Quillen College of Medicine

The course offerings and requirements of ETSU are continually under examination and revision. This catalog presents the offerings and requirements in effect at the time of publication, but is no guarantee that they will not be changed or revoked. However, adequate and reasonable notice will be given to students affected by any changes. This catalog is not intended to state contractual terms and does not constitute a contract between the student and East Tennessee State University.

ETSU reserves the right to make changes as required in course offerings, curricula, academic policies, and other rules and regulations affecting students to be effective whenever determined by the institution. These changes will govern current and formerly enrolled students. Enrollment of all students is subject to these conditions.

ETSU provides the opportunity for students to increase their knowledge by offering programs of instruction in the various disciplines and programs through faculty who, in the opinion of ETSU, are qualified for teaching at the college level. The acquisition and retention of knowledge by any student are, however, contingent upon the student’s desire and ability to learn while applying appropriate study techniques to any course or program. Thus, ETSU must necessarily limit representation of student preparedness in any field of study to that competency demonstrated at that specific point in time at which appropriate academic measurements were taken to certify course or program completion.

The Quillen College of Medicine is an active and integral part of the East Tennessee community. Quillen is a part of the East Tennessee State University Academic Health Science Center and is located on the grounds of the U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mountain Home, immediately adjacent to the main ETSU campus. Additional instructional facilities are located throughout the Tri-Cities (Bristol, Kingsport, and Johnson City) and neighboring rural towns. The newest training location for the college is at the LeConte Medical Center in Sevierville. Through its diverse locations and resources the Quillen College of Medicine provides a rural community-based program with an emphasis on the education of primary care physicians. Through the clinics of ETSU Physicians and Associates, Quillen provides training to students and health care in most general and specialty area to citizens of the state and area.

The Quillen College of Medicine is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and was created through the enactment of the Veterans Administration Medical Assistance and Health Training Act passed by the United States Congress in 1972. This act provided for the establishment of the ETSU medical school and several others throughout the United States in conjunction with existing Veterans Administration hospitals. The College of Medicine was officially established by the Tennessee General Assembly in March 1974, received its letter of provisional accreditation from the LCME in June 1977 and enrolled its first class of 24 students in August 1978. Full accreditation status was awarded in February 1982. The college was officially named the Quillen College of Medicine in honor of Tennessee’s First District Representative, James H. (Jimmy) Quillen, who was instrumental in the establishment of the school. The school currently boasts over 3,000 graduates, many of whom have remained in the state to practice in every field of medicine.

In keeping with its original mission to provide primary care physicians and medical care for the people in the surrounding region, the Quillen College of Medicine has developed the Rural Primary Care Track (RPCT). The RPCT was initiated through a grant provided by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation’s Community Partnership Program to train medical, nursing, and allied health professions students in an interdisciplinary team approach. Centers are currently operating in Tennessee in Greeneville, Mountain City, and Rogersville and in southwest Virginia.

The primary mission of the Quillen College of Medicine is to educate future physicians, especially those with an interest in primary care, to practice in underserved rural communities. In addition, the College is committed to excellence in biomedical research and is dedicated to the improvement of health care in Northeast Tennessee and the surrounding Appalachian Region. The College of Medicine offers a core curriculum designed to help accomplish this mission. Added to that core curriculum are special experiences to prepare students for the unique challenges and rewards of practice in smaller rural communities, particularly in a primary care specialty. Our curriculum is delivered within a learning environment that maximizes individual faculty involvement aimed at enhancing the full professional development of our students. Graduates of the Quillen College of Medicine are noteworthy by their success nationally in securing residency positions in competitive programs within all specialties including primary care. Nationally Quillen remains above the 88th percentile in the percentage of its graduates practicing primary care and practicing in medically underserved areas.

1. Education: Provide a “student centered learning environment” that focuses on the overall professional development of students and residents.
2. Research: Strengthen research productivity, especially clinical research to enhance the health of the region.
3. Clinical and Community Service: Firmly integrate our academic values into the planning an implementation of clinical activities as we focus on meeting the needs of our patients and the communities we serve.
4. Faculty and Staff Development: Further strengthen the College’s commitment to the success of our faculty and staff by investing in their professional development.
5. Diversity: Strengthen our recruitment and retention of a diverse complement of faculty, staff, and students so as to enrich our cultural environment, to strengthen our cultural competence, and to improve the care of our patients.

