Unfair Grading of Practical Exam

[amerepedestrian]

MS-1 at a big DO school, feeling frustrated. We had a practical exam, and I practiced for it over and over again to make sure my technique was solid and I wouldn’t miss any points. According to my memory and to the student who acted as my patient, I only missed one point, but my proctor marked that I missed an entire section. I reached out to the course director stating I believed the proctor accidentally marked the full section incorrect when I only missed one point, and she emailed me back saying the grading seemed valid to her as points were marked as missed for failure to perform the technique or incorrect technique.

I don’t know anyone else who missed surprise points on the exam due to alleged technique issues, and I made sure to follow the techniques as instructed by several different proctors during workshops as well as the official exam videos that supposedly were the standards by which we were being graded. I’ve even reviewed the videos since the surprising grade was posted and cannot see where I would have made errors other than the one statement I know I failed to make.

The course director said I can come by to review the exam, which I’m going to do, but I feel this situation is extremely unfair. To the best of my knowledge I didn’t perform any more incorrectly than any of the peers I saw completing their exams, but it seems I’m being graded disproportionately harshly. I just don’t think it’s fair to employ a checklist as a grading standard then allow proctors to apply subjectively standards inconsistently. I feel I earned all the points other than the one I’m aware I truly missed. Aside from making an appointment to review the exam and see if there is anywhere I genuinely erred, what should I do?

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[JustPass]

Let's check back once you see the course director in person.
You are doing what you should do and I don't think anyone on here can recommend anything more than that.

 

[DO2015CA]

You gotta let it go man. I know it seems like a big deal now when you are slogging your way through preclinical years. But missing an entire section is not going to alter your life trajectory. From experience, it’s really hard to change grades. It certainly isn’t worth putting yourself on the map in a bad way for getting a B instead of an A on one practical.

 

[Black Coffee 24/7]

MS-1 at a big DO school, feeling frustrated. We had a practical exam, and I practiced for it over and over again to make sure my technique was solid and I wouldn’t miss any points. According to my memory and to the student who acted as my patient, I only missed one point, but my proctor marked that I missed an entire section. I reached out to the course director stating I believed the proctor accidentally marked the full section incorrect when I only missed one point, and she emailed me back saying the grading seemed valid to her as points were marked as missed for failure to perform the technique or incorrect technique.

I don’t know anyone else who missed surprise points on the exam due to alleged technique issues, and I made sure to follow the techniques as instructed by several different proctors during workshops as well as the official exam videos that supposedly were the standards by which we were being graded. I’ve even reviewed the videos since the surprising grade was posted and cannot see where I would have made errors other than the one statement I know I failed to make.

The course director said I can come by to review the exam, which I’m going to do, but I feel this situation is extremely unfair. To the best of my knowledge I didn’t perform any more incorrectly than any of the peers I saw completing their exams, but it seems I’m being graded disproportionately harshly. I just don’t think it’s fair to employ a checklist as a grading standard then allow proctors to apply subjectively standards inconsistently. I feel I earned all the points other than the one I’m aware I truly missed. Aside from making an appointment to review the exam and see if there is anywhere I genuinely erred, what should I do?

Let this be the last time that you make a fuss over this kind of bs until graduation. Trust me when I said that it's for your own good.

At this meeting, I don't want to hear that confrontational voice from you that's full of frustration. I want to hear a voice of a curious student who's looking to do better next time.

#1 goal from here for you is to pass everything, do well on board, and make sure that nobody knows of your existence.

 

[amerepedestrian]

Let this be the last time that you make a fuss over this kind of bs until graduation. Trust me when I said that it's for your own good.

At this meeting, I don't want to hear that confrontational voice from you that's full of frustration. I want to hear a voice of a curious student who's looking to do better next time.

#1 goal from here for you is to pass everything, do well on board, and make sure that nobody knows of your existence.

Thank you for the tough love. I will make sure to emphasize a desire to improve my technique during the meeting.

 

[DO2015CA]

Let this be the last time that you make a fuss over this kind of bs until graduation. Trust me when I said that it's for your own good.

At this meeting, I don't want to hear that confrontational voice from you that's full of frustration. I want to hear a voice of a curious student who's looking to do better next time.

#1 goal from here for you is to pass everything, do well on board, and make sure that nobody knows of your existence.

The bolded can not be said enough. You don’t want them to even recognize your face as a student out in public

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Thank you for the tough love. I will make sure to emphasize a desire to improve my technique during the meeting.

