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Medical Curriculum

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Medical Curriculum

The following refers to the four-year undergraduate medical curriculum leading to the M.D.,C.M. (Medicinae Doctorem et Chirurgiae Magistrum) degree.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2016-2017 (last updated May. 17, 2016) (disclaimer)

Curriculum Renewal – Governance

Curriculum Renewal – Governance for Undergraduate Medicine

Serving society's needs is of the utmost importance and requires training graduates who are well-equipped to assume leadership roles in their communities. This entails keeping a constant watchful eye towards advancing the M.D.,C.M. program curriculum and continuous fine-tuning to ensure it remains in step with the health sciences environment (of the 21st century in Quebec, nationally, and globally, including rapid advances in scientific knowledge). The undergraduate medical education program is overseen by the M.D.,C.M. Program Committee. This committee makes and enacts policies relevant to the design and delivery of the M.D.,C.M. program. It ensures that the program is aligned with the Faculty's mission statement and that it complies with relevant accreditation standards. It has responsibility for the design, management, integration, evaluation, and continual improvement of the medical curriculum. The Chair of the committee is the Associate Dean (UGME). There is wide student representation within all educational committees, whether at the M.D.,C.M. Program Committee, its subcommittees, and discipline subcommittee levels.

For more information on M.D.,C.M. program governance see www.mcgill.ca/ugme/about-us/governance/mdcm-program-committee.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2016-2017 (last updated May. 17, 2016) (disclaimer)

Evaluation System

Evaluation System

The Evaluation System is multifaceted and under constant review by the Faculty. The Faculty reserves the right to change any of these rules and regulations at any time, although in general such changes will not come into effect in the middle of a Promotion Period. For complete Faculty regulations, reference should be made to the Faculty of Medicine's Undergraduate Medical Education Academic Policies.

The Faculty operates on a modified pass/fail system. This in effect means that students' standings, class rank, and grades in courses and rotations are not available to any external agency such as hospitals, universities or licensing bodies. For purposes of internal use students' numerical grades are used in the calculations required for student feedback, academic advising and promotion, awards, prizes, Dean's Honour List designation, academic bursaries, and Faculty medals.

For the purposes of evaluation, the four-year curriculum is broken down into promotion periods. (Subject to change; see below.)

Promotion Periods

Promotion Periods

Promotion Period I includes Fundamentals of Medicine Year 1 courses and Physician Apprenticeship 1. The promotion periods for the remaining three years of the curriculum are under review. For details regarding promotion regulations, please refer to www.mcgill.ca/ugme/academic-policies/promotion-regulations.

Please refer to the appropriate edition of the Health Sciences Calendar at www.mcgill.ca/students/courses/calendars.

Student Promotions

Student Promotions

The Student Promotions Committee (SPC) will review the academic record, professional conduct, and general performance of any student on a regular basis and will determine whether the student may proceed to the next promotion period.

No evaluation, examination mark, etc. shall be considered final until passed by the SPC. Where a student has failed one or more units, or has been found to have been engaged in unprofessional conduct, the SPC will automatically review the student's entire academic record and general performance. The SPC may require the student:

  1. to undergo remedial rotation(s);
  2. to repeat an entire Promotion Period;
  3. to be suspended from the program for up to one year; or
  4. to be dismissed from the program.

A student who obtains a "failure" or two or more "borderline" grades with the new curriculum as of Class of 2017 or a "failure" or two or more "Below Expectations" for the Class of 2016 will be placed on probation.

Academic offences such as plagiarism and cheating on examinations, including examinations administered by the Faculty of Medicine on behalf of external agencies, and unprofessional conduct, are considered serious offences which could lead to dismissal from the program. A student who engages in criminal activity and/or who is found guilty of having violated the criminal code will have his/her dossier referred to the SPC; this may be considered evidence of unsuitability for the practice of medicine and grounds for dismissal from the program.

The Faculty reserves the right to dismiss from the program any student who is considered incompetent and/or unsuitable for the practice of medicine (see www.mcgill.ca/ugme/academic-policies/promotion-regulations).

Note: For selected students, the program includes a one-year integrated clerkship in Gatineau/Hull or outside the city of Montreal. Promotion criteria is the same as Montreal.
Note: Success on a final exit exam (one of either the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) Qualifying Exam Part 1, the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) 2 CK, or an in-house examination) is required for graduation, beginning with the Class of 2018. (This information is subject to change.)

Failure of Supplemental Examinations or Remedial Rotations

Failure of Supplemental Examinations or Remedial Rotations

A failure in a supplemental examination or remedial rotation in Promotion Periods I, II, III, IV, and V will result in the student being required to repeat the Promotion Period or to be dismissed from the program as determined by the SPC. A student may not repeat more than one Promotion Period in the curriculum. Failure in any course during a repeat Promotion Period will result in immediate dismissal from the program.

The results of all supplemental examinations and the evaluation result of remedial clinical rotations will be recorded in the official transcripts as supplemental examinations, and will be considered as such for purposes of promotion.

Notice of Failures

Notice of Failures

It is the student's responsibility to be available for notification of a failing grade. If a student is unable to be located after a reasonable effort by the Dean's office, the consequences will be borne fully by the student.

Note: There is a charge for each supplemental examination. Once approval of the supplemental examination is confirmed by the Undergraduate Dean's Office Student Records Officer, the student's account will be billed. This charge is for all supplemental examinations and related reread of exams throughout the program. For fee amounts and other details, refer to the Student Accounts website.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2016-2017 (last updated May. 17, 2016) (disclaimer)

Program Overview

Program Overview

Due to curriculum changes, program components and courses may be revised. Revisions will be posted on the Undergraduate Medical Education website.

The current M.D.,C.M. curriculum, implemented in fall 2013, marking one of the largest renewals in Faculty history, is a product of five years of reflection, multidisciplinary consultation, planning, and development. Rooted in the principle of "The Patient at Heart and Science in Hand," the curriculum fully recognizes the importance of family medicine in addressing current needs, while simultaneously providing a program that is firmly rooted in science. Also significant is interdisciplinary learning, as well as offering a longitudinal experience where the major themes are learned in tandem rather than in isolation.

For more information on M.D.,C.M. program governance, see www.mcgill.ca/ugme/about-us/governance/mdcm-program-committee.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2016-2017 (last updated May. 17, 2016) (disclaimer)
Faculty of Medicine—2016-2017 (last updated May. 17, 2016) (disclaimer)
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