The Quillen College of Medicine endeavors to meet community and regional health needs by identification, creation, and execution of the necessary programs through utilization of its diverse resources. The college is a major health care provider for East Tennessee. In view of this responsibility, the college emphasizes primary care as the focus of medical practice and training programs. The primary care physician is defined as the physician of first and continuing contact, coordinating the entire care of the patient. Primary medical care is a function rather than a discipline. This care is provided by family physicians, general internists, general pediatricians, and obstetricians/gynecologists. In addition to meeting the clinical and service responsibilities, the college also supports a significant research endeavor.

The Quillen College of Medicine has an experienced and qualified faculty in the biological, behavioral, and clinical sciences. In addition to the full-time faculty, a number of practicing physicians in the community participate in the educational process as both part-time and volunteer faculty.

Quillen College of Medicine enjoys an expansive array of modern, state-of-the-art teaching facilities. Most pre-clinical academic coursework is provided in Stanton-Gerber Hall on the Veterans Administration campus. This joint venture of the VA and the State of Tennessee provides over 180,000 square feet of teaching, laboratory and office space. Classrooms provide a pleasant learning environment and are equipped with modern teaching technology. Labs are modern and provide equipment appropriate to the teaching/research enterprise. Teaching labs include a simulation laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art simulators and a standardized patient laboratory. A newly renovated historic VA building, Bishop Hall, opened in the fall fo 2018 providing space dedicated to interprofessional education with additional simulation and standard patient laboratories. Small group and other academic experiences are provided in numerous other buildings and clinics on the grounds.

The Quillen College of Medicine currently enjoys a hospital patient base of over 2,000 teaching beds and outpatient clinical visits averaging over 189,000 per year. Clinical instruction is provided through Ballad Health system’s hospitals, James H. Quillen Mountain Home VA Medical Center, LeConte Medical Center, and ETSU Health clinics. These facilities provide a broad patient base with exposure and training in both primary and tertiary care medicine. Specialized units include a level-one trauma center, complete cardiac care, women’s health units, neonatal and pediatric intensive care, cancer treatment, a psychiatric hospital and a children’s hospital. Nearly every area of modern medicine is practiced through our affiliated hospitals and additional experience is available at hospitals/health centers in our rural training locations.

Affiliated Hospitals

Ballad Health: Bristol Regional Medical Center, Bristol, TN
Ballad Health: Johnson City Medical Center, Johnson City, TN
Ballad Health: Niswonger Children’s Hospital, Johnson City, TN
Ballad Health: Woodridge Hospital, Johnson City, TN
Ballad Health: Franklin Woods Community Hospital, Johnson City, TN
Ballad Health: Holston Valley Medical Center, Kingsport, TN
James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mountain Home, TN
LeConte Medical Center, Sevierville, TN

ETSU Health Clinics:  Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Surgery

Rural Primary Care Training Sites

Ballad Health: Hawkins County Memorial Hospital, Rogersville, TN

Ballad Health: Greeneville Community Hospital, Greeneville, TN

Ballad Health: Johnson County Community Hospital, Mountain City, TN

Medical Library

The Quillen College of Medicine Library supports students’ health information literacy, evidence-based practice, and lifelong learning through an emphasis on mentoring students for improved information and research skills; providing access to selected resources for learning, research, and patient care; and facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration and outreach to improve health education and the health of the community.

The library provides access to numerous subscription information resources via the library website http://www.etsu.edu/medlib/ and university library catalog. Most resources can be accessed remotely using a valid ETSU username and password. Additional print resources are available in the library facility. If a needed resource is not available, it can be obtained via Document Delivery/Interlibrary Loan for a minimal fee.

Library staff members are available for all levels of assistance including support for resource and remote access; help finding high-quality information; training for making literature searches more complete, targeted, and efficient; suggestions and assistance with medically-related mobile apps; recommended consumer health resources to share with patients; guidance on finding images for use while navigating copyright concerns; citation management and other software; locating specific known books, journals/articles, and other resources; and identifying helpful resources for a particular topic of study.

