Early Identification and Feed Forward Policy

Early Identification and Feed Forward Policy

Policy Statement

The student early identification and feed forward policy is designed to identify students at risk of facing academic challenges or currently with academic challenges. This includes students in need of extra support for identified areas of improvement and growth, including academic or professionalism concerns. These students may also have been identified through the Student Early Intervention System or through the Student Evaluation and Promotions committee. This policy outlines the process for feeding forward information to provide support and resources to students facing educational challenges.

Defined Terms

Student Curricular Year: Identifies whether a student is in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year of the curriculum. Noted as M1, M2, M3, and M4 throughout the policy.

Curricular Phase: Preclerkship (M1 and M2) or Clerkship (M3 and M4)

Student Early Intervention Committee (SEIC):

  • Preclerkship Phase:
    • Course directors and managers for the preclerkship courses
    • Associate Dean for Medical Education
    • Associate Dean for Student Affairs
    • Director of Academic Enhancement
    • Assistant Dean for Curriculum & Instructional Design
    • Program Manager Academy of Medical Educators and Coaching Program
    • Curriculum Committee Coordinator
    • The Clerkship Curriculum Subcommittee Chair will join the final meeting in the Preclerkship Phase
  • Clerkship Phase:
    • Clerkship and selective directors, associate directors, Associate Dean for Medical Education
    • Associate Dean for Student Affairs
    • Director of Academic Enhancement
    • Assistant Dean for Curriculum & Instructional Design
    • Program Coordinator, Academy of Medical Educators
    • Program Manager Academy of Medical Educators and Coaching Program
    • Curriculum Committee Coordinator
    • Doctoring 2 Course directors may join the first meeting of the clerkship phase

Responsible Parties

Associate Dean for Medical Education

Procedures

Per the Formative Assessment and Feedback Policy, students should receive direct feedback about their performance in courses or clerkships in a timely manner to allow for sufficient time for remediation. Where performance concerns are substantial, the module, course, or clerkship director will also communicate concerns to the Student Early Intervention Committee.

Student Early Intervention Committee (SEIC)

The Preclerkship Phase SEIC members will meet approximately quarterly to review the performance of M1 and M2 students

The Clerkship Phase SEIC members will meet approximately quarterly to review M3 students, and any M4 students with specific academic concerns.

SEIC may make recommendations of next steps for students with academic concerns. Recommendations may include:

  • Forward-feed of concerns to module, course, or clerkship directors
  • Forward-feed of concerns to AME adviser
  • Forward-feed of concerns to AME educational coach (M3/M4 year only)
  • New referral to extra coaching for identified areas(s) of improvement and growth
  • Feed-forward to current extra coach
  • Referral to Student Affairs
  • Referral to the Enhancement Office
  • Referral to Student Evaluation and Promotions Committee

Performance Notifications

Learning Progress Assessment (M1/M2)

The course/module leadership reports performance of any student who fails a Learning Progress Assessments in real time to the Associate Deans for Medical Education and Student Affairs, the Director of Enhancement and the student’s AME advisor

Shelf Exams (M3)

Clerkship leadership report shelf exam failures in real time to the Associate Dean for Medical Education and the Director of Enhancement.

Clerkship Fail (M3/M4)

The registrar reports any overall fail grades to the Associate Dean for Medical Education and Student Affairs.

Extra Coaching for Identified Areas of Improvement and Growth

Extra coaching provides extra practice of clinical skills, where performance concerns may have been identified for a student.  The extra coaching process is overseen by the Assistant Dean of Curriculum & Instructional Design and the Program Coordinator, Academy of Medical Educators and Coaching Program.

Students may initially be referred to extra coaching by:

  • Academy Medical Core Educator
  • Pre-clerkship doctoring course director for a student currently or recently in the course based on performance on assessments
  • Clerkship director for a student’s current or recent rotation
  • Sub-I or elective director
    • This referral may be made even if no concerns are noted on the current rotation
  • Recommendation of the SEIC

Once referred, the student will be emailed by the Coaching Program Manager regarding the referral and the details and reasons for the referral. Students should also receive notification of the referral by the faculty referring and reason for referral.  The student will be notified in the email that at least one extra coaching session is mandatory and a response is required within 72 hours of the email receipt.

During the first extra coaching session, the student and coach will identify goals for the extra coaching sessions. The coach working with the student will determine the number of sessions needed (usually 1-3) and a progress note of the session will be sent by the student and coach to the coaching program manager within 48 hours of the session. This should include goals for the sessions including skills being worked on.

After the coaching session(s) have been completed, a final summary should be sent by the coach working with the student to the Program Manager for Coaching. The student’s post-coaching performance is monitored by the Associate Dean of Medical Education and the Assistant Dean for Curriculum & Instructional Design.

Relevant LCME Element(s): 9.7 Formative Assessment and Feedback

Related Policies and References:

This policy supersedes the Collaborative Assessment System, original approved by the Medical Education Committee on Mar. 10, 2016.
Approved by the Medical Education Committee (MEC) on October 24, 2023.