Clerkship students will receive a letter grade of (H) Honors, (HP) High Pass, (P) Pass, or (F) Fail based on two components: (1) Clinical performance and (2) NBME Subject Examination performance based on the Equated Percent Correct score
Clerkship Overall Letter Grades
- Honors: student must achieve Honors in both components.
- High Pass: student must achieve Honors on one component while passing the other component.
- Pass: student must pass both components.
- Fail: any clinical failure or shelf failure on 2nd attempt
Eligibility for Pass, High Pass, and Honors assume passing NBME Subject Exam score on the first attempt.
Medical Student Grading Policy
Grades other than Passing Policy
Each clerkship has specific requirements that must be met to pass the clerkship. Observed Professional Activities and Required Clinical Experience completion are prerequisites for clinical honors designations. The clerkship director may override a grade for other reasons (i.e. professionalism issues, unexcused absences, failure to complete requirements).
Family Medicine
| Campus | Clinical Honors | NBME Pass | NBME Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Honors Boxes/Committee plus Oral Exam of 90 or higher | 63 | 81 |
| Huntsville | Honors Boxes/Committee plus Oral Exam of 90 or higher | 63 | 81 |
| Montgomery | Honors Boxes/Committee plus Oral Exam of 90 or higher | 63 | 81 |
| Tuscaloosa | Honors Boxes/Committee plus Oral Exam of 90 or higher | 63 | 81 |
Medicine
| Campus | Clinical Honors | NBME Pass | NBME Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 50% or more of Honors Boxes checked | 60 | 77 |
| Huntsville | Honors Boxes/Committee | 60 | 77 |
| Montgomery | Honors Boxes/Committee | 60 | 77 |
| Tuscaloosa | Honors Boxes/Committee | 60 | 77 |
Neurology
| Campus | Clinical Honors | NBME Pass | NBME Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 50% or more of Honors Boxes checked | 67 | 82 |
| Huntsville | Honors Boxes/Committee | 67 | 82 |
| Montgomery | Honors Boxes/Committee | 67 | 82 |
| Tuscaloosa | Honors Boxes/Committee | 67 | 82 |
Ob-Gyn
| Campus | Clinical Honors | NBME Pass | NBME Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Honors Boxes/Committee | 66 | 82 |
| Huntsville | Committee decision | 66 | 82 |
| Montgomery | Committee decision | 66 | 82 |
| Tuscaloosa | Committee decision | 66 | 82 |
Pediatrics
| Campus | Clinical Honors | NBME Pass | NBME Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Honors Boxes/Committee | 65 | 81 |
| Huntsville | Honors Boxes/Committee | 65 | 81 |
| Montgomery | Honors Boxes/Committee | 65 | 81 |
| Tuscaloosa | Honors Boxes/Committee | 65 | 81 |
Psychiatry
| Campus | Clinical Honors | NBME Pass | NBME Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 50% or more of Honors Boxes checked | 75 | 87 |
| Huntsville | Honors Boxes/Committee | 75 | 87 |
| Montgomery | 50% or more of Honors Boxes checked | 75 | 87 |
| Tuscaloosa | Honors Boxes/Committee | 75 | 87 |
Surgery
| Campus | Clinical Honors | NBME Pass | NBME Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 50% or more of Honors Boxes checked | 60 | 76 |
| Huntsville | 50% or more of Honors Boxes checked | 60 | 76 |
| Montgomery | 50% or more of Honors Boxes checked | 60 | 76 |
| Tuscaloosa | Honors Boxes/Committee | 60 | 76 |
Clerkship Raw Score
Each grading component also carries a numerical raw score. The raw score is a weighted average of Clinical score and NBME Exam scaled score. The Clinical score weight is .65 and the NBME score is weighted .35, with the exception of Family Medicine at .70 Clinical and .30 NBME. If a student fails and retakes the NBME Exam, the first (failing) score is used in the raw score calculation. If a student fails the clerkship, the raw score is 69. The Clinical score is 95 for Clinical Honors, and 85 for Clinical Pass.
These guidelines govern grading for the 2028 NRMP cohort at the time of the clerkship or clerkship students who take the clerkship prior to the 2029 criteria being published. Grades will not change based on a student’s subsequent change to a different NRMP year.