The library can also provide support for student volunteer/community outreach work, including guidance on high-quality consumer health resources, assistance with health literacy programs, and other general support and mentoring.

The library facility includes a computer lab, group study rooms, white boards, study carrels and tables, vending machines, copy/scanning equipment, conference/meeting room, print books/journals, full-size refrigerator and microwaves, and exercise room. Food and drink are welcome in the library, and water bottle refill fountains are available. The library provides free coffee during regular hours on the first floor. From spring to fall, the library’s small second floor porch is open for outdoor study. Yoga mats and BUC bikes can be checked out from the service desk. 

Medical students with active campus ID cards have after hours card access to the library basement, which includes study rooms, study carrels and tables, vending machines, refrigerator and microwaves, and an exercise (spin bike) room.

The library is located in VA Building 4 and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to midnight; Saturday, 10:00 am to midnight; and Sunday, 1:00 pm to midnight. For more information, contact the information desk at 423-439-6253.  

Biomedical Communications

The Department of Biomedical Communications is located on the second floor of the Quillen College of Medicine Library, Building 4, on the grounds of the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mountain Home. This department assists students, residents, faculty, staff, and others within the health care community by providing graphic design and production in support of teaching, research, patient care, public service and promotional programs. Services include print, display and digital media; scientific posters; class notes; special project design; and high quality color copying.

The Quillen College of Medicine sponsors 16 residency and fellowship programs overseen by the Office of Graduate Medical Education. Sponsored by the clinical departments of the College of Medicine, the programs utilize the resources of the college and affiliated hospitals. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (https://www.acgme.org/) accredits all of the residency and fellowship programs. The Graduate Medical Education Committee and the Associate Dean for Graduate Education conduct Institutional oversight of all programs. Affiliates include the Mountain Home Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Ballad Health facilities.

Accredited residencies include three Family Medicine programs; Internal Medicine; Anatomic and Clinical Pathology; Pediatrics; Psychiatry; Obstetrics and Gynecology; General Surgery; and Orthopaedic Surgery. Accredited fellowships include Family Medicine fellowship in Addiction Medicine and Internal Medicine fellowships in Infectious Diseases; Cardiology; Gastroenterology; Medical Oncology; and Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Disorders Medicine.

To obtain information on any of the programs contact the respective department or the Office of Graduate Medical Education at (423) 439-8023 or visit our website at:  https://www.etsu.edu/com/gme/

Quillen College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians. The Mission of the Office of Continuing Medical Education (CME) is to provide lifelong learning opportunities that meet the needs of faculty and health care professionals in Tennessee and the surrounding Appalachian region, and to enhance the knowledge, skills, and competencies of faculty and health care professionals leading to improved community health and patient outcomes. 

The CME program will provide quality educational activities that address identified educational needs of health care professionals and enhance their ability to improve health outcomes of patients and their communities, and provide evidence-based CME activities that emphasize research and patient care. Coverage of these subject areas will be accomplished through special conferences, regularly scheduled series (such as grand rounds, case-conferences), enduring materials, web-based CME, learning from teaching, performance improvement CME, and other formats as needed. 

To meet this mission, the office strives to provide learning opportunities that lead to: 

• Improvement in practice through activities that link CME to quality improvement, patient safety and improved patient care
• Prevention, behavioral health and disease states (identified as public health priorities), patient safety and quality improvement
• Special needs of the region’s ethnic and socioeconomic populations
• Development and/or distribution of supplemental tools and resources

The Office of CME is located in Building 2 on the grounds of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mountain Home. For further information about the CME program at ETSU and its educational activities, please call 423-439-8081 or contact us at the Office of Continuing Medical Education, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Box 70572, Johnson City, TN 37614, cmeadean@etsu.edu. To view current program offerings, visit the website http://www.etsu.edu/com/cme.

The Quillen College of Medicine Alumni Society is an affiliate organization of the ETSU National Alumni Association. The Society is governed by a Board of Directors representing MD and Resident alumni members. The Society is staffed by the Director of Development and Alumni Relations from the ETSU Office of University Advancement under the direction of the Dean of Medicine.