Yep, its okay to review, but after that, just let it go. You don't want the 'problem' student label. That is much much worse than getting a B on a practical.

Just do like the all American rejects and 'move along.'

 

[Moose A Moose]

 

[austintr]

In addition to what has been said above, just get used to the subjective nature of OMM. People will "feel" things you don't a lot, and you will probably miss more points. Don't take it personally and just suck it up and move on.

The subjectivity will only increase as you move into clinicals and residency and it certainly isn't absent even from Level 2.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

If you passed, let it go. You're not in undergrad where you gotta fight for every single point

 

[Grannywang]

Like everyone said let it go unless you failed. Some of my classmates tried to argue for missed points last year in our CSEs and just to piss the students off, they took more points off when they reviewed the video by finding new mistakes.

 

[ortnakas]

Unless you failed, or will fail because of this, channel your inner Frozen and let it go.

There are hills worth dying on. This is not one of them.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

MS-1 at a big DO school, feeling frustrated. We had a practical exam, and I practiced for it over and over again to make sure my technique was solid and I wouldn’t miss any points. According to my memory and to the student who acted as my patient, I only missed one point, but my proctor marked that I missed an entire section. I reached out to the course director stating I believed the proctor accidentally marked the full section incorrect when I only missed one point, and she emailed me back saying the grading seemed valid to her as points were marked as missed for failure to perform the technique or incorrect technique.

I don’t know anyone else who missed surprise points on the exam due to alleged technique issues, and I made sure to follow the techniques as instructed by several different proctors during workshops as well as the official exam videos that supposedly were the standards by which we were being graded. I’ve even reviewed the videos since the surprising grade was posted and cannot see where I would have made errors other than the one statement I know I failed to make.

The course director said I can come by to review the exam, which I’m going to do, but I feel this situation is extremely unfair. To the best of my knowledge I didn’t perform any more incorrectly than any of the peers I saw completing their exams, but it seems I’m being graded disproportionately harshly. I just don’t think it’s fair to employ a checklist as a grading standard then allow proctors to apply subjectively standards inconsistently. I feel I earned all the points other than the one I’m aware I truly missed. Aside from making an appointment to review the exam and see if there is anywhere I genuinely erred, what should I do?

You have received very good advice. It is totally fine to review your exam with the chairman. The part in bold, about checklist being subjective is precisely the opposite. Having a checklist makes it OBJECTIVE, it would be subjective if you were asked to demonstrate something and the instructor only had a blank space to fill in your grade. A word of advice, when you are demonstrating, make sure the instructor who is grading you is not writing notes or filling in boxes on your exam. It is up to you to make sure the instructor sees everything you do and hears everything you say. Pause and wait for them to catch up if necessary. If the instructor doesn't see what you do or hear you, then it wasn't done. Same thing if the referee doesn't see a foul. In our H&P course, this concern is not unusual, but the major exams are videoed. It is not uncommon for an adamant student to watch their video, shocked that they did not perform what they were absolutely certain they had. Good luck and best wishes

 

[Medic741]

In the future... when doing a practical (esp OMM) verbally state everything, including your physical findings. This will at least make it clear that you know what you're doing and have competency in the skill.

When I take an OMM practical I verbalize *everything* b/c I want to make it so the proctor has no question in their mind that I'm doing it right.
"I'm finding the iliac crests and sliding over to the PSIS to palpate the sulci. The right feels a little more compressible. Now I'm walking my hand down the saccrum and palpating the ILAs. The left ILA is superior..."

Usually miss 0-1 points per practical b/c of this. I'm not failing a course b/c of an OMM practical.

 

[getfat]

When I take an OMM practical I verbalize *everything* b/c I want to make it so the proctor has no question in their mind that I'm doing it right.

This advice is school dependent.

For example, verbalizing the technique isn't suggested because the OMM faculty will tend to do a mini-pimp session. Personally, I'm not the OMM master during a high-stakes practical and I will get the orientation of a lot of things mixed up.

 

[Espressso]

At our school, you're allowed to "challenge" practical grades but the course director does so by rewatching the tape. And if you ask for this to be done, you're virtually assuring that they will fix their mistake... buuuuuttttt... they will find something else you missed, leading you to have the same grade. So as others have mentioned, unless you failed. Just forget it. No residency program is going to ask you why you got a B in OPP/OMT during first year.