I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to facilitate the scheduling and delivery of examinations in Phase 1 of the New York Medical College (“NYMC”) School of Medicine (“SOM”) M.D. program.
II. POLICY
It is the policy of NYMC SOM that parameters be defined regarding the creation of the examination schedule to ensure the delivery of an organized curricular program with appropriate assessment tools.
III. SCOPE
This policy applies to students, faculty, staff, and administrators who contribute to the M.D. program curriculum in Phase 1 of the NYMC SOM.
IV. DEFINITIONS
A. Student: a person enrolled in an educational program of NYMC SOM
B. Staff: NYMC SOM personnel
C. Faculty: Formal designation for a person involved in teaching, supervising, and assessing students enrolled in a NYMC SOM educational program, whether M.D., Ph.D., nurse, allied health professional, resident, fellow, or other.
D. Learning Management System: a web-based system for curriculum management in the year one and year two medical education program.
E. Universal Design Principles: a research-based set of principles that together form a practical framework for using technology to maximize learning opportunities for every student.” Universal design in educational settings (UDE) acknowledges that students learn in various ways and focuses on intentional accessibility from the outset of curricular and course design. UDE seeks to meet diverse student needs by ensuring curricula include multiple means of representation, expression, and action, and engagement. UDE concepts are focused on intentional and anticipatory accessibility, while accommodations are prescriptive, specifically tailored to support the needs of each individual.
F. Examination: any assessment of student knowledge and/or skills as defined in the module syllabi.
G. Major Written Examination: interim internally developed examination, final internally developed examination, or National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) examination of any type.
H. Clinical Skills Examination: internally developed examinations, often including simulated patients, that assess a student’s ability to apply history taking, communication skills, physical examination, clinical reasoning, and documentation skills in a simulated patient care setting.
I. Practical Examination: assesses students’ ability to apply hands-on skills.
J. Point by Serial: a statistical measure used to assess the quality and effectiveness of individual examination questions.
V. PROCEDURES
A. Examinations [EB1] are assessments of a student’s knowledge and/or skills as related to curriculum objectives. Examinations may be delivered as written (multiple choice), oral, practical/Clinical Skills Examinations (CSE), or any combination thereof.
B. Examination Content
1. Major Written Examinations, including course subject or customized NBME, will reflect objectives of the module(s) within the specific course and include a combination of recall and application questions, as appropriate. Course Examinations may include written, oral, and practical exams, or any combination thereof.
2. Clinical Skills Examinations may assess student performance of objective skills presented during a course or in previous courses within Phase 1.
3. Written Examinations will incorporate questions using vignette/NBME style, where possible; otherwise, questions will be fact-based.
C. Examination Delivery
1. Major Written Examinations will be delivered using electronic exam software.
2. Major Written Examinations can be developed internally or utilize NBME subject OR NBME customized Examinations, at the discretion of the module directors within a course.
D. Examination Duration
1. For Major Written Examinations using multiple choice questions:
a. The maximum number of questions per Examination is 40 questions per hour or 1.5 minutes per question in alignment with the USMLE and NBME exam timing.
b. For students with academic accommodations, the accommodation, including the timing of Examinations, will be adjusted in accordance with accommodations as approved by the Office of Academic Excellence.
2. Examination schedules must be created with attention to Universal Design Principles as follows:
a. For any student, including those with accommodations, total Examination time in a single day must not exceed eight (8) hours; and
b. Examination durations for students taking a standard timed examination:
i. Examinations delivered in a single part will be no longer than four (4) consecutive hours.
ii. If total Examination duration exceeds four (4) hours in a single day for students taking a standard timed Examination, module directors will convert the business day following the Examination to an open, non-curricular day without scheduled activities
E. Examination Intervals, Timing, and Specifications
1. Major Written Examinations will cover manageable increments of the module material.
2. Practical Examinations will be given, whenever possible, on the same day as the written examinations covering the same objectives and material.
3. All Major Written Examinations will be preceded by a free day for study, reflection, and integration of module material.
a. No new material will be introduced on the day preceding these Examinations.
b. Module faculty will be accessible to students during designated reflection and integration days prior to an Examination.
F. Scoring Adjustments for Internally Developed Examinations
1. If a question on an internally developed Examination must be adjusted or removed after the Examination has been administered, the Examination will be re-scored against the remaining number of questions. Grading will then be based solely on the remaining valid questions. The use of bonus questions will not be allowed.
2. Any question with a Point By Serial of less than zero (0) will be removed from the Examination prior to releasing the grades.
G. Examination Feedback
1. Students will be provided with Strengths and Opportunities score reports after Major Written Examinations, if available, to provide feedback to students about their individual performance on the Examination.
2. Post-Examination reviews of Major Written Examinations will be arranged as soon as possible after the Examination in a format that protects the integrity of the Examination questions. Distributed Examinations for Examination reviews will reflect any question adjustments made after the Examination and up until the review.
3. For Practical Examinations and Clinical Skills Examinations, the students will be provided with oral and/or written feedback and a grade (where relevant) as soon as possible, but no later than in ten (10) business days after the Examination.
4. Students will be provided with the raw scores and will be provided with the mean and standard deviation of the class on the Examination when these scores are released.
H. Students Requiring Examination Accommodation related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
1. Students who require Examination accommodations must review the Policy on Student Accommodations and Accessibility and identify themselves as an individual with a disability and submit the appropriate documentation to the Office of Academic Excellence.
2. The Office of Academic Excellence will evaluate the student’s documentation and provide the student with a written accommodations plan if the student is found to qualify for accommodations.
VI. EFFECTIVE DATE
This policy is effective immediately.
VII. POLICY MANAGEMENT
Executive Stakeholder: Dean, School of Medicine
Oversight Office: Office of Undergraduate Medical Education