College of Medicine alumni are invited and encouraged to participate in society activities which include alumni reunion weekends; local and regional alumni gatherings; and an alumni recognition program. The Quillen Alumni Society also cooperates with the Offices of Academic and Faculty Affairs and Student Affairs to encourage alumni volunteer involvement as preceptors and mentors in support of current medical students. Charitable contributions to the ETSU Foundation by alumni and friends are requested and encouraged through the annual fund, major gift opportunities, and planned gifts. Donors can choose from a menu of existing endowments and restricted funds or they may work with a development officer to establish new endowments and funds to benefit Quillen College of Medicine students, residents, faculty, and staff. The ETSU Foundation is a 501c(3) organization established to support the university. For assistance with a gift or information on Quillen Alumni Society programs, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (423) 439-6142 or email qcomalumnisociety@etsu.edu.

The standing committees of the Quillen College of Medicine are listed below with a brief description of each committee’s function. An asterisk (*) indicates the committees on which there are voting student members and a double asterisk (**) indicates the committees on which there are non-voting student members.

Administrative Council: Meets at regular intervals to discuss matters of interest to the biomedical sciences and clinical science departments.

Admissions Committee*: Responsible for the selection of students for medical student status.

Affiliation Partnership Council: Representatives of the VA hospital and dean’s staff meet to consider matters related to the medical school-VA hospital affiliation.

Committee on Gender and Special Issues*: Serves as a resource in the Quillen College of Medicine for areas of interest involving gender and other issues.

Continuing Medical Education Advisory Committee: The committee has an active role in planning and guiding the office of continuing medical education in future program ideas.

Criminal Background Administrative and Drug Screen Committee: This committee evaluates and determines an appropriate course of action if concerns are unresolved after the reviewing physician evaluates the results of all drug screens. The CBADSC is comprised of the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. The CBADSC will be responsible for making recommendations to the Dean in all such matters.

Diversity and Inclusion Council*: Serves as a college-wide resource that brings together expertise, experience and innovation to advance diversity and inclusion throughout the college. Members of the council are appointed by the Dean. The council’s goals are to advise in the following areas: 1) Recruitment and retention/retention of students, faculty and staff; 2) Education and scholarship; 3) Demonstrate diversity as a core principle; 4) Community outreach and engagement.

Faculty Advisory Council: An elected committee of representatives from each medical school department (not including chairs) to recommend to the dean actions of interest to the medical faculty.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Committee*: Establishes the policies under which the student financial aid office functions, recommends students for financial aid, and recommends which students should receive scholarships and/or honor awards.

Graduate Medical Education Committee: Residency program directors and peer-selected residents perform a periodic analysis of each residency training program.

Learning Resources Advisory Committee*: Consults with the Associate Dean for Learning Resources on library policies and procedures.

Medical Student Education Committee*: Responsible for recommendations related to the quality of the medical student education program.

Promotion & Tenure Committee: The committee serves advisory to the dean for faculty promotion and tenure.

Student Promotions Committee**: Monitors progress of all students and recommends actions involving students who have academic or professionalism deficiencies or concerns.

Student Success Committee (SSC): The committee focuses on early intervention for students requiring academic support or other recognized needs based on all dimensions of wellness.

The Quillen College of Medicine employs a multi-faceted evaluation system to maintain its programs at a high level of quality. Elements of this system include the evaluation of faculty, courses, curriculum and the assessment of students. Since all professionals must be able to assess themselves in order to improve, students should master the process of self-assessment which will benefit them during medical school and carry forward into their careers.

The evaluation system is directed toward the following goals:

1. Systematic and effective evaluation of all programs.
2. Use of well-defined standards and outcome measures to analyze and interpret evaluation data identifying strengths and weaknesses.
3. Generation of data useful in planning and effecting improvements.
4. The system is understood by all individuals involved.
5. Evaluations are uniform and give equal treatment to all involved.
6. Individual components of the system are compatible with each other as much as possible.
7. Evaluations are multifaceted and use information from all available sources.
8. Evaluations are as concise as possible in order to provide easily managed quantitative data.
9. Flexibility and freedom of responses compatible with the above goals.

