Regulations, 2013

L.N. 294 of 2013

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Doctor of Medicine and Surgery – M.D. - Degree Course (Amendment)

Regulations, 2013

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred upon him by articles 74 (5) and

75 (6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor of the University of Malta

has promulgated the following regulations made by the Senate of the University of

Malta by virtue of the powers conferred upon it by articles 75 (3) and 79 (b) of the

said Act

Citation

These regulations may be cited as the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery

- M.D. - Degree Course (Amendment) Regulations, 2013 and shall be read and

construed as one with the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery – M.D. – Degree Course

Regulations 1998, published as Legal Notice 137 of 1998, hereinafter referred to as

the “principal regulations”.

Applicability

(1) Regulations 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 of these

regulations shall apply from October 2012 onwards for courses which commenced in

October 2009, 2010 and 2011.

(2) Regulations 9, 18 and 19 of these regulations shall apply from

October 2012 onwards for courses which commenced in October 2010 and 2011.

Amendment to regulation 5 of the principal regulations

For regulation 5 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“5. (1) The Course shall extend over a period of five years and shall be

divided into two parts: the Pre-Clinical Part, of two years’ duration, that is, Years 1

and 2 and the Clinical Part of three years’ duration, that is, Years 3, 4 and 5.

(2) Except with the permission of the Board, students must follow the

Course without suspension or repetition. The Board may allow students to suspend

or to repeat a year once in each of the two parts of the Course.

(3) The Board may allow students an additional year of studies once

only throughout the Course.”

Amendment to regulation 6 of the principal regulations

For regulation 6 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“6. The Board shall publish the programme of study, comprising all the study-

units taught in each year of the Course, their syllabus and method of assessment

following the approval of Senate, normally not less than eight months prior to the

commencement of the Course. Subject to the approval of Senate, the Board may

make any necessary changes to the programme of study as required.”

Deletion of regulation 7 of the principal regulations

Regulation 7 of the principal regulations shall be deleted.

Renumbering of regulations 8 to 23 of the principal regulations

Regulations 8 to 23 of the principal regulations shall be renumbered as

regulations 7 to 22.

Amendment to regulation 7 of the principal regulations

For regulation 7 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“7. Practical, laboratory and clinical placements shall be carried out throughout

the Course, and may include periods when the University is in recess.”

Amendment to regulation 8 of the principal regulations

For regulation 8 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“Mark Scheme for the Course

8. (1) During the Course, the result of each study-unit shall be published

according to the following marks and grades in descending order of merit

Mark Range

Grade

95% - 100%

A+

80% - 94%

A

75% - 79%

B+

70% - 74%

B

65% - 69%

C+

55% - 64%

C

50% - 54%

D+

45% - 49%

D

0% - 44%

F

(2) As from October 2013, students who fail in the following study-units

declared to be compensatable in the Programme of Study, with a mark of not less

than 35% shall be awarded the grade CP (Compensated Pass) if their Year Average

Mark is at least 50%

either

(a)

Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynaecology II or Paediatrics II;

or

(b)

Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynaecology II or Paediatrics II

(3) As from October 2014, students who fail in a study-unit declared

to be compensatable in the Programme of Study, with a mark of not less than 35%

shall be awarded the grade CP (Compensated Pass) if their Year Average Mark is at

least 50%.

(4) Study-units passed by compensation shall not be reassessed.

(5) In any academic year, students may not be awarded more than 14

ECTS credits through compensated passes.”

Amendment to regulation 9 of the principal regulations

For regulation 9 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“Assessment and Progression in the Course

9. (1) The method of assessment for each study-unit shall be indicated in

the study-unit description and published in the catalogue of study-units. The result

of each study–unit shall take into account all components of the assessment of that

study-unit.

(2) In any academic year, students who fail in study-units to which

not more than 16 ECTS credits are assigned, or in two study-units which between

them are assigned not more than 20 ECTS credits, and who are not eligible to a

compensated pass shall be allowed a supplementary assessment in September of the

same year,

provided that

(a) the assessment of the study-units in the programme of study for the year

is divided approximately equally between the two semesters, failing which, the limit

stipulated in this regulation does not apply; and

(b) in the Final Year (Year 5) of the Course, students who fail in the Final

Clinical Examination only, to which 30 ECTS credits are assigned, shall be allowed

a re-assessment of this study-unit during the September supplementary session of the

same year.

(3) Students who after the supplementary session fail in study-units to

which 10 or less ECTS credits are assigned, after academic counselling by the Dean

and/or the Head of Department concerned, may be given the option by the Board, to

either

(a) refer the failed study-unit/s to the following year to be done over and

above the study-units indicated for that year; or

(b) refer the failed study-unit/s to an additional year of studies, if the student

is in Year 5 of the Course and if eligible in terms of these regulations; or

(c) repeat the year, if eligible in terms of these regulations.

(4) Students referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (3) of this

regulation who take up the option to refer failed study-units to the following year

of the Course shall be considered to have progressed conditionally and shall not be

allowed to continue with the Course if, after the supplementary session of that year,

they fail again to obtain a pass in the referred study-unit/s.

(5) The option to refer study-units to the following year shall be

available once only throughout the Course and shall not apply to students registered

in the Second Year of the Course who are required to obtain a pass in all study-units

of the Second Year before being admitted to the Third Year of the Course, except

in the case of the study-units referred to in paragraph (7) of this regulation. Year 2

students who are not eligible to proceed to Year 3 of the Course shall be required to

successfully complete the failed study-unit/s during an additional year of study, or

to repeat the year, in both cases if eligible in terms of these regulations.

