VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

• For students placed on an Altered Degree Plan of Study for failure of COMLEX Level 1, every attempt will be made to provide rotations in the region to which the student was originally matched; however, due to a limited availability in the number of core rotations in some sites, the student may be required to do one or more of their rotations outside of the original core region to which they matched. Both NBOME and VCOM allow students four attempts to pass COMLEX Level 1. Failure of COMLEX Level 1 on the 3 rd attempt will result in the student being brought before the Promotion Board to be placed on academic probation. Any student failing COMLEX Level 1 on the 4 th attempt will be brought before the Promotion Board to be dismissed. It is important for the student to be aware that many states limit the number of attempts a student may take to pass the exam and failure to fall within their guideline on number of failures allowed, will result in the student being denied licensure in that state. COMLEX Level 1: Failure of the First or Additional Attempts • Students who do not pass COMLEX Level 1 on any attempt must meet with the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Accreditation, and the Director for Student and Institutional Academic Success (meetings for failures of the second or additional attempts will also include the Campus Dean) to develop a prescribed remediation plan that must receive final approval from the Campus Dean. Approval must be granted prior to the student being released to schedule the next attempt. o The student who receives a failing COMLEX Level 1 score while on clinical rotations will be permitted to complete the rotation they are on at the time of getting the failing score. o Students who fail COMLEX Level 1 have two options for remediation:  Option 1: Attend a VCOM approved external immersion program.

 External immersion programs are generally held for a period of 4 – 6 weeks. Students typically need an additional 2 – 4 weeks of independent study following the immersion program before they feel ready to sit for the exam.  Attendance in an external immersion program requires the cancellation of not more than two rotations in order to complete the program and take the exam. Students whose rotations are delayed due to attending an external immersion program will be placed on an Altered Degree Plan of Study (ADPOS).  Students who choose to attend a VCOM approved external immersion program are enrolled in VCOM’s National Board Preparation course. Students may not be enrolled in the course for longer than 60 days.  Those students who choose to attend a VCOM approved external immersion program (and who will be enrolled in VCOM’s National Board Preparation course) may start a new clinical rotation, if they can complete it in its entirely, while they are awaiting the next available start date of the external immersion program. This may not exceed one rotation period.  Students must follow and complete the prescribed remediation plan as designed in order to be allowed to sit for an additional attempt of COMLEX Level 1. This includes requiring the student to submit to CIFSS updates regarding study plan progress and question bank performance as outlined in the course syllabus. VCOM will evaluate students’ completion of the prescribed remediation plan when evaluating students’ readiness to retake COMLEX Level 1 and approving the students’ testing date.  Students enrolled in VCOM’s National Board Preparation course must sit for their next attempt of COMLEX Level 1 within 60 days of being enrolled in the course.

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