Dear Students,

We hope that your fall is going well. You are in that midpoint place where winter break is not quite here but the newness and adrenaline of the new year is long gone. As we turn the clock back and your circadian rhythm is thrown off, it is a good time to reevaluate the year so far. What is working? What was working and now you are not doing it as much as it would be helpful? Are there ways that you can be more deliberate with your time?

As you do this evaluation, do it with compassion for yourself. This reflection should not be an opportunity to beat yourself up for all the things you haven’t done. Make sure you talk to yourself the way you would a friend who is reflecting with you and asking for advice. We are quite sure that you wouldn’t berate them for all the ways they didn’t get their to-do list done. You would tell them how amazing they are for what they have accomplished so far and have an honest conversation about what can be improved.

Be good to yourselves,

Dr. Z and Dr. D

Class of 2026

11/21 – Course 2 Test 2

Class of 2025

11/14 – Course 6 Test 2

Class of 2024 - SELECT

11/10 – Primary Care Mid-Term NBME

11/17 – Psychiatry and Obstetrics NBME

11/18 – Internal Medicine, Surgery, Neurology and Pediatrics NBME

Class of 2024 - CORE

11/17 – Neurology and Obstetrics NBME

11/18 – Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery and Psychiatry NBME

11/18 – Surgery GYN Exam

Pass/Fail Grading System 

There have been requests for USF MCOM to move to a pass/fail grading system. We would like to take an opportunity to explain why we are not moving in this direction. 

In the early 2010’s there were a few publications noting that going to a pass/fail system may improve student wellness without detriment to academic performance. In response, the curriculum committee moved the pre-clinical phase of the curriculum to a pass/fail system for several years - until we discovered that the MCOM experience did not match the experience articulated by the small studies that were published.

Academic performance diminished, and the Step 1 pass rate and mean score subsequently fell as well, without a demonstrable improvement in student wellness. In response, the curriculum committee reinstated the tiered grading system in the pre-clinical phase of the curriculum. However, when the tiered grading system was reinstated, it was significantly improved. The cut offs had previously been set numbers that often left few students getting honors. Instead, now all cut offs are based upon previous years’ data. The cut offs are set so that had they been applied to the previous year, 50% would pass, 25% PC, 25% H. All students have the potential for honoring, and thus diminish competition amongst a class.

 We are currently in a huge state of flux when it comes to medical education. 

• Step 1 has just gone pass/fail. 
• The match has become increasingly competitive.

Despite a lot of anecdotal stories and word of mouth, it remains extremely unclear how residency programs will handle this change. At this point in time, with the move of step 1 to pass/fail we do not believe it is in the best interest of students to move to a system that gives residency programs less information about student performance. In addition, how students perform first and second year determines how they do on Step 1 & 2 and on their shelf exams 3rd year. We are very reluctant to change a system that is setting you up to do well on your exams throughout medical school. We have been and will continue to be very transparent during the admissions process that we are a tiered grading system so that students who wish to go to a pass/fail school can make that choice. 

Please know that we realize there are very differing opinions on this topic. We very much respect your right to disagree with the choices the curriculum committee has made. However, we hope this helps you understand why MCOM has made the choices it has, and that they come from a place of trying to do what is best for students

The Academic Support Center (ASC) provides a variety of academic supporting services to all students with the goal of preparing them for the academic rigors of medical school. The Director of ASC is Dr. O’Callaghan, a learning skills specialist with over 2 decades of experience counseling and advising medical students. All advising is confidential, individualized, and can be on-going from matriculation to graduation. Sessions are offered in-person or via Teams and can be scheduled through Archivum, which allows direct access to Dr. O’Callaghan’s calendar. In addition to individualized advising, the ASC also facilitates individual and group tutoring. In addition, sessions focusing on time management, study skills, and more can be accessed through the ASC.

For more information or any questions about the Academic Support Center, email Emily Pernas at epernas@usf.edu.

Show Me DeWaay - Question the Story You Are Telling Yourself

Our brains love to make up stories about facts. Fact, you got a 78 on a test. The story your brain makes up can range from “I passed, I think I can do this medical school thing” to “I am never going to match and my life is terrible.” Notice the fact for both stories is exactly the same. 

The reason it is important to question the stories we tell ourselves is because they shape the experience of our lives. In addition, the story we tell ourselves often dictates what actions we will take next. Our brains love to tell us that the stories we are telling ourselves are fact. Most of the time they are not.