My name is Christopher Moree and I am writing to share my experience of being a medical student dismissed from Georgetown University School of Medicine (GUSOM). This dismissal was partially the result of biased and unfair grading by Dr. Partridge, a Professor of Pharmacology.

During the final block of the school year, I submitted an assignment and received 2.8/3 points. I received a 0.2 point deduction on this assignment because my answer for one of the questions did not match the answer Dr. Partridge had in mind for the question. However, my answer was not medically incorrect and this deduction resulted in me finishing this year's portion of the course with a 69.92%, 0.08% shy of the 70% needed to continue onto the next year's portion. Without this deduction, I would not have had an unsuccessful attempt at the remediation exam which ultimately resulted in dismissal.

As the question asked "What might be happening now?" regarding a patient who just suffered a seizure, I prepared a document defending my original answer, submitted a case study, and had these documents verified by a professor of clinical neurology who wrote a statement endorsing my answer. Dr. Partridge said that if the assignment initially contained all of the references listed then he would have considered it an upgrade (a level of support not required for other students). However, after originally saying that he would change the grade if given permission by the deans, Dr. Partridge responded to the expert's statement by saying that I was "hung up" on the deduction and that there were other things wrong with my assignment. This differs from what Dr. Partridge initially told both me and Dean Kumar (Dean of Student Affairs) regarding the deduction. 

Dr. Partridge provided a google doc outlining the other issues he mentioned with the assignment in question the day before the student's meeting with the Committee on Student Appeals (COSA). As seen on the google document, I responded to each issue listed with either a quote from the relevant lecture or an example of another student's response who said the same or similar things and received full credit.

All of this information as well as a statement of support were shared with Dr. Partridge, Dean Jones (Dean of Medical Education), Dean Kumar, the Committee on Student Appeals, and Dean Beauchamp (Executive Vice President of Health Sciences and Executive Dean of the Medical School) who decided to uphold the decision to remove me from the school of medicine due to this issue and prior academic struggles. COSA's response to this information was that I did not appeal the grade according to the student handbook and undiagnosed ADHD/Family issues were not significant enough to amend the negative decision. 

At Georgetown, students are taught the importance that evidence based medicine plays in patient care. As seen in this example, Course Directors have the authority to update grades as they see fit. In the face of evidence/an expert testimony Dr. Partridge chose not to update the grade and instead find reasons to further scrutinize my assignment more harshly compared to other students' in an inconsistent manner.

Medical education is designed to nurture and develop the skills and knowledge of its students, in an environment that promotes fairness and truth. However, if those entrusted with the power to guide and evaluate abuse their authority, the system cannot serve its purpose.

This issue reflects a wider systemic problem, as according to a recent study, approximately 5% of medical students have experienced some form of subjectivity in grading that affected their academic performance negatively (Association of American Medical Colleges). Specifically, at Georgetown, strict policies around advancing in the curriculum delay multiple M1 students and approximately 40 M2 students each year from continuing with their classes to finish their medical education journey on time.  

This petition's goal is not merely to rectify the injustice done, but to begin a wider conversation about impartiality, transparency, fairness, and accountability in student evaluations to ensure that no other student faces a similar ordeal. I urge you to sign, showing your support for fair grading practices and more regard for student well-being at GUSOM.