First-Aid for Remediation

An unofficial student-to-student guide

Last updated 10/10/2017

Student Editors:
Esther Funez-Castro | funezcas@msu.edu
David Kuo | kuodavi1@msu.edu
Michelle Mather | matherm1@msu.edu
Jennifer Philburn | philbur1@msu.edu
Alexander Pool | poolalex@msu.edu
Wei-Jen Yankelevich | yankele1@msu.edu

Disclaimer:
1. This document is not a substitute for the Remediation Policy of the College of
Osteopathic Medicine at Michigan State University. It is an unofficial student-to-student
guide that provides perspectives and tips. It does not represent the views of the College of
Osteopathic Medicine or Michigan State University. Please refer to the Remediation Policy
for official rules, guidelines, and updates.
2. This document is current as of October 10, 2017. Readers are advised to consult with
the Office of the Registrar for any changes in the Colleges policy since the last update.
 First-Aid for Remediation

Deep thoughts: If you are not 100% certain, taking a

First-Aid for year to reflect on your career choice, life goals, or
work through any personal issues stunting your
Remediation abilities in medical school, is well worth it and NOT a
failure. Contemplate on what you truly need at this
moment, so you can make a solid decision. Everybody
An unofficial student-to-student guide
has different reasons and challenges for not passing a
course. You must carefully evaluate and reflect on
whether the reasons or challenges will recur in future
I didn't pass a course, now what? Do I take semesters, thus hindering your performance. There
a remediation exam, or wait for a year and are resourceful individuals available for students to
re-take the course? What information would reach out to and speak with to go through this
help me make the decision? evaluation and self-reflection process, may the reasons
of not passing a course be academic, personal, family,
Academic factor: Either choose to take the health, or other issues. The bottom line is: Dont be
remediation exam(s) with the goal of continuing with afraid to speak with people. They are there to help
your Class, or choose a two-semester Leave of and very happy to assist in any way.
Absence and retake the failed course(s) during the
semester with the next years Class. If you select a Resources:
Leave of Absence, you will drop down into the next
Class. Retention Policies and Procedures
Financial factor: Each remediation exam occurs as a http://com.msu.edu/Students/Registrar/Policies.htm
repeat of the course on the transcript. Because you
Academic & Career Advising
cannot take the same course twice in one semester,
http://com.msu.edu/Students/Academic_Career_Guid
the credits are applied to the following semester. Due
ance/Staff.htm
to our block tuition, which is helpful to keep overall
med school costs lower, you will be charged the rate MSUCOM PEAK Learning Center
for 1-6 credits, which is currently approximately sadasiva@msu.edu
$6,500 (Jan 2017). Unfortunately, this means if you do
not pass your remediation exam, your financial aid will Peer Mentors
not come through for the cost of retaking the course. PeerMentors.MSUCOM@gmail.com
So, if you fail the exam, you will have to find the
monetary means to pay this tuition. However, I do Personal Counseling
believe the *academic office* is helpful in helping an http://com.msu.edu/Students/PC_HP_New/Personal_
individual through this process if that be the case Counseling_Home_Page.htm
o Update as of 1/27/2017: According to
Lindsay Ackerman at the Registrar Office,
remediation courses are registered for the
Fall semester. COM students are in a block
tuition, meaning credits 12-99 incur the
same charge. Thus, there should be no extra
charge for going from 17 credits in the fall
plus any remediation exam.
Timeline: Remediation exams take place over the
breaks in between semesters. The First semester
anatomy course and the Second semester courses
usually offer remediation exams during the first week
of January (right before the Third semester starts).