The East Tennessee State University strives to provide a safe and secure environment for the campus community. In order for individuals to make informed decisions about their personal safety, ETSU makes available to current and prospective students and employees the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This annual publication includes information on crime reporting procedures, policies, safety tips, prevention programs, and fire and crime statistics for the last three years. The report is available online at the Department of Public Safety website, where it can be downloaded for viewing or printing. Hard copies may also be obtained via US mail at no cost by calling Public Safety at (423) 439-6900, by writing to ETSU Dept. of Public Safety, Box 70646, Johnson City, TN 37614, or by emailing bowenmt@etsu.edu.
For additional information concerning safety at ETSU, contact Public Safety, (423) 439-6900, Office of Student Affairs, (423) 439-2019, or Office of Human Resources, (423) 439-4457.

East Tennessee State University is fully in accord with the belief that educational and employment opportunities should be available to all eligible persons without regard to age, gender, color, race, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation. It is the intent of the university to comply fully with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and all other federal civil rights statutes. Inquiries and complaints alleging violation of this policy should be directed to the Dean of the Quillen College of Medicine or to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, ETSU.

ETSU complies fully with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended. FERPA affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the university receives a request for access. Students should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The university official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the university official to whom the request was submitted does not maintain the records, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the university to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write to the university official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.

If the university decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the university will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her task. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Upon request, the university discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.

Personally identifiable information may also be released without the prior written consent of the student under one or more of the following conditions:

The university will notify a parent or legal guardian of a student who is younger than 21 and is found guilty of a university disciplinary violation governing the use or possession of alcohol or drugs. Notification will occur when the university alcohol or drug offense is in violation of any federal, state, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the institution, except as prohibited by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Upon request, the university will disclose the final results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by the university against a student who is an alleged perpetrator of any crime of violence (as that term is defined in section 16 of Title 18, United States Code) or a non-forcible sex offense, if the university determines as a result of disciplinary proceeding that the student committed a violation of the institution’s rules or policies with respect to such crime or offense. The information shall include only the name of the student, the violations committed, and any sanction imposed by the university on the student. The university may include the name of any other student such as a victim or witness, only with the written consent of that student. The university will notify victims of sexual assault of the outcome of any disciplinary proceeding against the alleged perpetrator.

The university will notify the alleged victim of any crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense (or if the victim is deceased, as a result of such crime or offense, to the next of kin) of the final results of any institutional disciplinary proceeding conducted against the alleged student perpetrator.

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by East Tennessee State University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605

It is a Class A misdemeanor to misrepresent academic credentials. A person commits the offense of misrepresentation of academic credentials who, knowing that the statement is false and with the intent to secure employment at or admission to an institution of higher education in Tennessee, represents, orally or in writing that such person has successfully completed the required coursework for and has been awarded one or more degrees or diplomas:

• from an accredited institution of higher education;
• from a particular institution of higher education; or
• in a particular field or specialty from an accredited institution of higher education.

Students are subject to continuous assessment in both cognitive and non-cognitive areas throughout the curriculum. Course and clerkship faculty provide periodic progress assessments both during and after the completion of various units of the curriculum. These periodic assessments will be available to the students. Students are encouraged to discuss these periodic assessments with appropriate course and clerkship faculty.

The manner of assessment is made known to the student body by the course and clerkship directors at the beginning of each course or clerkship. Some assessments are graded; others are narrative assessments of student performance. Throughout the curriculum, self-assessment and peer-evaluation are encouraged both formally and informally. Discussions between a student and faculty member or with small groups of students and faculty members are encouraged for the purpose of student self-assessment and feedback. At the conclusion of each course and clerkship, students receive a final  assessment  submitted by  course/clerkship directors to the Registrar’s Office. These reports become the official institutional record of the student’s performance and are the basis on which a transcript is generated. All students have access to their record. 

The overall progress of the student is monitored by the Student Promotions Committee, which meets to receive and consider all reports and other information relative to student assessments.

