Award of Bachelor of Medicine Degree with Distinction Guideline

Document Number	000845
Date Approved	7 November 2007

 

Date of Commencement:  For Year 5 Students 2007

 

1.      Context

These Guidelines support the provision within the Bachelor of Medicine Schedule (000021) to allow the awarding of the degree “with distinction”.

2.      Guidelines

2.1.     Based upon results in Years 4 and 5 of the Bachelor of Medicine program students may be awarded the Bachelor of Medicine degree with Distinction.   Year 4 and 5 results will be weighted equally.

 

3.         Year 4 – “Distinction” Assessment Instruments

 

MEDI4011 (Medicine)             

Assessment Instruments:      Long Case         )        25%                  

                                       Written Paper              )                                  

MEDI4012 (Surgery)                                                                          

Assessment Instruments:      Long Case          )       25%

                                                Written Paper      )

MEDI4013 (Paediatrics)                                                                     

Assessment Instruments:      Long Case          )    25%

                                                Written Paper      )

MEDI4014 (Rep Medicine)     

Assessment Instruments:      Clinical OSCEs  )    25%

                                                Written Paper      )

                                                                                    ______

                                                                                                   100%

3.1.     Calculation of Year 4 Mark

 

i.         Marks from each of the contributing assessment instruments in the Course are weighted and added appropriately.  Each student will then have a final mark for each of the Year 4 courses. 

ii.       Based on the results for each course, an average and standard deviation will be calculated. 

iii.      Students who have scored a mark that is more than one standard deviation above the average mark will be given a score of three (3).  Students that have scored within one standard deviation above the average mark will be given a score of two (2).  Students that have scored within one standard deviation below the average mark will be given a score of one (1) and students that have scored more than one standard deviation below the average mark will be given a score of zero (0).

iv.     Students in Year 4 will be given an overall score out of twelve (12) based on the four Year 4 courses.

The purpose of using the system of awarding students a score for each of the courses based on averages and standard deviations, rather than just adding the marks to gain one overall percentage, is to identify the students who have attained a level of excellence across all four courses.  

 

 

4.         Year 5– “Distinction” Assessment Instruments

 

 

MEDI5011 (Medicine)             Longitudinal Task                   25%

MEDI5011 (Medicine)            Medicine Long Case              15%

MEDI5011 (Medicine)             Medicine 48 Hr Task             15%

MEDI5012 (Psych/PHCS)        Psychiatry OSCEs               15%

MEDI5013 (AICU/Onc/PCare)Oncol/Pall Care OSCEs       15%

MEDI5014 (Surg/Emerg Med)Emergency Med OSCEs      15%   

                                                                                                                 100%

4.1.     Calculation of Year 5 Mark

i.         Marks from each of the contributing assessment instruments are weighted as indicated and added appropriately to give a total mark.  The total mark is then converted to a percentage.  This percentage is then converted to a score out of twelve (12).  

ii.       The Courses in Year 5 are not weighted equally as the assessment instruments vary greatly across the courses, for example, the 8 week Medicine Course has a heavier assessment content than the four week Psychiatry attachment.  The weightings on the assessment instruments reflect the amount of time and input required by the student, with larger more arduous tasks carrying a higher weighting.     

5.      Compilation of Results

i.         Any student that fails any Course in Years 4 or 5 of the Program will be ineligible to be awarded the Bachelor of Medicine degree with Distinction.  

ii.       The Year 4 and Year 5 scores are added together to give students a total score out of twenty-four (24).  

iii.      A cut off score of 75% (equivalent to the award of Distinction in course grades) of the possible 24 marks, will apply for the award of Distinction.

Approval Authority	Academic Senate
Date Approved	7 November 2007
Date for Review	7 November 2010
Policy Sponsor	Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & Global Relations)
Policy Owner	Academic Registrar
Policy Contact	Assistant Academic Registrar, Faculty of Health
Amendment History	Approved Academic Senate 7 November 2007