Academic and Professional Standing

Designation of Standing

The Committee on Academic Standing, Progress, and Promotion (CASPP) review all questions of student formal academic/professional standing on a monthly basis, and make final determinations regarding changes in academic/professional standing.

The chairs of the Academic Performance Committees (APC), the DGSOM Registrar, and/or Associate Dean for Student Affairs are responsible for notifying the Committee on Academic Standing, Progress, and Promotion (CASPP) of all circumstances which warrant consideration of a formal change in student academic/professional standing.

Categories of Academic/Professional standing in the David Geffen School of Medicine are:

Good Academic/Professional Standing

  • Successfully passed all courses or clerkships with no notices of poor course or clerkship related performance.
  • Satisfactory clerkship or course evaluations with no notations of unprofessional conduct and no Professionalism Concern Reporting Forms.
  • Uphold and adhere to the DGSOM UCLA Honor Code, Technical Standards, University policies, and UCLA Student Conduct Code.

Experiencing Academic/Professional Difficulty

The Experiencing Academic/Professional Difficulty designation is informal and removed by CASPP after the failed course, clerkship, USMLE exam, and/or professionalism issue is addressed and remediated. Individuals designated in this category are strongly advised to seek resources available to students. Students will receive this designation if any of the following occur:

  • One course or clerkship failure, OR
  • Two course or clerkship failures in one academic year, OR
  • One or more notices of poor course or clerkship-related performance, OR
  • A grade of marginal performance in two or more courses in one academic year, OR
  • A rating of "2 - Marginal Performance" in the Professional Attitudes and Behaviors section of the clinical clerkship evaluation from two clerkships, OR
  • One failure of USMLE (Step 1, 2CK, 2CS) exam, OR
  • Failure to meet USMLE policy, OR
  • A cumulative of two (2) Professionalism Concern Reporting Forms, OR
  • A violation of the DGSOM UCLA Honor Code, UCLA Student Conduct Code, OR
  • Professional conduct deemed by CASPP and/or Associate Dean for Student Affairs to warrant this designation

Academic/Professional Probation

Academic/Professional Probation is a formal designation and is recorded on the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE). If placed on probation, the student will have 12 months to improve academic/professional standing. Failure to improve academic/professional standing by the end of the 12-month period will result in a recommendation for dismissal. Students will receive this designation if any of the following occur:

  • Three course or clerkship failures in one academic year, OR
  • Failure of retest exam, OR
  • Two or more violations of the DGSOM UCLA Honor Code, UCLA Student Conduct Code, OR
  • Professional conduct deemed by CASPP and/or Associate Dean of Student Affairs to warrant this designation, OR
  • A cumulative of Three (3) Professionalism Concern Reporting Forms

Dismissal from the David Geffen School of Medicine

Students are recommended for dismissal if any of the following occur:

  • Four course or clerkship failures in one academic year
  • Failure to meet terms of remediation for a failed course or clerkship
  • Failure to meet United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) policy
  • Violation of the DGSOM UCLA Honor Code or UCLA Student Conduct Code, and/or unprofessional conduct deemed by CASPP to be severe and egregious in nature
  • Failure to successfully complete the M.D. program within the 6-year time-to-degree requirement