From this September, students who start the clinical internships of the VU Masters Programme in Medicine will no longer be able to graduate with a distinction. The VU Masters in Medicine is the first medical degree programme to decide not to award a distinction. “We made this decision after extensive consultation with students and teaching staff,” says Hester Daelmans (head of the Masters in Medicine) and Christa Boer (vice dean of education). “Granting a distinction puts too much emphasis on performance rather than learning”.
With the introduction of 'Programmatic Assessment' last September, grades disappeared from the Masters in Medicine. “By focusing on the learning process instead of getting good grades, competencies such as self-directed learning, leadership and collaboration are much better stimulated. In addition, the students' application of knowledge is monitored over a longer period of time, so that a sound knowledge base can be better achieved. This philosophy fits well with the direction that medical education is heading in, which supports and rewards “challenging yourself”.
Click here to learn more about the philosophy of the Faculty of Medicine of VU Amsterdam.