Failures occur throughout medical school for a variety of reasons. Students face challenges from the overwhelming material that they need to learn in a short period of time. This starts from day 1 of medical school and continues throughout medical school and sometimes into residency training. Because standards are high at all medical schools, when a student fails they are likely to be asked to ‘Remediate’ the failed or missed material.
Why Elite Remediation?
As an official retake plan provider, Elite Medical Prep remediation services allow students to go through the material that they missed in a structured format with a professional tutor. Students work with both their tutor and an Elite Medical Prep learning advisor to track progress and make an action plan for their success. In addition, our on-staff learning advisor works closely with the dean and/or learning advisor at the student’s medical school to facilitate communication surrounding the student’s success and advancement. This gives students the best shot at success by providing them with a professional retake success team composed of their tutor, their dean/learning advisor, and our learning advisor.
How are students held accountable?
From the first day of working with Elite Medical Prep, students are required to sign a statement of commitment to the Elite Remediation Tutoring Program. The contract requires students to commit to several important aspects of the program including showing up on time to virtually meet with their tutor and doing the work they are assigned outside of their time with their tutor. We also always recommend that even for schools who choose to subsidize remedial tutoring, students should always have to pay some part. By making a financial commitment, students tend to have an easier time abiding by their Statement of Commitment and taking the program seriously.
How does tutoring help with remediation?
A guiding hand from a professional tutor can help students navigate the often challenging and stressful time that is remediation. Having worked with thousands of students from 50+ medical schools, we know the ins and outs of medical school policies and how to help a student not only successfully remediate, but also succeed once they have caught up on failed material and coursework. By providing personalized guidance and mentorship, 1-on-1 tutoring is proven to be one of the most effective ways in helping students get from where they are to where they need to be. Bridging this gap and getting students caught up is often a critical intervention that prevents students from falling behind the rest of their class or in some cases being dismissed from medical school.
Elite Medical Prep remediation plans are specially tailored to the shortcomings of each individual student. Following a 1-on-1 question based tutoring format, remediation students engage in active learning to work through concepts, questions, and systems relevant to what they are struggling with. Some of the areas we offer remediation for are:
Pre-clinical medical school coursework failures
Pre-clinical NBME and Comprehensive exam failures
Step 1 failures
Step 2 CK failures
Step 2 CS failures
Step 3 failures
ABIM failures
ABSITE poor performances
Students who have been placed on some form of academic watch such as monitored academic status, academic probation, or academic warning are typically required to take part in remediation before being allowed to continue in their medical education. While each medical school handles the process of remediation differently, most medical schools require some form of remediation after a student fails a course or exam. Some schools choose to internally handle failures, offering special grade replacement courses or “Remediation exams”, and others mandate that students must independently seek out a remediation program.
Here are some examples of remediation policies as well as policies for academic probation or dismissal at large medical schools. For medical schools not listed below, contact your Dean or learning advisor for specific policies regarding academic probation, remediation, and grounds for dismissal. If you are currently on probation, enrolled in a remedial course, or are at risk for dismissal from medical school, we strongly urge you to reach out to us immediately for help.
St. George’s University
“CREDIT REMEDIATION (CR) The Four-Year MD program is designed to be continuous without interruption. Any timeline extensions could impact students’ ability to graduate on time. Nonetheless, some students encounter academic setbacks which may be resolved with an opportunity to remediate courses. The APRC identifies students who are not likely to meet academic standards by the end of an academic term and recommends that they be granted a CR option which is an extension of their timeline by one academic term. However, any student can choose the CR option regardless of the APRC recommendation. The CR allows students to repeat the course once if they are not likely to meet academic standards for progress. Deadlines for the CR option are posted prior to the final exam of the last course module. Students who opt for the CR do not take the final exam of the last course module; however, they must attend all remaining scheduled academic activities in the academic term, complete a Final Self- Directed Learning Assignment at the end of the term and present it in person on the scheduled final exam day. Students who are not present for the final presentation of their self-directed learning assignment at the end of the term will forfeit their CR option and be given an F (69.49%) for the course.
During post examination Academic Advising meetings, students not likely to achieve performance standards may be offered the option to join the Interactive Team Instruction (ITI) delivery of the MD program or the Credit Remediation (CR) option. The ITI is designed to offer students with additional academic support to better equip them to achieve performance standards. Those who, despite all available support, are not likely to achieve standards may require the CR option.”
Ross University School of Medicine
“Students who fully complete (i.e. miss no mandatory activities including exams) and fail any semester for the first time will be allowed to repeat the failed semester on academic probation. A student who fails the Foundations of Medicine (FM) course for the first time may be eligible to take the Remediation Exam. Please see the Remediation Exam policy for eligibility criteria.
Students failing any two medical sciences semesters will be subject to dismissal.
A student who fails the remediation exam will be given the option of being enrolled to repeat the failed semester or of withdrawing with full refund of any tuition, fees, or housing costs for the new term. If the student is successful in remediating the semester, the Grade Replacement policy will apply and convert the “NP” or “F” grade to “R”. Please note students who fail in the Standard Accelerated curriculum track but repeat in the Ross+ curriculum track must repeat the failed semester and pass the subsequent semester to qualify for the Grade Replacement policy.
