The academic affairs component of OME deals with student progress and issues within the curriculum. The Academic Status policies is the official document on policies and procedures relating to student academic progress.

Students who need a deans letter can schedule a meeting with Dr. Nielsen.
>> Click to schedule a meeting with Dr. Nielsen online

Students seeking tutoring assistance can meet with a member of the OME professional staff or they can refer to the Mentor/Tutor list to identify potential resources.

The Student Code of Professional Conduct was adopted in the spring of 2000 and provides a framework for students to deal with issues of professionalism and behavior outside the academic realm.

Recognizing Exceptional Student Progress:

AOA - SMBS has an Alpha Omega Alpha Chapter and students can qualify for membership during their 3rd or 4th year. AOA is a national organization dedicated to supporting academic excellence and perpetuating excellence in the medical profession. An initiation ceremony is held in the spring for new members.

Dean's Letters of Commendation - Each fall a group of selected students are recognized for exceptional coursework during the pre-clinical years. Letters of Commendation are awarded to students who achieve 75% of available honors points in each year. Awards are also presented for academic excellence in specific subject areas. On graduation day, selected seniors are recognized for exceptional performance and service during their tenure as students.

Graduation Honors

Latin Honors
Latin Honors include Summa, Magna, and Cum Laude and are awarded to exceptional students. To be considered, students must reach set minimum levels of honors points based on the simple calculation of 1 point/credit hour/honors grade X course hours (basic science) or weeks of rotation (clinical). Only required courses are tabulated. e.g.:

• Honors in SBM = 1 point X 3 credit hours = 3 points.
• Honors in Peds. = 1 point X 7 weeks = 7 points.
• S+ (Hi Sat) grades count 0.5 points as above.

Candidates for Summa Cum Laude must complete a thesis and candidates for Magna Cum Laude must show evidence of scholarly activity. In the absence of these scholarly requirements, Cum laude is the highest honor that will be granted.

A committee reviews each candidate's record and makes a recommendation, which is then approved by Dr. Dennis Nadler. Students may be disqualified for previous course failures, probation or other disciplinary actions, etc. Calculations are not completed until all required grades for potential candidates are received making it difficult to have the results by graduation. Latin Honors are not announced at graduation as a matter of policy. Potential candidates will be informed early in the spring semester that they are under consideration.

Research Honors
Research honors are awarded based on the following criteria:

a) Duration of research while in medical school
b) Focus research effort
c) Evidence of significant participation
d) Quality of effort or revealed by publication or presentation of results and
e) Receipt of award(s) for research.

The deadline to apply is February 3.

The application form is availble in both html & pdf format and should be submitted to Dr. Charles Severin in the OME.
Download Research Honor Application Form

Thesis Honors
There is a long-standing tradition concerning the award of “Thesis Honors” to medical students at graduation. The award of Thesis Honors is intended to recognize outstanding academic achievement in a specific area of study by individual medical students and to encourage scholarship while pursuing the Doctor of Medicine degree as an ongoing endeavor.

Thesis Honors is awarded for a meritorious thesis based on an original contribution to medical science by a medical student working under the sponsorship of a faculty member of the Medical School. This usually implies original laboratory or clinical research, but contributions to ethical or historical aspects of medicine will also qualify. The possible field of subjects is wide, but emphasis will be placed on clear writing and evidence of creativity.

It is difficult to present a precise set of criteria by which an Honors Thesis should be evaluated. Certainly the report should represent a coherent and well-crafted account of an equally well-designed investigative project, conforming to the standards expected for a publishable paper. In all but exceptional circumstances, the work presented should be based upon a more extensive commitment to the research endeavor than an isolated summer fellowship or an elective rotation. On the other hand, the fact that medical students have, within the normal curriculum, a limited time available for such projects must be borne in mind.

The process may be initiated at any time during Medical School, prior to the beginning of the senior year. These must be submitted before February 1 of the senior year. A major advisor who is a medical school faculty member must sponsor a project submitted for a thesis. The Thesis Honors Committee will appoint a suitable review committee that will include several faculty members to evaluate the thesis. After review of all theses, the committee will make its recommendations to the dean.

Regardless of previous inquiries, any student in the fourth year who plans on submitting a thesis must submit a short letter of intent ( not by eMail) to the address below before Friday, October 21, 2005 with name, address and phone number. Include in this letter the title of the thesis as well as the name of the major advisor and department.

Further inquiries may be directed to Dr. Mulchand S. Patel, Chair, Thesis Honors Committee, Office of Research and Biomedical Education, 128 BEB, School of Medicine. Phone: 829-3398 or 829-3074.