The College of Medicine utilizes a Pass/Fail grading system. The following is used to report the performance of students in all courses and clerkships:

• Honors (HONORS) Indicates that a student performed in a superior fashion with regard to mastery of clerkship objectives according to outlined criteria as approved by the Medical Education Student Education Committee (MSEC).
• Pass (P) Indicates that a student has demonstrated mastery of the material taught in the course or clerkship to the satisfaction of the responsible course/clerkship director. 
• Fail (F) Indicates that a student has not met the minimum performance standards for the course or clerkship as determined by the responsible course/clerkship director.  In this instance a complete repeat of the course will be required as recommended by the course/clerkship director and approved by the Student Promotions Committee. Any student who has one or more failing grades is subject to being dropped from registration.  A grade of F will remain permanently on the transcript. The remediated grade earned by repeating the course/clerkship will be added to the transcript in the academic period in which it is obtained. The “F” grade is considered a deficient grade and any student accruing two or more deficient grades will be placed on academic probation and recommended for dismissal from the College of Medicine.
• Incomplete (I) Indicates that a student in a course or clerkship who, because of illness or other valid reason beyond the student’s control, is not able to complete the course/clerkship requirements in the allotted time assigned. The course/clerkship director will recommend to the Student Promotion’s Committee the means by which the student might achieve a passing grade and the committee has responsibility for approving or recommending changes to the remediation plan, depending on circumstances. It is a temporary grade and must be resolved in a manner and approved by the Student Promotions Committee. When a student completes the work required (e.g., completes an assignment or makeup examination), it becomes a Pass or Fail final grade. If the student does not resolve the incomplete within the specified timeframe, it becomes a final grade of Fail (F). An Incomplete (I) grade is not considered a deficient grade.
• Temporary (T) Indicates that a student has been determined deficient in a portion of a course or clerkship and that remediation of some portion, but not the majority, of a course or clerkship is appropriate for the determination of a final grade. The “T” grade is considered a deficient grade and any student accruing two or more deficient grades will be placed on academic probation and recommended for dismissal from the College of Medicine.The course/clerkship director will recommend to the Student Promotion’s Committee the means by which the student might achieve a passing grade and the committee has responsibility for approving or recommending changes to the remediation plan, depending on circumstances. If the required remediation is successfully completed, the grade will be reported as final grade of Pass (P) and will be recorded on the transcript as P*. An asterisk will be used on the transcript to indicate that the student required remediation to obtain the passing grade. If the remediation is not successfully completed, the final grade will be reported as Fail (F). If the remediation for a T grade requires a new period of enrollment under requirement of the Student Promotions Committee to repeat the course/clerkship, special procedures apply as outlined below. The numeric score earned by the student in the initial attempt will be used for the calculation of class rank. On occasion the Student Promotions Committee, after an analysis of overall performance, may require the student repeat all or a portion of the curriculum including those courses/clerkships in which the original grade was a “T”. In this special instance, the student’s record will reflect the following: Upon successful remediation, the original grade of “T” will be replaced on the transcript with an asterisk (*). In this instance the numeric grade will be ignored. The enrollment of the repeated course will be added to the transcript as appropriate in the subsequent enrollment period. The grade earned by the student during the repeat course will be the grade recorded on the transcript. The numeric score earned by the student in the repeat will be used in determining class rank. 
• Review (R) is a temporary grade indicating that prior to assigning a final grade a course faculty, for an appropriate reason, desires to insure that the performance of a student is discussed at a Student Promotions Committee meeting. Following discussion by the Student Promotions Committee, the R will be changed by the course/clerkship director to the appropriate grade.
• Withdrawals (WP or WF) from a course or clerkship may occur through administrative approval only.  A student may withdraw from a course until one-quarter of the course’s duration with no penalty or record of enrollment. Between one-quarter and three-quarters duration of the course or clerkship, the student may withdraw, receiving a WP (Withdrew Passing) or WF (Withdrew Failing) grade as determined by the student’s current performance in the course or clerkship.  After a course or clerkship has passed three-quarters of its duration, the student may only withdraw under documented extenuating circumstances as approved by the course/clerkship director, and the Offices of Academic and Student Affairs. A grade of WP or WF will be assigned as determined by the student’s current performance in the course or clerkship. Withdrawal during the last quarter of the course/clerkship under other circumstances will yield a recorded grade of F.