Students may only participate in the Remediation Exam once during the medical sciences semesters. Students who are successful in remediating by exam and fail a subsequent semester will be required to repeat the semester.”
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
“Failing scores: Students who fail the COMP examination with a score of 73 or below twice or more are required to contact the Assistant Dean for Academic and Student Affairs for counseling and to assist with addressing issues related to the examination and development of an individualized study plan.
Upon triggering an AW academic warning, the student’s performance will be monitored throughout the semester and reviewed in full at the end of the semester and remedial interventions may be mandated. AW status is not reported on student’s transcript. Medical Sciences • Students who have failed 10 or more credit hours in the Medical Sciences curriculum. • Failure of USMLE Step 1 exam after first attempt. Clinical Sciences • Failure of one core clinical clerkship or elective rotation. • Failure of 2 NBME clinical subject exams in the same or different specialties. • Failure of USMLE Step 2 CK or CS on the first attempt.”
Saba University School of Medicine
“Any student who has not taken the USMLE Step 2CK before August 15, 2014 and: (i) has FAILED two (2) Core Clerkship Examinations (CCE) in two (2) different core clinical clerkships; (ii) received a FAILING grade in any core clinical clerkship; or (iii) is on academic probation, will be required to take a Comprehensive Clinical Science Examination (CCSE) to ascertain whether or not his/her independent preparation for the USMLE Step 2CK has been successful. At present, the university utilizes the National Board of Medical Examiners® (NBME) Comprehensive Clinical Sciences Examination as its CCSE. The university will bear the cost of the initial CCSE attempt. Based upon the results of the CCSE, the Clinical Department will either clear the student to take the USMLE Step 2CK examination or require the student to continue remediation as defined below. If further remediation is required, additional clinical rotations will be postponed until the student is approved by the Clinical Department to take the USMLE Step 2CK examination. Further Remediation Guidelines If it is determined a student requires further remediation after their prior CCSE attempt, the student will enroll in a SUSOM-approved remediation program. Students will bear the cost of this program and will not be registered to retake the CCSE until they show evidence of satisfactory progress in the approved remediation program. Once satisfactory progress is demonstrated, the student will be permitted to retake the CCSE at his/her expense. Subsequent Remediation Guidelines If a student’s performance on the CCSE in subsequent attempts is deemed deficient, the procedure for remediation described above will be repeated until such time as the student’s level of achievement on the CCSE is deemed satisfactory to the Clinical Department.
Students who fail the USMLE Step 2 CK or Step 2 CS Examination on the first attempt must enroll in a Promotions Committee approved review course that has an evaluation examination at the end of the course. Student will not be certified by the school to retake the examination unless they earn a score on the evaluation examination that predicts a reasonable probability of success on the USMLE Step 2 CK Examination. For the USMEL Step 2 CS exam, completion of an approved course will suffice for certification by the school.”
– Teaching and Examination Regulations Saba University School of Medicine
American University of Antigua
“If a student fails either Step I or Step 2, the Dean of Clinical Sciences reviews the student’s performance to determine if remediation is required before the student retakes the examination.
A student who fails Step I three (3) times will be dismissed from the University by the Promotions Committee. The student may appeal the dismissal to the Appeals Committee.
A student who fails any registered course while on Academic Probation is subject to dismissal;
A student who fails to pass the comprehensive shelf exams after three attempts may be subject to dismissal.
Grounds for Dismissal Under Old Curriculum: A student is subject to dismissal based upon the following: 1. Failing all courses in a semester during the Basic Science Program; 2. Failing any course while on Academic Probation; 3. Failing to make Satisfactory Academic Progress. (see also page 19) 4. Not completing the four (4) semesters of Basic Science in six (6) semesters; 5. Failing Family Practice 1 / Internal Medicine 1 twice 6. Failing to receive the minimum certifying score on the comprehensive shelf exam within the maximum allowed number of counted attempts 7. Failing to sit for and pass Step 1 within one (1) year of completion of Family Practice 1 / Internal Medicine 1 with a maximum of three (3) attempts; 8. Repeated failure in core or elective clerkships Please refer to the clinical guidelines for additional information about academic procedures and policies.
Grounds for Dismissal Under New Curriculum: 1. Failing all modules with an aggregate (weighted mean) score of 50% or less 2. Receiving an aggregate (weighted mean) score of 50% or less on all remedial 3. Failing to successfully remediate a semester for the second time 4. Failing to successfully complete the basic science component within six (6) semesters.”
– American University of Antigua College of Medicine Student Handbook
Our 1-on-1 tutoring rates start at $195 per hour. That’s more affordable than all other top tier professional tutoring organizations out there!
Some of our highly specialized tutors who have been with Elite Medical Prep for a long time bill at a higher rate, but students are always given the option to select which tutor they would like to proceed with. No matter which tutor you choose, know that you are getting the best possible remediation help out there.
In addition, enjoy our Unused Hour Guarantee! All unused 1-on-1 tutoring hours are fully refundable with no questions asked.