Exams

[lucy98]

I've looked around for the answer to this question, but I haven't had much luck, so sorry if this is redundant. How do exams work in the new curriculum? Are they spaced out througout the term, or are they all at the end? I noticed on the term schedule that was posted that there are only 2 formal examination periods in December and May. So is it much like Queen's, where you are tested on everything all at once? For some reason, I thought there were exams for each block.

 

Lucy

[cluelesswonder]

my friend in first year said that exams seem to be kind of randomly spaced throughout the curriculum. some blocks are tested right at the end of when you learn them, while others might not be tested until you've done another block with them. there didn't seem to be much of a system. does that sound right to people in first year?

[ploughboy]

You might have to wait until the weekend to get an answer - the 2010s are in exams this week...pb

[piratefan]

hey there,

 

as ploughboy mentioned, we are in exams this week... 3 more to go!

 

our marking scheme works something like this:

1. at the end of each block, we have a test, called our "end of course" exam. worth 30%.

2. most blocks have an assignment, due during the latter half of the block, worth 15%.

3. PCCIA, our weekly "patient centered context..." discussion groups, are also worth 15% of the mark

4. end of term exam - in december and may, we have a block of final exams that test the material covered during the semester. more or less, these exams rehash the material on the end of course exams. theoretically, they are supposed to be more clinical in nature, but this isn't always the case.

these exams are worth 40% of the mark for the course.

since you only need 60% to get a PASS, most people don't need to get great marks on finals... which is good, since we generally have all of our exams (5-7of them) within a week.

 

this year, we had

 

ITM exam - mid-October

Musculoskeletal mid-course exam - end of November

Community Health midterm, ITM final, Infection and Immunity midterm, MSK final, Anatomy lab exam -- December exam block

 

Resp & Airways end of course - early Feb

Physical exam skills assessment - late Feb

Cardio exam - end of March

Blood and Oncology - end of April

Dermatology images test - mid-may

Anatomy lab exam, Resp and Airways final, Cardio final, I&I final, Blood&Onc final, Derm final, Community Health exam: May/June exam block.

 

Hope that helps. Clearly I'm writing lengthy posts to avoid studying Heme/Onc.

 

~pf

[lucy98]

Thanks for the great post piratefan! And for procrastinating...ahem...sacrificing time out of your busy study schedule to answer my question

 

Man, I've been out of school so long, the thought of exam periods is making me cringe!

 

Lucy

[cluelesswonder]

the thought of 5-7 exams in a week is making ME cringe! oh, procrastination, how you're going to bite me next year...