Appealing a Block Grade

[BioChemNBiochem]

At my school we do blocks by system. Within the blocks we have small quizzes and activities that are graded and then we have final exams in anatomy and another based on clinical information. We have to have a certain grade at the end of the block to pass or else we will have to do a remediation of whichever exam we failed. At the end of out most recent block I was 0.25% away from passing the block which equates to one question on our anatomy exam. This hasn't been my best block as I have been dealing with a lot personally but still failing by one question does not sit well with me. We are able to appeal when a competency is not met if we believe the grade doesn't match our performance or if there were extenuating circumstances (that we can prove). Don't get me wrong I am going to study for a remediation but basically I want to know what reasons might be considered acceptable for an appeal since I found the verbiage of our handbook to be kind of vague.

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[samac]

So your blocks are different classes? Like this block was a section of classes while your last block was a different section?
It seems you have a different block system than me so I'm trying to understand.

 

[Ismet]

Someone at your school (an upperclassman, an advisor) would be much better able to answer this question than strangers on the internet who are not familiar with your school. Depending on what you were "personally" going through may or may not suffice for a good reason to appeal. Struggling to keep up with the material is not a reason. Being severely ill for a portion of the block, death or severe illness in the family, birth of a child may all be sufficient reasons.

 

[Goro]

There's a bigger issue here. First, whether you failed by 0.25, 2.5 or 25, it doesn't matter. YOU STILL DID NOT MASTER THE MATERIAL.

You should not be happy merely just skating by. This is the attitude of someone who will fail Boards.

At my school we do blocks by system. Within the blocks we have small quizzes and activities that are graded and then we have final exams in anatomy and another based on clinical information. We have to have a certain grade at the end of the block to pass or else we will have to do a remediation of whichever exam we failed. At the end of out most recent block I was 0.25% away from passing the block which equates to one question on our anatomy exam. This hasn't been my best block as I have been dealing with a lot personally but still failing by one question does not sit well with me. We are able to appeal when a competency is not met if we believe the grade doesn't match our performance or if there were extenuating circumstances (that we can prove). Don't get me wrong I am going to study for a remediation but basically I want to know what reasons might be considered acceptable for an appeal since I found the verbiage of our handbook to be kind of vague.

 

[Goro]

This is where a student is supposed to make good choices and ask for an LOA.

This is the Big Leagues, kids. You're not pre-meds anymore.

Someone at your school (an upperclassman, an advisor) would be much better able to answer this question than strangers on the internet who are not familiar with your school. Depending on what you were "personally" going through may or may not suffice for a good reason to appeal. Struggling to keep up with the material is not a reason. Being severely ill for a portion of the block, death or severe illness in the family, birth of a child may all be sufficient reasons.

 

[BioChemNBiochem]

Someone at your school (an upperclassman, an advisor) would be much better able to answer this question than strangers on the internet who are not familiar with your school. Depending on what you were "personally" going through may or may not suffice for a good reason to appeal. Struggling to keep up with the material is not a reason. Being severely ill for a portion of the block, death or severe illness in the family, birth of a child may all be sufficient reasons.

thank you for a response that is actually helpful

 

[Ismet]

This is where a student is supposed to make good choices and ask for an LOA.

This is the Big Leagues, kids. You're not pre-meds anymore.

It depends on what happened and how long you're out of commission. An LOA is not something to be taken lightly. Say someone has mono and is quite ill for a couple weeks, but then still feels super crappy for another couple weeks. Probably not going to do so hot on quizzes. Does that warrant taking an LOA? I don't think so. It warrants a school being flexible with you, allowing you to make up work, and at the end of the block, if you're 0.25 away from passing and your bad scores were around your time of illness, perhaps looking at it with a more forgiving eye.

I'm not condoning making excuses or scrounging for points, but things happen and an LOA is not always the answer. It helps to have a flexible and understanding school, and most preferably to talk to an advisor or someone about what's going on while it's happening.

 

[Goro]

I concur and my suggestion was for chronically struggling students, which the OP sounds like.

It depends on what happened and how long you're out of commission. An LOA is not something to be taken lightly. Say someone has mono and is quite ill for a couple weeks, but then still feels super crappy for another couple weeks. Probably not going to do so hot on quizzes. Does that warrant taking an LOA? I don't think so. It warrants a school being flexible with you, allowing you to make up work, and at the end of the block, if you're 0.25 away from passing and your bad scores were around your time of illness, perhaps looking at it with a more forgiving eye.

I'm not condoning making excuses or scrounging for points, but things happen and an LOA is not always the answer. It helps to have a flexible and understanding school, and most preferably to talk to an advisor or someone about what's going on while it's happening.

 

[BioChemNBiochem]

I concur and my suggestion was for chronically struggling students, which the OP sounds like.

OP is not chronically struggling, I said this block has not been great for me and I was dealing with a lot personally. I gave no details about what has happened to me which wasn't extremely helpful for anyone responding but I agree that LOA shouldn't be taken lightly. I can't for the life of me understand how a person that supposed to be "verified faculty" can tell a student who has been struggling for a few weeks that they are making bad choices, will fail the boards, and that they need to take a LOA especially when you know nothing about them or their situation. If that is your idea of good advice then thanks for your opinion, but I feel for any students who encounter you in person and take that type of negativity and "advice" to heart.

 

[Goro]

Nowhere in your post did you say you were doing well. You only stated that "this block has been bad".

I saw a worst-case scenario, because that's what I'm most used to.

If your school allows appeals, go ahead an appeal. Hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.

All the same, you do have my sympathies for your difficulties. Your school has resources to help you and I hope that you have been availing yourself of them.

OP is not chronically struggling, I said this block has not been great for me and I was dealing with a lot personally. I gave no details about what has happened to me which wasn't extremely helpful for anyone responding but I agree that LOA shouldn't be taken lightly. I can't for the life of me understand how a person that supposed to be "verified faculty" can tell a student who has been struggling for a few weeks that they are making bad choices, will fail the boards, and that they need to take a LOA especially when you know nothing about them or their situation. If that is your idea of good advice then thanks for your opinion, but I feel for any students who encounter you in person and take that type of negativity and "advice" to heart.