Grading Policy

Course coordinators determine the means by which the final grade will be computed which may include exam scores, written assignments, laboratory exercises, practical examinations, class participation and other means of evaluation. Please see tabs above for more information.

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

PRECLINICAL YEARS (M1-M2) GRADING
Courses will be graded via a letter grade (A, B, C or F).  Each letter grade, for the purpose of calculating a GPA, is assigned a numeric value. The GPA is calculated by multiplying the numeric value of the course grade by the number of course credits and then dividing the total points by the total credits taken.

The Pass–No Pass grading policy is only applicable to those courses that are graded on the pass or fail basis and is not figured into the GPA. It does not apply to those courses that are graded on the letter grading scale. Cumulative GPA will be based upon the grades earned during the first, and second professional years only.

Withdraw (W): A student who takes a leave of absence or withdraws from the course or program prior to the midpoint of the term or course, as designated in the syllabus, will receive a W on the transcript.  Withdrawing after the specified date will result in a WP or WF based on the earned grade to date.

Incomplete (I): A student who does not complete the course because of excused reasons will receive an incomplete. Six weeks after the end of the term, the incomplete will revert to a failure under most circumstances.

 CLINICAL CLERKSHIPS (M3-M4) GRADING

Final Clerkship grades are reported as Honors, High Pass, Pass, Fail. The students must refer to their respective campus’s Clerkship Manual for all information pertaining to grading.  

The final grade for Clinical Clerkships in which a Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Achievement Test (COMAT) exam is given will be based upon the COMAT score and student performance grade in the Clerkship. The students must refer to the DO Handbook and the Clerkship Manual for all information pertaining to grading. Grading is consistent across all campuses.

Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Doctor of Pharmacy program grade point average is based on a 4.0 scale. Doctor of Pharmacy grading structure is as follows:

The Pass–Fail grading policy is only applicable to those courses that are graded on the pass or fail basis. It does not apply to those courses that are graded on the letter grading scale. For letter grade determination, the final percentage earned in the class will be rounded to the nearest whole number.

Graduate, PhD, PsyD and Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs

Graduate and PsyD programs grade point average is based on a 4.0 scale. Graduate and doctoral programs grading structure is as follows:

F   Does not count towards the total number of credits required for the program.
P   Satisfactory or marginal level of competency in practicum seminar
S   Satisfactory level of progress in dissertation seminar or biomedical research
U   Unsatisfactory level of progress in dissertation seminar or biomedical research

P Pass:
Satisfactory performance

NP No Pass:
Unsatisfactory performance

I Incomplete:
An incomplete grade must be requested by the student in writing, in advance of the end of the course. If the instructor approves the request, a written agreement is made regarding the work required and the due date. The new grade must be sent to the Registrar within six weeks of the last class. Failure to complete the assignment within six weeks will result in the Incomplete being changed to a grade of F The only exception is in Psychology where it is required that Independent Study courses and Assessment I or II must be completed by the end of late registration in order to be eligible for enrollment in the next term’s course sequence.
 

W  Withdrawal
Withdrawal before midpoint of the term of a course.
 

WP Withdrawal
Withdrawal after the midpoint of a course while passing. (This grade does not apply to the DO, Biomedical Science, or Doctor of Pharmacy programs)
 

WF Withdrawal
Withdrawal after the midpoint of a course while failing or unauthorized withdrawal (This grade does not apply to DO, Biomedical Science, or Doctor of Pharmacy programs)
 

AU Audited (no course credit)

Grade Point Average
The grade point average is calculated by dividing the total credits attempted (excluding grades of HP, S, P, WP, WF, I, AU, W) into the sum of the products of points and credits for all courses taken. Only courses taken at PCOM are included in this calculation.

Grade Reports
Grades are available to all students at the end of each term via the Banner Web services in myPCOM. PCOM does not distribute paper mailers.
 

Dropping of Courses
The deadline to drop a course is the last day of the first week of the term. Students who drop a course by this deadline will receive a 100% tuition refund.

Students enrolled in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, the Doctor of Pharmacy the Physician Assistant, and the Doctor of Physical Therapy programs are not permitted to drop one course, but are required to drop all coursework in that term. Because of the sequential nature of these programs, students requesting to be dropped from one term may be required to take a leave of absence until the following year. In these programs, consultation and approval from the program dean or program director is required.
 

Withdrawal From Courses After Drop-Add Period
Withdrawals occur after the first week of the term.

While students in other graduate programs may be permitted to withdraw from a course, it should be done with the consultation of their program director or dean. Withdrawals may change the sequence of courses to be taken. Students approved to take a withdrawal from a course up to the midpoint of a course will earn a grade notation of Withdraw. After the midpoint of the course, students will not be eligible to withdraw from a course unless there are extenuating circumstances and they are given permission from their program director or dean. The latter option will be reserved for extreme circumstances only. Course withdrawals approved after the midpoint of the course will carry a grade notation of WP if withdrawing when passing, or a grade notation of WF if withdrawing when failing.

Students may not be permitted to continue in the program with more than one WF grade notation. These students will be reviewed by their program's Student Progress Evaluation Committee and will recommend action to the Student Academic Progress Committee for academic action.

Withdrawal grades or credits are not calculated in the grade point average or earned credit hours.
 

Auditing Courses
A course audit does not provide the student with any course credit nor can it be used toward degree requirements. A course audit is noted on the transcript with a grade of AU and does not calculate into the GPA.

When auditing a course the student is required to actively participate in labs, group assignments and to take examinations.

For a student to audit a course, permission must be received from the dean or the program director at the beginning of the term and submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

Course audits must be declared by the first day of the academic term. Requests to audit courses after that time will not be permitted. Audited coursework will not be eligible for federal financial aid.

If a student wishes to challenge a final course grade, the student must follow the timelines and procedures outlined in their program of study Handbook.