Academic and Education Policies

OU College of Medicine students pursuing the Doctor of Medicine degree are aspiring to a profession in which full participation in the learning environment is an essential component of lifelong learning and aligns with accreditation and licensing standards. Professional development dictates that, as physicians in training, students are expected to make medical school their highest priority. Attendance and participation are expected in all educational activities, and are required for all other sessions specified by the Course/Clerkship Directors. Attendance and participation are assessed and documented in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE also known as the Dean’s Letter).

Refer to the policy for clarification on:

• Attendance and Punctuality Expectations
• Consequences of Absences
• Special Circumstances (including residency interviews)

COM Policy 306

Leave of absence (LOA) may be granted for up to one year, but requires review and approval by one of the Associate Deans. All LOA requests must be made in writing and submitted to one of the Associate Deans.

Examples of reasons for LOA may include: extraordinary personal/family situations or illness, health concerns, pursue research experience, pursue an additional degree such as Ph.D. or M.P.H, etc. Academic difficulty in itself is not a sufficient reason to request a leave of absence.

Students who are granted an LOA for health concerns will be required to submit a letter from a medical or mental health provider before re-enrolling.

Health and disability insurance coverage may be affected while on leave. Students on a leave cannot receive financial aid. The University considers a student on LOA to be in continuous enrollment and subject to adhering to all University and College compliance issues, to include but not limited to urine drug screen, national criminal background check, etc.

COM 307

COM Policy 413

Students in the OU College of Medicine who meet the minimum standards for graduation and have the recommendation of the Faculty Board of the College of Medicine are eligible to participate in the commencement ceremonies of the College. Review this policy for information on diplomas and participating in the Commencement ceremony.

COM Policy 315

Diplomas are available to students approximately 6-8 weeks after their graduation date. More information is available here.

There will be two levels of recognition for graduates: Special Distinction and Distinction. The top 1/6th of the class on the basis of cumulative percentages weighted by clock hours for all graded courses will be eligible for either Special Distinction or Distinction.

Special Distinction will be reserved for those students obtaining a ranking in the top five percent of graduating students on the basis of cumulative percentages weighted by clock hours for all graded courses.

Distinction is reserved for the balance of the top 1/6th of the graduating students on the basis of cumulative percentages weighted by clock hours for all graded courses.

COM Policy 316

The committee functions as prescribed by the Faculty Board to monitor the performance of individual medical students and recommend who shall and shall not be promoted, and, if appropriate, what must be accomplished to receive a recommendation for promotion. The Student Promotions Committee shall also recommend to the Faculty Board and Executive Dean who shall and shall not graduate, and, if appropriate, what must be accomplished to be granted the M.D. degree.

COM Policy 331

COM Policy 401

First-year medical students are enrolled automatically into their courses through the OU College of Medicine Office of Student Affairs (OKC) and Office of Student Services (Tulsa SCM). A student’s enrollment may be blocked if specific information requested by the University is not received in advance of matriculation (i.e., failing to submit a final undergraduate transcript to Admissions and Records, etc.) or if a hold is placed on the student’s account for failing to fulfill specific obligations (i.e., not completing online training, lacking immunizations, carrying a debt on a Bursar’s account, etc.).

MS1 course information can be found in the Preclinical Course Catalog.

Second-year medical students are enrolled automatically into their courses through the OU College of Medicine Office of Student Affairs. A student’s enrollment may be blocked if specific information requested by the University is not received in advance of matriculation (i.e., failing to submit a final undergraduate transcript to Admissions and Records, etc.) or if a hold is placed on the student’s account for failing to fulfill specific obligations (i.e., not completing online training, lacking immunizations, carrying a debt on a Bursar’s account, etc.). All second-year medical students are enrolled in the following courses, which are graded on an honors, pass, and fail scale.

Updated MS2 course information can be found in the Preclinical Course Catalog.

Seven (7) Core Clinical Clerkships: All students are required to successfully complete seven (7) core clinical clerkships during third-year. The seven (7) core clinical clerkships are graded A, B, C, D, and F. These include Family Medicine, Medicine, Neurology, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgery.

Updated MS3 clerkship course information can be found in the Clerkship Catalog.

Three (3) Selectives: Students are also required to successfully complete three (3) selectives during third-year. Unless otherwise noted, each selective is two-weeks and include: Anesthesiology, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine (Tulsa), Emergency Medicine-Adult, Emergency Medicine-Pediatric, Medical Informatics (Tulsa), Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Radiology-Diagnostic, Sports Medicine (Tulsa), and Urology.

Updated MS3 selective course information can be found in the Selectives Catalog. 

Selectives are graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

Unlike the lock-step schedule for the first two years of medical school, in which all students take the same courses (with the exception of the enrichment courses) at the same time, the students’ third-year schedule varies and is based upon templates that arrange enrollment in clinical courses upon the maximum number of students a specific course may accommodate at any one time. This means that not all of the students will enroll in the same courses at the same time. A random lottery will determine the order in which students select their templates (ascending order students choose their templates and in descending order students choose their selectives).

Third-year students may not change their schedule without expressed permission from the Office of Student Affairs.

Fourth-year scheduling is considerably more flexible compared to first- through-third-year scheduling. The flexibility allows fourth-years to schedule on-campus and off-campus elective rotations in clerkships that may be of particular interest or applicable toward their intended career path. Geriatric and Capstone are graded A, B, C, D, and F. Sub-internship and electives are graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

Similar to third-year scheduling, a random number draw will determine the order in which students select their required core clerkships and electives.

Updated MS4 elective course information can be found in the Selectives Catalog.

Second-year medical students must take and pass Step 1 according to timeline outlined in Policy 406.11 before promotion to the third-year. Fourth-year medical students must take and report their scores on the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge component prior to being certified for The Match. Students are advised to take USMLE Step 2 CK no later than December 31 of their fourth year of medical school.

COM Policy 406

The policy reflects current USMLE Step 1 guidelines for classes entering medical school 2017 and after.

COM Policy 406.11 

All second-year students must take the NBME Comprehensive Basic Sciences Exam (CBSE) at the scheduled date and time (near the conclusion of the preclinical curriculum).

Students who score less than a 50 (or equivalent score) on the MS2 CBSE:

• Are strongly encouraged not to sit for USMLE Step I unless and until granted approval by the associate dean responsible for student affairs
• Are asked to take a NBME Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment during the last two weeks of the preclinical curriculum.

COM Policy 432