(6) If a student is prevented for a reason considered valid by Senate from

being assessed in referred study-units, the student shall be required to complete the

previous year’s requirements in an additional year of study, if eligible in terms of

these regulations. Under no circumstances shall a student be allowed to progress to

the following year if the requirements of the year previous to the current one have

not been satisfied.

(7) In the case of assessments that can only be held once during an

academic year and hence no supplementary session is possible, students who fail

these assessments or are prevented for a reason considered valid by Senate from

being assessed in these study-units, shall be allowed to proceed to the following

year of the Course, provided that they pass such assessments in that year, or in an

additional year of study, if eligible in terms of these regulations.

(8) Students who after the supplementary session fail in study-units to

which more than 10 ECTS credits are assigned shall not be allowed to proceed to

the following year of the Course, but shall be required to repeat the year if eligible

in terms of these regulations.

(9) In a repeat year, students are required to follow and be assessed in

all study-units of the programme of study for the year, even those they may have

previously passed. Any mark/grade may be obtained in the repeat year and will

replace the marks/grades obtained in the preceding year.

(10) The maximum mark/grade that may be awarded in a referred study-

unit, irrespective of whether the subject is assessed in a normal or a supplementary

session of examinations, is 45%, grade D.

(11) Attendance for lectures, tutorials, seminars, practical, laboratory and

clinical placements, and any other teaching session in whatever mode is obligatory.

Following consultation with the Head of Department, lecturers may bar a student

whose attendance in a study-unit is not satisfactory from being assessed in that

study-unit. In such cases, a 0 mark and an F grade shall be assigned and recorded.”

Deletion of regulations 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the principal regulations

Regulations 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the principal regulations shall be

deleted.

Regulation 15 of the principal regulations shall be renumbered as

regulation 10.

Amendment to regulation 10 of the principal regulations

For regulation 10 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted

the following

“Examinations in the Final Year of the Course

10. (1) In the Final Year of the Course, the assessment of study-units

examined by a written paper/s shall be held in the January session of examinations.

The examination of the clinical study-unit shall be held in the June session of

examinations.

(2) Before being allowed to sit for any examination of Year 5, students

must present to the Dean a certificate, signed by the heads of department concerned,

showing that they have completed satisfactorily the schedule of clinical placements

prescribed for the Course.”

Addition of regulation 11 to the principal regulations

The following regulation 11 shall be added after regulation 10 of the

principal regulations

“11. (1) Students shall be allowed to resit the Final Clinical Examination to

which 30 ECTS credits are assigned during the September supplementary session of

the same year.

(2) Students shall not be allowed to re-sit any examinations of the Final

Year unless they have satisfactorily followed such additional studies and/or practical

and/or clinical work as the Board may in each case determine.”

Regulations 16 to 22 of the principal regulations shall be renumbered as

regulations 12 to 18.

Amendment to regulation 12 of the principal regulations

For regulation 12 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted

the following

“Classification of the Degree

12. (1) The classification of the Degree shall be determined by the Degree

Classification Board composed as follows

The Dean as Chairman; and

the Heads of Departments involved in the teaching of the programme.

(2) The classification of the Degree shall be based on the results obtained

in the examinations of the study-units covered during the Final Year of the Course.

(3) The Degree Classification Board shall consult the following

guidelines when deciding upon the final classification of the Degree

Final Weighted Average Mark

Classification

80 – 100%

Pass with Distinction

70 – 79%

Pass with Merit

45 – 69%

Pass

(4) The Degree Classification Board, at its own discretion, may award

the Degree with a higher classification than that indicated in paragraph (3) of this

regulation to students whose Final Weighted Average Mark is up to three marks less

than the minimum for the classification. In such cases, the Degree Classification

Board is required to minute the decision and the justification for it.

(5) The Degree Classification Board, at its own discretion, may also

award a Degree with a lower classification than that indicated in paragraph (3) of

this regulation. In such cases, the Degree Classification Board is required to obtain

the authorization of the Board that shall minute the decision and the justification for

it. The students concerned may appeal to Senate against the decision within 15 days

of the publication of the classification.”

Deletion of regulations 13 to 16 of the principal regulations

Regulations 13 to 16 of the principal regulations shall be deleted.

Regulations 17 and 18 of the principal regulations shall be renumbered as

regulations 13 and 14.

Amendment to regulations 13 and 14 of the principal regulations

For regulations 13 and 14 of the principal regulations there shall be

substituted the following

“Consequences of Withdrawal from the Course

13. When a student withdraws from the Course either by choice or because

ineligible to proceed further in terms of these regulations, but has successfully

completed the equivalent of three years of full-time study, the student may request to

be awarded the Bachelor in General Studies degree (B.Gen. St.).

14. The Final Weighted Average Mark for the degree of Bachelor in General

Studies (B.Gen.St.) shall be based on the results obtained, all years being weighted

equally and shall be classified as follows

Category I

Category IIA

Category IIB

Category III.”

Addition of regulation 15 to the principal regulations

The following regulation 15 shall be added after regulation 14 of the

principal regulations

“15. Students who partially completed the Degree programme prior to

academic year 2010/11 and who satisfy regulation 13 shall have the right to request,

on entry into force of this regulation, to be awarded the degree of Bachelor in General

Studies (B.Gen.St.) without prejudice and ex gratia provided that this degree shall

not be granted retroactively. In such cases, this degree shall not be classified.”

€0.63