Policy Statement
Students must be present for scheduled examinations, except in the event of acute personal illness or personal/family emergencies. Students who delay the clerkship exam must complete the Clerkship Exam Delay Attestation Form prior to the start of the exam (or as soon as possible if there are extenuating circumstances).
Students who delay their exams and do not take them prior to the grade submission deadline will receive a grade of Incomplete for the clerkship until they are able to complete the exam. Students have until the end of the next quarter to complete the exam to get a grade for the clerkship. If that incomplete is not cleared by the end of the next quarter, it converts to a Fail grade for the clerkship. If the student has extenuating circumstances that prevent them from completing the exam by that time, they will need approval from a dean to extend the deadline. Clerkship directors will work with the Assistant Dean for Student Development to determine if such extenuating circumstances exist prior to submitting a Fail grade for the clerkship.
Once a student starts an exam, it will be scored, and no retake opportunity will be given unless a medical emergency or confirmed technical issue occurs during the exam that prevents the completion of said exam.
If a student fails to complete the Clerkship Exam Delay Attestation Form prior to the beginning of the exam and does not sit for the exam, they will be given a zero and no retake opportunity will be given unless a personal emergency or confirmed technical issue prevented the student from completing the form and/or attending the exam.
Make-up exams will be administered one week later (the Friday following the missed exam date) for those whose acute issue has been resolved. Students who delay exams are responsible for contacting the Clerkship Administrator for the rotation during which the make-up exam will be administered (not the clerkship whose exam was missed) to request appropriate time away from that clerkship for the retake. For students unable to attend the make-up exam date, alternative plans will be made with the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) Testing Service on a case-by-case basis.
If a student needs to delay more than one exam in a given clinical year, they will be contacted by a Dean from Student Affairs to discuss additional needs.
Procedure
In the event a student is unable to sit for a clerkship exam due to an acute personal illness or personal/family emergency:
- The student must complete the Clerkship Exam Delay Attestation Form prior to the beginning of the exam.
- For issues arising earlier than the Wednesday (i.e., 48 hours or more) prior to the exam, students must reach out to the Clerkship Director and Clerkship Administrator to discuss them.
- UWSOM Testing Service will provide the information from the Attestation Form to the student, Clerkship Director, and Clerkship Administrator for the rotation whose exam is being postponed.
- Students must contact the Clerkship Administrator for the rotation during which the make-up exam will be administered (not the clerkship whose exam was missed) to request appropriate time away from that clerkship to take the exam.
- The make-up exam will be administered one week later (the Friday following the missed exam date).
Related Policies
- Attendance & Absentee -Clinical Phases Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Exam Environment – Clinical Phases Policy
- Clerkship Grading Policy
- Academic Grading Policy
Related Student Information and Resources:
- Instructions for Remote Proctored Exams
- Zoom Setup for Remote Proctored Exams
- NBME Clerkship Exams
- NBME Workstation Certification
- Clerkship Exam Schedule Guidelines
- Clerkship Exam Fail FAQ
Effective: Current
Last updated: October 16, 2023
Policy Contact: UW School of Medicine, Curriculum Office, somgov@uw.edu; Education Quality Improvement Office, eqi@uw.edu