• ¨The curriculum depends on the active engagement of students in their own learning and on collaborative contributions to peer learning.
• ¨Key learning occurs in small groups, which depend on individual preparation and participation by every member.
• We value every component of the curriculum and therefore mastery of each element and discipline will be expected.
• The goal of this curriculum is that each student achieves competence in order to progress. Therefore, criteria for mastery are defined, but students' level of achievement is not ranked.

Grades: All courses in the Essential Core are graded Pass/Fail. The final grade is based upon passing performance in each segment of the course: examinations, assignments, quizzes and small group work. The minimum passing score on each exam is 70%.

Examination Absences:
    Students can be absent from an exam only with the permission of the course director and for the following reasons:

        1) documented illness,
        2) approved personal or family emergency,
        3) approved non-emergency personal, family, or professional commitment.

    1) If you are unable to take an exam because you are ill, you must notify one of the course directors by email or in person before the exam (conditions permitting), and receive permission to reschedule.
    2) If you are unable to take an exam because you have a personal or family emergency, you must notify one of the course directors by email or in person before the exam (conditions permitting), and receive permission to reschedule.
    3) If you wish to request to be absent from an exam due to a non-emergency personal, family, or professional commitment, you must contact the course director at least three weeks in advance of the regularly scheduled exam. Approval of such requests is at the discretion of the course director, in consultation with curricular consultants that include the Chair or Co-Chair of the Essential Core Course Committee and the Director of Curricular Affairs.

 Requests that are MOST likely to be approved include:
-Requests from students who intend to observe major holidays in their religion
-Requests from students who intend to attend a meeting to a) present their professional work or b) formally represent UCSF or medical students (as an elected delegate, or voting member of a committee)
-Requests from students with unrepeatable, immovable family commitments (eg family member wedding or graduation)

The following guidelines should be taken into account when requesting absence from an exam for non-emergency reasons:
- The date at which the rescheduled exam takes place is at the discretion of the course director. Some exams CANNOT be taken early.
-Rescheduling of practical exams must be approved by the organizer of the practical exam, in addition to the course directors and consultants. Rescheduled practical exams must occur within the day of the originally scheduled practical whenever possible, though the timing and format of the exam are to be determined by the organizer of the practical exam. Some practical exams cannot be rescheduled. In this event, credit for those points may not be included in the student's exam score.
-Rescheduling of some exams (clinical skills assessments) may incur a financial cost to the student.
-Requests from students with professional or academic makeup work pending, or who are on probation, will be considered on a case-by-case basis; requests for earlier exam dates are unlikely to be approved.
-Exams rescheduled for non-emergency reasons must take place no later than the first day of the next course.

    Makeup Examinations: A failed exam must be retaken and passed even if the overall average of all examinations for the course is 70% or higher. Makeup exams must be passed on one attempt. Students with unexcused absences from exams will not be eligible to take makeup exams.

Assignments or Quizzes: The minimum passing score for assignments and quizzes is 70%. The course administration will clarify, for each discipline, if each individual assignment or quiz must be passed OR if passing is determined by an aggregate score of several assignments or quizzes.

Self-Assessment. Self-assessment exercises are provided for individual use and self-evaluation. Their use is encouraged but is not required. They are not graded nor are results available to course instructors.

Course Evaluations: To ensure course improvement and to benefit from your experience with the course, you are required to complete the on-line course and teacher evaluation within two weeks of the end of the course. Final exam grades are not released to the class until 70& of students have completed the course evaluations.

Ad Hoc Evaluations (“on-the-fly”): Students are provided an opportunity to evaluate all faculty members and residents with whom they work. There are many ways for students to provide feedback but it may be difficult, at times, to navigate through the process. On occasion, a student will work with a stellar or problematic faculty member or resident but is not asked to evaluate that individual. In that situation, a student can provide praise or concern in a confidential manner completing an "on-the-fly" evaluation in eValue. This anonymous and confidential information is sent to the clerkship director and the associate dean for student affairs. For students who are unfamiliar with the  "on-the-fly" feature of E-Value or do not wish to use it, they can email their concern or praise to a designated individual in the Office of Educational Technology at confidentialevaluation@ucsf.edu. The student's name will be removed from the evaluation and the content will be forwarded to the clerkship director.

Assistance with Learning: If you need additional tutoring or instruction, please contact the course director or the Office of Curricular Affairs for assistance as soon as possible. The school has numerous resources available at your request to help you.

Adopted August 21, 2001