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Under appropriate circumstances, with the approval of the course director, a student may officially audit a course. In such instances the audit will be recorded on the transcript as AU and the student must pay the corresponding tuition and associated fees. 

The College of Medicine maintains a class ranking for each student. Class rank is calculated based upon numeric course and clerkship grades (percentage out of 100 points). Class rank is determined at the end of the pre-clerkship phase and again at the end of the required core clerkships. Class rank is used to determine eligiblity for honor society membership and is reported on the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) for the first quartile per the policy.

View full policy at: ADMIN-0916-1

A Student Promotions Committee is appointed by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs to serve in an advisory capacity to the dean and the faculty. The purpose of the committee is to review on a continuing basis the progress of students throughout their medical school career; recommend to the faculty of the college the promotion of students from one academic year to the next; recommend for graduation to the faculty those students completing all established criteria of the M.D degree; and make recommendations to the Dean for actions which delay a student’s progress.

All deliberations of the committee are strictly confidential. Actions of the committee will be communicated through official channels of the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs’ office or, in special instances, by means designated by the committee.

View full policy:  SPROMO-0418-001

Composition

The structure of the Student Promotions Committee shall include faculty, students and staff of the college as appointed by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs who may serve as chair. 

Scheduling and frequency of meetings

Routine meetings will be scheduled throughout the year. Special meetings will be called by the chair when appropriate.

Requirements for quorum and adoptive action

A quorum for any regular or called meeting of the Student Promotions Committee shall be defined as more than half of the voting members. All actions of the committee will require a simple majority of those voting. Any member of the Student Promotions Committee who has provided health services of any type or has other conflicts of interest concerning a student will recuse themselves from discussion of or decisions about the student’s progress or advancement. Any member who is associated with a grade or course which has caused a student to be placed on the Student Promotions Committee agenda will recuse themselves from discussion of or decisions about the student’s progress or advancement.

Agenda

The Vice Dean for Academic Affairs (or designate) will be responsible for preparation of the agenda for regular and called meetings.

The agenda shall consist of a call for self-disclosure by any member of the Student Promotions Committee who has provided health services or has a conflict of interest concerning any student on the agenda; consideration of students’ academic progress; promotion of students from one year to the next; and certification of students for graduation.

Specific students to be discussed are those whom course directors indicate have failed their course; are performing at less than satisfactory levels after an interim evaluation; have received a T grade or any grade other than a P; or have had one or more Professionalism Report forms submitted and determined by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs for presentation to the committee. Any other student will be discussed at the request of a course director or course faculty.

The Student Promotions Committee will:

Advance students with satisfactory performance

Promotion from one year to the next and certification for graduation is contingent on a positive action recommended by the Student Promotions Committee on behalf of the faculty of the college. Students must meet all requirements for academic performance and professional behavior to be recommended for promotion or certification for graduation. Graduation is predicated on the determination by the Student Promotions Committee, that a student is suitable for the practice of medicine in terms of academics, personal characteristics and conduct.

Review students who receive Incompletes and/or Withdrawals from a course

The Student Promotions Committee will review students who receive an incomplete grade (I) in a course or withdraws (WP or WF) from a course. The Student Promotions Committee will consider the recommendation of the course director for satisfactory completion of the course and will monitor students’ progress, as appropriate.

Review students with unsatisfactory performance

Students who receive a non-passing grade (T or F) in any course will be reviewed by the Student Promotions Committee. The Student Promotions Committee will consider the recommendation of the course director for satisfactory completion of the course and will monitor students’ progress, as appropriate.

Students who are permitted by the Student Promotions Committee to continue in the curriculum after a receiving a failing grade and completing the prescribed remediation must complete the first two years of the curriculum within three years from the date of matriculation to be eligible for promotion to the third year of the curriculum. Inability to complete the first two years of the curriculum within three years from the date of matriculation is sufficient justification for dismissal. Additionally, inability to complete all requirements for graduation by the sixth graduation date following their date of matriculation, including any leaves of absence, is sufficient justification for dismissal.

