8.1 Assessment Policy

Purpose and Scope

All courses and clerkships in the MD degree program have assessments that reflect the structure, content and learning objectives of the specific course or clerkship. The ultimate goal of these assessments is to determine whether pertinent learning objectives have been achieved, including the Medical Education Program Objectives. The learning objectives and assessments are the same at all regional campuses and clerkship sites.

Students will be assessed in a variety of areas, using a variety of assessment methods, relating to the six competency domains covered by the Medical Education Program Objectives:

  • Patient Care
  • Medical Knowledge
  • Systems-based Practice
  • Practice-based Learning and Improvement
  • Service to Patients and Community (Professionalism)
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Policy Statement

Performance Feedback

All blocks, courses, and clerkships are required to provide feedback to students on their performance during the course so that the students have adequate opportunity to improve by the end of the course. Instructors should also provide feedback at the conclusion of the course to enable students to continue to improve in areas needing development as they move into subsequent blocks, courses, or clerkships.

In the Foundations Phase, each examination or other form of assessment, whether summative or formative, is expected to provide students with ongoing feedback in order to promote improvement and understanding.

In the required clerkships of the Patient Care Phase and Explore and Focus Phase, all students must receive mid-clerkship feedback in order to provide an opportunity to improve or to enhance areas of strength while in the clerkship. The feedback will be provided by someone with knowledge about the student’s performance (e.g., supervisor, site director, clerkship director, etc.).

Block, course, and clerkship and/or site directors are encouraged to speak with students who appear to be having significant difficulty in the blocks, courses, or clerkships based on their exam scores, assignments, and/or participation in required components of the block, course, or clerkship.

Narrative Assessment

Narrative assessments reflect student performance at an individual level to provide an opportunity for student self-reflection and self-improvement.

Medical students will receive narrative feedback/assessment whenever feasible during their training in addition to grades and/or numeric ratings.

In the Foundations Phase, narrative assessment will be a component of the student’s formative and, where appropriate, summative assessment in courses that teach clinical skills on an individual or small group (12 or fewer students) basis with a consistent (4 or more sessions) teacher.

In the Patient Care Phase and Explore and Focus Phase, a narrative assessment is to be provided as a required component of the student’s final assessment in each clerkship. The narrative assessments submitted during the clinical phases may be included in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE).

Observed Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)

OSCEs are administered periodically throughout the curriculum to assess the level of medical knowledge and clinical skills of students. If minimum performance standards are not met in any of the OSCEs, the student must successfully complete the recommended remediation plan in order to be approved to continue in the curriculum.

Assessment of Professional Development

Students are expected to adhere to the UWSOM Standards of Conduct and Professional Behavior Policy and UW Medicine’s Policy on Professional Conduct. As noted above, professionalism is also a component of the Medical Education Program Objectives.

Each student’s progress in demonstrating professional standards appropriate to their level in medical school is assessed in the Foundations of Clinical Medicine course during the Foundations Phase and in all clerkships during the Patient Care Phase and Explore and Focus Phase.

Management of concerns regarding a student’s development of professionalism will be assessed based on the severity, pattern, and significance of any problems that are noted, and will be referred to a Student Affairs Dean, Foundations Dean, College mentor, and/or Student Progress Committee, as appropriate, for review with the student. Unprofessional behavior and conduct may be noted in the student’s Medical Student Performance Evaluation.

Requirements, Procedures and Guidelines

Foundations Phase

The required Foundations Phase blocks/courses are expected to incorporate content and formats relevant to USMLE Step 1 into their assessments.

The following are requirements for assessment in the Foundations Phase:

  • All graded components with weight of 10% or greater are subject to approval by the Academic Affairs Assessment Team.
  • All exam questions are subject to approval by the Assessment Team to ensure that they meet minimum quality standards.
  • As per the UW Registrar, attendance cannot be a graded component of the block. Students can be graded on participation.
  • Multiple-choice exam pacing for MS1 students will be 30 questions/hour (2 min/question). Exam pacing for MS2 students will be USMLE pacing (40 questions/hour; 1.5 min/question). Anatomical pin tests will be 30 questions in 50 minutes.
  • Blocks must have an exam at least every two weeks.
  • All blocks will have a cumulative final examination. Blocks cannot schedule anything other than optional review sessions for the day prior to the final exam. The cumulative portion of the final exam cannot exceed 30% of the total grade.

Assessment plans for Foundations blocks/courses will be created in consultation with the Director of Assessment & Evaluation and the Assistant Dean for Basic Science. Preliminary assessment plans are approved by the Foundations Phase Committee as part of the Lessons Learned process. Assessment plans are finalized during the lockdown meeting for the block/course. Changes to assessment plans after the lockdown meeting are subject to the change management process.

Note: See Foundations Grading & Assessment for more information.

Required Clerkships

The required clerkships are expected to incorporate content and formats relevant to USMLE Step 2 into their assessments.

The following are requirements for assessment of required clerkships:

  • For clerkships that use NBME clinical subject exams as their end-of-clerkship exam, the passing score will be the 3rd percentile nationally. As per the Academic Requirements Policy, passing exams for the required clerkships is a graduation requirement.
  • Clerkships will develop a Mini-Clinical Examination (Mini-CEX) to assess a clinical skill that is important to their specialty. This assessment can be formative and does not necessarily have to contribute to the final grade.

Related Policies

Effective: Current
Last updated: December 12, 2025
Policy Contact: UW School of Medicine, Curriculum Office, somgov@uw.edu; Education Quality Improvement Office, eqi@uw.edu