5. Student Performance Expectations and Progression in the Program
The MGH Institute’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy applies to all students, and can be found online or by contacting the Office of Financial Aid. Students should familiarize themselves with this policy and related procedures, which include measures of GPA, pace, and time in program of study. The PA program has additional academic standards and requirements for graduation, which are summarized below. The[RB1] program requires students pass all courses with a C+ or better (including didactic course and clinical rotations/clerkships) and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0. Additionally, students must achieve the following in order to progress in the Program:
- Demonstrate consistent professional conduct (see Section 10: Professionalism).
- Maintain competency in the technical standards outlined in section 4.1
- Receive a passing grade on the Preclinical Year Summative Written and Practical Examinations administered at the end of the preclinical portion of the Program.
- Receive a passing grade on the Clinical Year Summative Written and Practical Examinations administered prior to program completion.
- Receive a passing grade during Senior Seminar as final benchmark for program completion.
Assessments will be based on the Graduate Competencies outlined in Part 1 section 2. The expected level of competency for each practical examination will be assessed using the developmental models noted below.
Using the Pangaro model of the Clinical Learning Role and Dreyfus’ Levels of Skill Acquisition model, the Program will ensure that students are progressing toward acquisition of the graduate competencies and the skills necessary for practice as a PA using the following definitions of developmental models for clinical skills acquisition.
The Student Development Committee (SDC) monitors student performance and progress in an ongoing manner to identify deficiencies, address performance issues that do not meet the program’s standards and policies, and make recommendations to the PA Program Director regarding academic standing, progression, and dismissal. The SDC has an important role in determining whether each student is eligible for continuation to the next phase of their education and if additional support is warranted.
The SDC holds regular meetings to review student academic performance and professional growth in both the didactic and clinical phases of the curriculum. The SDC may also meet because of individual student concerns or referrals based on specific performance issues (e.g., failure of a cumulative assessment test, end of rotation exam, or course; student professionalism or conduct issue; etc.).
A full description of the committee may be found in Appendix 1.