Doctor of Medicine

Definition of Student Status

The status of a student shall be determined in accordance with these rules by the OMSP or the COSEP. All statuses shall be recorded on the transcript. Please see the COSEP policies and procedures for additional details about student status.

Dismissal. Dismissal is the permanent administrative termination of a student.

Suspension. Suspension is the administrative termination of the enrollment of a student for a specific period of time.

Withdrawal. Withdrawal is the voluntary termination of enrollment by a student.

1. A student who withdraws from the college and subsequently seeks reinstatement must submit a written petition for reinstatement to the Committee on Admissions of the College if withdrawal took place before the completion of the student’s first term of enrollment. If the student withdrew subsequent to the first term, the student must submit a written petition to the COSEP for reinstatement.
2. A student who fails to engage In registration for courses or who fails to engage in a course according to the policies of the College will be considered to have withdrawn. A student withdrawing under this provision may submit a written petition to the OMSP for reinstatement. The OMSP shall determine whether special circumstances existed which justified the student’s failure to engage or whether the student’s petition should be forwarded to the COSEP.

Course Credit

Rush Medical College assigns no credit hour value to its courses. First- and second-year courses are recorded on the transcript according to the term in which the courses are given.

Grades and Examinations

The grading system for Rush Medical College shall be established by the COSEP and adhered to by course directors. Please see the COSEP Policies and Procedures for details about course grading.

Recording of Grades

Please see the COSEP policies and procedures for details about how grades are recorded and disseminated.

Student Performance Assessment in a Course

Please see the COSEP Policies and Procedures for details on the following:

• Performance evaluation
• Absences from Examinations
• Failed courses in first and second years
• Status of students with course failures

Remedial Programs

The Committee on Student Evaluation and Promotion (COSEP) and the Office of Medical Student Programs (OMSP) establish requirements for remedial work for students with course failures in the first or second year. Remedial work requirements will be reasonably related to the basis for and seriousness of the student’s deficiencies. Such requirements may include but need not be limited to the following: study with re-examination, retaking failed courses during the next academic year and retaking all courses including those satisfactorily passed.  A failure in a required clerkship must be remediated in a manner prescribed by the course director in consultation with the OMSP and approved by the COSEP, consistent with the reasons for the student’s failure. A student required to repeat any component(s) of a required clerkship must complete the failed course prior to beginning another core rotation. In developing requirements, the COSEP will consider the needs of the individual student and will endeavor to develop a program that, if successfully completed, will strengthen the student’s prospects for successfully completing the remainder of his or her college program.

Academic Dismissal

Grounds for dismissal are outlined in the COSEP Policies and Procedures.

Curriculum: First Year

The first year curriculum is integrated into six courses taught in sequence through the academic year. The curriculum also includes a Capstone course in the Fall and Spring terms.

• IPE - 502 Interprofessional Patient Centered   Credit: (1)
• RMD - 560 Foundations of Medical Practice  Credit: (1)
• RMD - 561 Host Defense and Response  Credit: (1)
• RMD - 562 Vital Fluids and Gases I Credit: (0)
• RMD - 562A Vital Fluids and Gases II Credit: (1)
• RMD - 563 Energy Metabolism and Nutrition  Credit: (1)
• RMD - 564 Brain, Behavior and Cognition  Credit: (1)
• RMD - 565 Movement and Mechanics  Credit: (1)
• RMD - 517 Capstone I  Credit: (0)
• RMD - 518 Capstone II  Credit: (1)

Curriculum: Second Year

The second year curriculum is integrated into four courses taught in sequence through the academic year. The curriculum also includes a Capstone course taught in both terms.

• RMD - 566 Reproduction and Sexuality  Credit: (1)
• RMD - 567 Growth, Development and the Life Cycle  Credit: (1)
• RMD - 568 Hematology and Oncology I  Credit: (1)
• RMC - 568A Hematology and Oncology II  Credit: (1)
• RMD - 569 Complex Cases and Transition to Clerkships  Credit: (1)
• RMD - 519 Capstone III  Credit: (0)
• RMD - 520 Capstone IV  Credit: (1)

Grading - First and Second Years

Students in the first and second years will receive a grade of pass, fail or incomplete.

USMLE Step 1

Prior to the start of the third year, students must take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1. Students who do not pass USMLE Step 1 are required to discontinue the third year curriculum for remediation (please refer to section on USMLE Step 1 failure for additional information). Permission to defer taking this examination must be granted by the OMSP.  Students who defer Step 1 beyond the established deadline must take the exam within nine months of completing the second year, and defer clinical rotations until a passing score is achieved.  Students who fail the USMLE Step 1 are removed from clinical rotations and placed on a LOA until a passing score is achieved.  Students who fail the USMLE Step 1 three times are recommended to the COSEP for dismissal.
 

Curriculum: Third Year

The third year involves 42 clinical weeks in required core clerkships in internal medicine, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics/gynecology, surgery and primary care.  The final three courses of the Capstone sequence are also taken during this year.

There are 6 weeks of time (4 before or after the Primary Care clerkship, and 2 following the Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkship) which students may use to take non-credit elective courses for which they are eligible.

• MED - 703 Core Clerkship: Internal Medicine Credit Hours: (8)
• NEU - 701 Core Clerkship: Neurology Credit Hours: (4)
• PED - 701 Core Clerkship: Pediatrics Credit Hours: (8)
• PSY - 701 Core Clerkship: Psychiatry Credit Hours: (4)
• OBG - 703 Core Clerkship: Obstetrics-Gynecology Credit Hours: (6)
• RMD - 701 Core Clerkship: Primary Care Credit Hours: (4)
• SUR - 701 Core Clerkship: Surgery Credit Hours: (8)
• RMD - 550 Capstone V Credit Hours: (0)
• RMD - 551 Capstone VI Credit Hours: (1)
• RMD - 552 Capstone VII Credit Hours:

Curriculum: Fourth Year

The fourth year involves a required emergency medicine core clerkship, a required senior sub-internship, a clinical bridge course to prepare students for residency, and a series of elective clerkships which ultimately comprise a minimum of 44 total weeks.  Required senior core clerkships total 12 weeks.  The remaining 32 weeks required of the fourth year consist of elective study in areas of special interest to each student.  The choice of electives is guided by the goal of an educationally balanced undergraduate experience.  Of the 32 weeks of required student-chosen electives, up to 12 weeks of elective study may take place at other Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) - or Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited institutions and a maximum of 12 weeks of elective rotations may be taken in a single subspeciality. 

• EMD - 703 Core Clerkship: Emergency Medicine Credit Hours: (4)
• FAM - 710 Subinternship: Family Medicine Credit Hours: (4)
• MED - 710 Subinternship: Internal Medicine Credit Hours: (4)
• PED - 710 Subinternship: Pediatrics Credit Hours: (4)
• SUR - 710 Subinternship: Surgery Credit Hours: (4)
• RMD - 722 Clinical Bridge Course Credit Hours: 4

Grading - Third and Fourth Years

In the third and fourth years, students will receive a grade of honors, high pass, pass, fail or incomplete for each of the clerkships and electives.

USMLE Step 2

All students must take and pass both the Clinical Knowledge (CK) and Clinical Skills (CS) components of USMLE Step 2 during the student’s fourth year by a date determined by the OMSP.  Failures on either component are reported to the COSEP.  Students who fail either component of the USMLE Step 2 three times are recommended to the COSEP for dismissal.