Recommend students for dismissal

Students with more than one deficiency, defined as a grade of T or F, at any given time will be placed on academic probation and be recommended for dismissal.

The committee may, at any regular or extra called meeting, recommend dismissal for students with academic performance which does not meet institutional standards.

Students are subject to dismissal if they have one or more F grades at any time, fail a course while on academic probation, fail a course for a second time, fail to meet the requirements of remediation, or demonstrate other evidence of unsatisfactory performance.

Students may be recommended to the Dean for dismissed from the Quillen College of Medicine for non-academic reasons. The recommendation can be based on behavior that is not in keeping with the standards of the medical profession, or when the student’s conduct in the medical school is considered detrimental to the individual student, other students in the school, patients, or society in general.

If there is a recommendation for dismissal, the student will be afforded the opportunity to request in writing a reconsideration hearing before the Student Promotions Committee within a period of 14 calendar days from the time of the original recommendation. The student will be offered the opportunity to appear and be allowed to bring a person to serve as an advocate. The hearing will be an informal procedure allowing the student the opportunity to provide information related to their performance and/ or professional behavior which directly impacted their ability to successfully perform in the curriculum and their plan for future success.

Immediately following the hearing, the committee will decide upon a specific recommendation. If the prior decision to recommend dismissal of the student is upheld, the recommendation will be forwarded to the Dean.

Recommend students to be placed on a leave of absence

A student may be recommended to be placed of a leave of absence when the committee feels the student’s continued enrollment is not advisable due to resolvable circumstances. This recommendation will be explained to the student. If a student accepts, the recommendation will be forwarded to the Dean. If the student disagrees with the recommendation, the same procedure for a hearing will be followed.

Recommend students to be placed on a reduced schedule

The committee may recommend that a student be placed on a mandatory reduced schedule in order to assist with completing the curriculum. If the student disagrees with the recommendation, the same procedure for a hearing will be followed. The committee may also recommend the student be offered the opportunity for the reduced schedule. In this instance the student may or may not accept. If the student does accept, no further action is required. Established curricular progression time limits are still applicable.

Consider remediation plans

The committee has the authority to take action in the formulation of a remedial program. These programs may include, but are not limited to requiring a student to take a remedial make-up examination with or without a period of tutorial study; recommending or requiring a student to take a course at another institution acceptable to the faculty in whose course the deficiency occurred; requiring a student to be reexamined in a course; requiring a student to receive academic tutoring; or requiring a student to repeat all or part of a year’s work; or any other recommendation felt to be in the best interest of the student.

Place students on academic probation

The committee also has authority in the placement of a student on academic probation.

Make recommendations to the Dean

The committee recommends to the Dean: 1) the placement of a student on a reduced schedule; 2) the requirement of a student to take a leave of absence; and 3) dismissal of the student from medical school; or disciplinary action for unethical and/or non-professional behavior.

Hear student requests for reconsideration of Committee Actions

A student may request a reconsideration hearing by the Student Promotions Committee for action taken when the action is within stipulated authority of the committee delaying a student’s progress in the curriculum. The Student Promotions Committee Chair must receive the written request for reconsideration of the action taken within 14 calendar days following the date the student was informed of the decision.

Inform students of appeal process

If a student is not satisfied with the result of the reconsideration hearing by the Student Promotions Committee, the student may appeal the decision to the Dean of Medicine. A written appeal of the Committee’s recommendation must be submitted to the Dean of Medicine within 14 calendar days from the time the student is notified of the committee’s recommendation. The Dean will review the Committee recommendation, the appeal, and other relevant information in reaching a decision. The Dean will then notify the student, the chair of the Student Promotions Committee, and other appropriate individuals regarding the decision.

If the student believes that due process has not been afforded, a written appeal specifically identifying the failure of the process, may be made to the Senior Vice President for Academics. Such an appeal must be initiated in writing within 14 calendar days from the time the Dean reports the decision to the appropriate individuals, otherwise, the decision of the Dean of the Quillen College of Medicine is final.