I thought everyone might benefit from reading this email the 3rd termers received from the Dean of Students regarding what is necessary to be allowed by SGU to take Step 1. Sorry the table didn't copy, but i think you can figure it out.

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE DEAN OF STUDENTS

Advice for the Current 3rd Term Students
On BSCE I and BSCE II
June 2004

The Basic Science Comprehensive Exam is designed to cover the course material presented in the basic science program of the SOM and its purpose is to assure that students meet the necessary level of competence in the basic sciences prior to entry into the clinical program. BSCE I is administered at the end of the first academic year (Terms 1 and 2), and BSCE II is given at the end of the second academic year (Terms 3, 4, 5, and 6). The BSCE II, however, is comprehensive and therefore covers all of the basic science courses from term 1 through term 6. The exams are made up of internally acquired items (written by SGU faculty) and externally acquired items (from other sources). Your report tells you how you performed on the internal items and the external items. This information will give you some insight into your possible performance on future standardized exams, in which the items are exclusively external. School of Medicine faculty also use this information to assess the curriculum.

Having just received your BSCE I results, I'm sure that you have some questions about what the results mean and how you should utilize them. Hopefully, the following information will answer most of your questions.

1. What does it mean to pass the BSCE I?
The BSCE I assesses your knowledge of the courses that you took in terms 1 and 2. The passing score for your class was a Z score derived from the calculation of the class mean minus 1/2 a standard deviation, and the passing rate was 67.54% Passing the BSCE I indicates that you have a satisfactory level of knowledge in the courses covered. The highest score was 3.13 standard deviations above the class mean and the lowest score was -2.08 standard deviations below the class mean. Because of the comprehensive nature of this exam, a score of 65% or higher is considered to be a commendable level of performance. We recommend that every student analyze his/her performance using the diagnostic profile provided and review those subjects in which scores were below 55%.

2. What if I failed the BSCE I?
Failing the BSCE I should be experienced as a wake-up call. It indicates that your overall level of knowledge in the courses covered is unsatisfactory. Students who fail the BSCE I are placed on Administrative Probation, which is removed when the student passes the BSCE II.

Students in this category should analyze their individual performance carefully, using the diagnostic information provided. This information tells you how you performed in each subject area. Students can learn exactly which subjects contributed to their failure. It is important that students who fail the BSCE I find time to review their areas of weakness. We recommend that you spend some time over the summer remediating your weaknesses.

Failing the BSCE I does not prevent a student from progressing to the next term. It is expected that students will remediate their weaknesses so that their BSCE II performance will be more satisfactory.

3. Can I take the BSCE I again if I failed it?
Students may not retake the BSCE 1. Rather, they should focus on remediating their identified deficiencies.

4. How does the BSCE I correlate with USMLE Step One results?
The correlation of BSCE I to USMLE Step 1 is 0.6614. The correlation of BSCE 1 to BSCE 2 is 0.7597. Both BSCE 2 and USMLE Step 1 also correlate highly with cumulative GPA, with correlations of 0.7534 and 0.7555, respectively.




5. What happens if I successfully complete all of my courses in Terms 1-6, but fail the BSCE I and/or II?
One of the following things will happen.
(a) If a student passed the BSCE I, but failed the BSCE II, there is reason to believe that more preparation is needed before attempting to sit the USMLE Step One. While these students will be certified to sit the USMLE Step One in the July/Aug/Sept window based on their BSCE I results, the Dean of Students Office advises them to carefully review their BSCE II diagnostic report and remediate as indicated. It is highly recommended that these students retake the BSCE II at a subsequent administration to assess their readiness for USMLE Step One.
(b) If a student failed the BSCE I and II, but his/her cum GPA at the end of term 4 is 2.5 or higher, the University will certify the student to sit the USMLE Step One in the July/Aug/Sept window. While students in this category have demonstrated knowledge of the basic science course content, it appears that they have difficulty with standardized exams. For this reason, the Dean of Students Office highly recommends that they devote a period of time to study which includes test taking strategies, then retake the BSCE II examination at the subsequent administration. These students should use the BSCE II results to determine their readiness to sit the USMLE Step One.
(c) If a student failed the BSCE I and II, and his/her cum GPA at the end of term 4 is below 2.5, the University will NOT certify the student to sit the USMLE Step One. These students are required to develop a study plan to remediate their weaknesses. If their study plan is approved by the Dean of Students, they can retake the BSCE II at a subsequent administration. Students in this category must pass the BSCE II before they will be certified to sit the USMLE Step One. Please note that a student¡¦s clinical placement may be delayed in such cases.

The table below provides another representation of this information.

RULES REGARDING USMLE STEP 1 CERTIFICATION


Criteria

BSCE 1/BSCE 2/ Cum GPA End of T4/ USMLE Step 1 Certification Status

Pass/Pass/ /Certified
Implement study plan (at least 4-6 weeks).
Sit USMLE Step 1 soon thereafter.

Pass/Fail/ /Certified
Remediate weaknesses.
Implement study plan ( at least 6 weeks).
Sit USMLE Step 1 soon thereafter.

Fail/Pass/ /Certified
Remediate weaknesses.
Implement study plan ( at least 6 weeks).
Sit USMLE Step 1 soon thereafter.

Fail/Fail/2.5/Certified
Remediate weaknesses.
Implement study plan (at least 6-8 weeks).
Retake BSCE 2 to determine readiness for USMLE Step 1
(highly recommended, although not required).


Fail/Fail/2.5/Not Certified
REQUIRED:
Develop comprehensive study plan and submit it for DOS approval.
Implement study plan in preparation for BSCE 2 retake.
Retake BSCE 2 in subsequent administration (in NY or Grenada)
If pass BSCE 2, sit USMLE Step 1 when ready.
If fail BSCE 2, cannot sit USMLE Step 1. Contact DOS for further guidance. BSCE 2 can be attempted a maximum of 3 times (see Student Manual).

I hope that this information has given you some insight into the Basic Science Comprehensive Exams I and II. I urge you to refer to the Student Manual for additional details.

Feel free to contact your Faculty Advisor or the Dean of Students Office if you have further questions.

DOS/ZAM
June 2004

__________________

PGY-2 Pediatrics
SGU class of 2007