Assessments

The MD Program utilizes a variety of assessment strategies to ensure that learning objectives are appropriately evaluated and noted as achieved during pre-clerkship.

Low-stakes assessments aim to provide more frequent checkpoints and feedback to students regarding their performance during a course or component of preclerkship. These include any assessments or assignments marked for completion only, which have a lower weighting in calculating the overall course grade, are not considered “must pass” components, and/or are delivered frequently through a course to assess a smaller degree of content.

Examples include self-directed or open-book assignments, weekly quizzes (and, in some cases, TBL sessions), narrative or reflective writing assignments, and others.
High-stakes assessments are those assessments that have significant consequences for the students. These assessments have higher weighting on overall course grades or are “must pass” course components.

Examples include final exams (with the combined written and applied/anatomy components), mid-term exams, OSCEs, and others.

Course Assignments

Each course (systems-based and longitudinal theme) will include various assignments. Each course coordinator will outline the expectations of their course, including any specific written assignments, online modules, presentations, or other tasks required within the course. Most assignments will be housed within the https://assess.med.ualberta.ca/ system.

Some assignments are graded using a set scoring rubric, while others may only be graded for completion. See the course outline for further details. Reach out to the specific course coordinators if you have any questions.

Discovery Learning (DL)

Faculty Evaluations of Student Performance

Discover Learning sessions occur in all systems-based courses. The number of cases in each course depends on its duration, but on average, there is about 1 case per week.

Students are assessed by their faculty tutors for their participation and engagement in the group process and discussions. No numerical grade is given, and students are assessed in a pass/fail manner. Successful completion of discovery learning is a mandatory component of each course.

DL Evaluation Timing

For courses that are 3 weeks or less, DL evaluations will occur at the END of the course only.
DL evaluations will occur for courses over 3 weeks at the MIDPOINT and the END of the course.
All DL peer evaluations are due 3 days after the scheduled tutor evaluations.

Peer assessments are REQUIRED and are due within 3 business days of the scheduled mid-point or final evaluation for DL; deadline extensions are not provided. Repeated failures to complete the peer feedback by the deadline may result in a professionalism lapse for the student, at the discretion of the course coordinator or other faculty leader in the MD Program.

Team-Based Learning (TBL)

Team-based learning sessions include components of both individual and group performance. For each of these sessions, students will complete an individual quiz followed by a group quiz. All groups then complete some clinical application cases to help solidify the concepts being covered. All components of TBL sessions are CLOSED BOOK, including the IRAT, GRAT, and the cases.

Each TBL will include the following components:

Individual preparation before the session (e.g. designated pre-readings or other preparation before the session)
Individual readiness assessment test (IRAT) - a brief quiz completed individually worth 40% of the TBL score.
Group readiness assessment test (GRAT) - a brief quiz completed as a group with consensus answers worth 60% of the TBL score.
Application cases - narrative responses to clinical cases graded by completion only.
As a formal assessment, attendance is mandatory and in-person. Formal attendance tracking is not used for TBL as you will be completing the quizzes in-person.

Anatomy Assessments

Some components of anatomy knowledge and clinically applied anatomy questions may be assessed through multiple choice or written questions on weekly quizzes, mid-terms, and/or final exams.

In addition, anatomy knowledge and skills are tested through a lab-based practical or "bell ringer" exam. These exams are held in the anatomy lab, where students will rotate through different stations with specific specimens, models or images. Questions aim to identify marked anatomical structures/landmarks or provide clinically correlated information about injuries or pathology. Each station is timed, and students must move to the next station each time the bell rings.

Students are provided with clipboards, and the exam questions are usually short answer responses. Please see the Anatomy Quiz Instructions document for more information. Updated and more specific instructions will be provided before each anatomy exam.

The anatomy faculty, in collaboration with course coordinators, grades and sets standards. Anatomy practical exam scores are included as a proportion of final exam scores for all courses with an anatomy lab component.

Quizzes, Mid-terms, and Final exams

Courses within preclerkship will vary in length. As such, different types of examinations will be used for various courses. Some courses will include weekly quizzes, and others will have mid-terms or mid-point exams. All courses will have a final exam component, comprising both the written examination and the anatomy practical exam.

All quizzes and examinations require in-person attendance. Any student absent from these formal assessments must submit a notification to the MD Program as per the absence policy. Any absence that is NOT excused will result in a ZERO grade on the evaluation. If you have an approved absence, it is up to the student to contact the Assessment team (ume42@ualberta.ca) to reschedule the exam.

Final course examinations follow all standard university guidelines for final exams as per the University of Alberta Calendar.

The MD Program does have an Assessment & Rewrite Policy for these formal assessments, where students may have an opportunity to rewrite an assessment if they are unsuccessful at the first attempt. Please review the policy for further details.

Standard Setting for Assessments

Different types of scoring are used for assessments in the MD Program.

Pass/fail - These components are graded as pass or fail, with no numerical grade provided. This includes DL participation or some assignments graded only for completion.
Scoring rubrics - Some assignments will have specific scoring rubrics, indicating the grading criteria for the assignment and passing grade.
Quizzes and exams—Assessments with multiple questions (including MCQ and/or written) will have a "pass mark" set using the Angoff method. Groups of faculty review these assessments together to determine the appropriate pass mark or cut-off score based on their expert experience and expectations for minimally acceptable performance.

Exam Scoring

Exams use the Angoff method to determine the passing grade, while OSCEs use borderline regression. Since these calculations are done post-exam, the exact pass mark is unknown beforehand. However, course coordinators can provide an estimate of the passing grade based on average pass marks from previous years.

Academic Accommodations

The MD Program is committed to supporting all students in their academic success within the program. Individual students may have circumstances that require formal academic accommodations to support their learning and success with assessments in the program.

Accommodations are evaluated and approved through the Academic Success Center and the MD Program Academics (Edmonton) team or NAMP Academics (NAMP).

Absences or Missed Assessments

Each course outline will specify the required or "mandatory pass" components. Students absent from any mandatory attendance or assessment component must ensure that an absence request has been submitted to the MD Program office for review.

Approved absences will be allowed to reschedule assessments where possible, or some assessments may be entirely excused and removed from calculating the overall course grade.
Unexcused or non-approved absences will result in a zero grade for that component.

Detailed criteria regarding absence policy, assessments and rewrites, and academic appeals can be found at the program Policies and Procedures site.

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