Test Feedback--What does your school do?

[MadameLULU]

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Hi guys,

I'm trying to get an idea about what kind of feedback medical schools give students about their performance on preclinical exams (NOT referring to shelf exam). Do you guys get to see the exam? If so, how does that work (Q/A session, post-exam review, go in on own time and look at the exam?). If you don't get to see the exam, do you get any feedback, and if so, what kind. Also, could you please indicate what school you attend? Thanks!

 

[DoctorFunk]

My school allows us to review our exams and the answer key after the testk, usually posted online. There are no formal review sessions for most of them, but the profs will generally entertain challenges to the keyed answers or wording of the test questions.

 

[bjackrian]

Our policy varies by department, but there's generally some kind of a review, though you usually can't keep copies of the questions. Some departments will let you take notes, some won't. For example, this semester:

Path: Immediately following the exam, the profs post the answers in one of our lecture halls. If you want to challenge a question, that's your only change to do so...it helps them grade exams and give us scores more quickly since they don't have to do as much analysis of which questions were missed before they can release scores. On the other hand, you can' take any notes, and they have a policy that you can't possess any exams written since 1990.

Pharm: Formal review session 2-3 weeks after the exam where you can take notes on what you missed, but cannot copy questions.

Micro: Formal review session 3 weeks after exam where you can take notes on anything you want.

Highly variable, it is.

 

[pmpkn219]

We used ot have exam reviews where we were given a sheet with question #s, our letter answer, professor's name who wrote it and an identifier like "TCA cycle regulation" or whatever. The papers weren't big but we were allowed to have a pen to write on them (like to indicate if you got it wrong)- mad scribbling was interpreted as trying to transcribe the question and was frowned upon. The course coordinator would show us each question in turn, with the right answer selected. As many faculty as possible were present to answer concerns, and questions were debated in this format.

Frankly, it was inefficient and the professors probably hated it because that stopped in the spring of MS1. Now we have 2 ways to dispute. Our exams are on computer, and we have scrap paper. If you want to debate a question you write your name on a piece and write the questions you thought were faulty on it. You could have a random scrap paper just for doodling during your exam, that you didn't want reviewed. Then the coordinators look over all the questions on papers with names. Also, we're to email our Academic Council any troubling questions ASAP after the exam, and the 3 of them meet with the course coordinator and discuss the issues with whatever questions. Every exam there's usually one question tossed (no right answer) and 2-4 accept more than 1 answer. Which I think is pretty high, wish the profs would proofread the questions one more time.

So we don't get identifiers anymore, just our grade. As far as I know, you can ask any professor to sit down with you and show you your answers, but no notes or taking answers away with you.

What kind of school? Lecture-based, had a PBL session a week first year, none now.

 

[WhoisJohnGalt]

Our school has adopted a "Tests are not for learning purposes; they are for assessment ONLY" philosophy, which seems pretty silly given that the best way to study for their tests as well as the USMLE is by answering questions! In any event, we have an exam review committee headed by an ERC chair, and students send in their protests to the ERC chair, who reviews them with the committee and then forwards the reasonable complaints to the professor for review.

In one or two classes, anyone who wants to can see the exam (but with no paper or pencil), but in most we are never able to see it. The ERC chair has access to a few more than the average student, but there are some classes where no one can ever see the actual exam. We are also technically not allowed to write down any identifier next to the question on our answer key. So how do students submit questions to the ERC chair to be reviewed? Obviously, they violate policy and write down identifiers. It's a stupid system if you ask me-- either they're claiming that students are going to remember "47-- that's the one about Virchow's triad!" off the top of their heads, or they're acknowledging that they've set up a system where we have to violate the exam policy.

 

[JonnyG]

We are given are exams to keep with a sheet with our answers and the correct answers. Challenges with documentation are allowed for about two weeks. A question is thrown out if a high percentage of the class got it wrong AND a certain percentage of students who did well on the test also did not get the question right. This is to show that those who got it right most likely guessed and that the question is not one that seperates someone who master the material from everyone else.

We also get a break down of the various subjects in the system we got wrong. For Cardio we would know our percentage path, pharm, micro etc

 

[DMB41]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to get an idea about what kind of feedback medical schools give students about their performance on preclinical exams (NOT referring to shelf exam). Do you guys get to see the exam? If so, how does that work (Q/A session, post-exam review, go in on own time and look at the exam?). If you don't get to see the exam, do you get any feedback, and if so, what kind. Also, could you please indicate what school you attend? Thanks!

I am a first year at the University of Kansas. We are the first class to start a new curriculum--"Pioneers" is the euphemism they use to describe it! It seems to us however they just hate us!!!

Our first two tests we were tested in two different sessions--one half of the class in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. The tests ended at 3 and we received our test scores about 30 minutes later via email. We also received feedback about the questions we missed, but the feedback was very inconsistent. Some of our profs would give good feedback and others would give very useless feedback. We have asked repeatedly to see the tests and the profs are not comfortable with that!

The next test (in 10 days) is going to allow us to get feedback immediately after taking the test, as soon as we submit it on the computer it will give us our score and give us what we missed and the "feedback" from the profs.

I have mixed feelings about this, but I guess I don't get to make these decisions.

We will see how it goes!

 

[MadameLULU]

Any more responses?

 

[SoCuteMD]

Any more responses?

It really varies at my school. Some departments allow students to keep old tests which are then distributed the following year. Other departments will make you jump through hoops to see your test - but most (if not all) will let you see it. You can make notes about what you got wrong, too.