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 First-Aid for Remediation
OK--I decide to take the remediation exam.
Am I eligible to take a remediation exam?
According to the Registrar office, 5 days after the
semester ends they send emails letting you know if
you are eligible for remediation or not.
Retention, Promotion and Graduation
(Class of 2021) Section 4 Remediation,
page 7,
http://com.msu.edu/Students/Policies_and_Pr
ograms/class-of-2021-policy.pdf
Retention, Promotion and Graduation
(Class of 2020) Section 6 Remediation,
page 10,
http://com.msu.edu/Students/Policies_and_Pr
ograms/Class%20of%202020%20Policy.pdf
What administrative tasks do I need to
handle? At the end of semester, you will receive
an email from administration with exact test dates
and times for each remediation course as well as a
form for you to apply to take a remediation exam.
Do not delay to return the application form.
How many days do I have to prepare for the
remediation exam? This will vary because
courses start and end on different dates. You have
from the moment you know you do not pass a
course until the remediation test date to prepare.
What materials can I use to study? Use your
course pack and any supplemental materials you
find helpful. However, it is advised not to repeat
the same exact study method that was used during
the semester originally because this may lead to
failing the remediation exam. You want to evaluate
your study methods/habits and test-taking skills to
identify your weaknesses and strengths for
improvement, thus increasing your chance of
passing the remediation exam. Talk to advisors,
mentors, or professors to help identify your study
strategies and test-taking skills. Discuss strategies
with other students and you may find great
resources and tools through peers. Be mindful that
what works for one student may not work for the
other, so you need to find what works the best for
YOU.
Take advantage of practice questions. Use
them early and regularly in your study to
learn what you dont understand or need to
review. They can help you determine the
topics/areas of weakness, so do not use
practice questions as a final check. Do not
memorize answers but instead examine each
foil.
What support from the faculty is available?
This will vary by faculty member. Schedule a
meeting with the course instructor to see how
they are willing to help. Some will say to just use
your coursepack, while others will give suggestions
to help direct your remediation preparation.
What support from the student body can I
get?
You are not alone. Reach out to peers in the
same and upper class. Join Remediation
resource groups on FaceBook. You can find
study resources and tips, connect with peers
to form study groups or establish individual
tutoring/coaching, and seek and provide
emotional support.
Peer Mentors
What tips should I consider when making a
study plan? The remediation exam will cover ALL
of the material from the entire course. Focus on
the objectives listed for the course. The objectives
cover the main points instructors want you to take
away from the course. Use your ExamSoft Answer
Report to review which objectives you struggled
with during the semester, and prioritize your focus
and studies on those objectives. Then, expand to
review the rest of the material of the course. It is
best not to spend your time re-watching all
lectures as you are not likely to take away more
information than you originally did. Work through
the material and if you find a section that youd like
to hear the explanation from the professor again,
then do so. But realize time is limited before the
remediation exam and you want to use your time
wisely and in the most productive manner.
Exam Day
How and when do I find out what day I will
take the exam? The remediation exams take
place during the breaks in between semesters. The
exact exam details (including date, time, and
location) will be sent out from the Office of
Registrar about a week before the exams.
How many questions are there on the exam?
This varies by course but in the range of 50 to 60
questions.
How much time do I have for the exam?
Typically 2 hrs.
When do I know my scores? You will receive an
email sometime after taking the exam and before
the new semester begins (which means you may not
find out until the morning of the first day of the
new semester).
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 First-Aid for Remediation

What happens if I didn't pass the Concluding notes

remediation exam? DO NOT take the remediation exam unless:
o Retention, Promotion and Graduation (Class o you are fully confident that you will pass and
of 2021) Section 3 Academic Standing, d. are ready to continue in your coursework,
Dismissal, page 6, or
http://com.msu.edu/Students/Policies_and_Program o if you are not worried about your transcript
s/class-of-2021-policy.pdf showing you took the course 3 times before
o Retention, Promotion and Graduation (Class
of 2020) Section 5 Academic Status, f. passing, or
Academic Dismissal, page 9, o finances are not a concern.
http://com.msu.edu/Students/Policies_and_Program Talk to friends, faculty, and other students. You need
s/Class%20of%202020%20Policy.pdf your CIRCLE OF SUPPORT to help you through the
o Meeting with Dr. Falls process of remediation.
o Meeting with Dean If you find yourself in a position where you need to
o Meeting with the Committee on Student Evaluation
remediate more than 2 courses, schedule an
(COSE): If you failed enough credits and/or their
remediation you will be dismissed from the College. appointment with Dr. Falls as soon as possible to
The letter you receive from Dr. Falls office will discuss about what this means for you and your
inform you that you have the option to apply to be future career. Also, ask about the implications of
re-admitted to the College by going before the passing or not passing all, some, or none of the
COSE on a suggested date, likely sometime after courses so that you can make an informed decision.
the new semester. The COSE is large and consists Quote from a student: I didnt know how to really
of students, professors and faculty. The first
phrase this, but what I am trying to say is that it is
question they ask is Do you feel you were treated
unfairly? If you answer yes, they will not speak to important to learn what your options are early on. I
you and the matter goes into grievance. Unfair know that some people thought that remediating up
treatment means you believe you were treated to 3 classes was okay since policy said so. However,
differently from your classmates; even if you think when they went to talk to Dr. Falls, they were told
the course or the remediation exam was unfair, DO that having 2 or 3 No Pass in their transcripts was
NOT say so. What the COSE wants to hear is what really bad and this would make it really hard to get
you are going to or have already changed in order
any residencies in the future. If these students would
to succeed should they re-admit you.
I have enrolled in an online or MSU have not met with Dr. Falls they would have been left
undergraduate course to solidify my in the dark about their options.
understanding of the subject.
I will speak with Academic & Career
Advising as soon as I think I have a
problem.
I will apply to the PEAK program.
I will see Dr. Taylor at Personal Counseling
to help me manage the stress of medical
school.
I will seek ___________ style of academic
accommodations because I feel that this
issue drastically affected my performance
in the past.
I have used my time away from school to
read about/volunteer at _______ to
reaffirm that the career in medicine is what
I desire to strive for.

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