specific school...not sure if yours works the same way. Also, of course it is better to get H's and get AOA, etc.

 

[assila]

hello
i just wanna make u know that here in algeria we follow another system for access than urs we ve to passe the bac and get over 13 /20 so that u can study medecine
urs is diffrent tell me more about pls?