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Regulations

Part 1: General Regulations

503. 
Grading Policy - School of Medicine En 10/29/85, Rt by Assembly 3/4/86, Am 1/28/14, Am 4/13/21
  • A)
    The work of all students in those courses designated by the Faculty of the School of Medicine as constituting the Preclerkship Core Curriculum, as well as in the Principles to Practice course, will be graded P (pass) or F (fail).  In the Residency Transition course, grades shall be reported as P (pass) F (fail).  The work of all students in core clinical clerkships will be reported in terms of four grades: H (honors); NH (near honors); P (pass); F (fail). Am 1/29/02, Am 12/1/09, Am 1/28/14, Am 4/13/21
  • B)
    In all preclerkship elective courses and Independent Study Project and independent study research courses, grades shall be reported on a S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) grading scale. Am 12/1/09, Am 4/13/21
  • C)
    In all third-year selective courses, grades shall be reported as P (pass) or F (fail). En 1/25/11
  • D)
    In all fourth-year elective clerkships and elective courses, grades shall be reported as H (honors); NH (near honors); P (pass); F (fail) unless the course/clerkship director has designated a mandatory S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) grading scale or a P(pass) or F (fail) grading scale, and this has been approved by the Electives Committee. En 12/1/09, Am 1/25/11, Am 4/13/21
  • E)
    No grade‑points per unit shall be assigned.
  • F)
    Grade Changes
    All grades except Incomplete (I), In Progress (IP), and Provisionally Unsatisfactory (Y) are final when filed by an instructor in the end of term course report.  However, a final grade may be corrected at any time when a clerical or procedural error is discovered.  No term grades except I and Y may be revised by further examination.
  • G)
    Grade Appeals
    A medical student may appeal a course grade by following procedures described in the UCSD School of Medicine Advisor and Student Handbook.
  • H)
    Definitions of Grades.  Student evaluation is based on the following: Am 4/13/21
    • 1)
      The H Grade:
      The grade H (Honors) is assigned to those students whose overall academic performance in a third-year core clerkship or a fourth-year elective clerkship or fourth-year elective course is considered to be outstanding.  Honors grades are not granted in preclerkship core or preclerkship elective courses or third-year selective courses nor in the Independent Study Project. Am 4/13/21
    • 2)
      The NH Grade:
      The grade NH (Near Honors) is assigned to those students whose overall academic performance in a third-year core clerkship or a fourth-year elective clerkship or fourth-year elective course is significantly higher than a Pass grade, but lower than an Honors grade. Near Honors grades are not granted in preclerkship core courses, preclerkship elective courses, third-year selective courses, fourth-year elective and core courses, or in the Independent Study Project. Am 4/13/21
    • 3)
      The P Grade:
      The grade P (Pass) is assigned to those students whose overall performance in a course is satisfactory. Am 4/13/21
    • 4)
      The F Grade:
      The grade F (Fail) is assigned to those students who overall performance in a course is unsatisfactory.  The assigned F (Fail) grade will remain on the transcript.  When an F grade is remediated by examination, a memorandum to that effect will be posted to the transcript.  If the F grade is remediated by repetition of the course, the course will appear chronologically a second time on the transcript. Am 4/13/21
    • 5)

      The S Grade:
      The grade S (Satisfactory) is assigned to those students whose overall performance in a preclerkship elective course, Independent Study Project course, or independent study research course is satisfactory.

      Am 4/13/21
    • 6)
      The U Grade:
      The grade U (Unsatisfactory) is assigned to those students whose overall performance in a preclerkship elective course, Independent Study Project course, or independent study research course is unsatisfactory.  The assigned U (Unsatisfactory) grade will remain on the transcript. Am 4/13/21
    • 7)
      The Y Grade:
      The grade Y (Provisionally Unsatisfactory) is assigned as an initial grade.  A Y grade is replaced either by a P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) grade when the requirements for the course have been satisfied; or, if a student fails to complete the requirements satisfactorily within a period of time determined by the course instructor, an F (Fail) or U (Unsatisfactory) grade is assigned.  The Y grade cannot be replaced by a Near Honors or an Honors grade.
    • 8)
      The I Grade:
      The grade I (Incomplete) is assigned when a student’s work is of passing quality but is incomplete for good cause (illness or family emergency, for example).  The grade I will be replaced with a grade when the remaining course work is completed. The instructor shall make arrangements with the student for completion of the work required at the earliest possible date, but no later than one year following the course.  An extension to this deadline may be granted by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education, if there are extenuating circumstances.
    • 9)
      The IP Grade:
      For courses extending over more than one quarter, and in which evaluation of a student’s performance is deferred until the end of the final quarter, a grade of “In Progress” (IP) shall be assigned and replaced by a final grade when the student completes the course sequence.
    • 10)

      The W Grade:
      The grade W (Withdraw) is assigned when a student has completed some portion of the course and for personal, medical, or other reasons must withdraw from the course.  Students are not generally permitted to withdraw after the midpoint of a course. If a student withdraws after the midpoint of a course, the W grade will remain on the transcript.  If the course is repeated at a later date, it will appear a second time on the transcript. The Withdraw grade must be approved by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education.  The Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education may approve exceptions to the assignment of the W grade, including allowing a student to withdraw after the midpoint of a course if there are extenuating circumstances.   Am 12/9/14

    • 11)
      Blank on a Student's Transcript:   En 12/9/14
      (1)  If a student's name appears on the end of quarter course list (or roster) for a course, but no grade is reported, the Registrar will leave a blank for that course on the student's transcript.
      (2)  If a blank on a student's transcript is not replaced by a grade that is assigned by the course instructor, then it will be automatically replaced by an F or U grade at the end of the following quarter.