Leiden University/LUMC to drop cum laude honour for Master’s in Medicine
As of 1 September 2024, the cum laude honour will no longer be awarded for the Master’s in Medicine. The Executive Board recently decided to grant an exemption to the Leiden University/LUMC Faculty of Medicine. This decision is in line with other medicine programmes in the Netherlands.
Why is the cum laude honour being dropped?
The three-year Leiden University/LUMC Master’s in Medicine mainly consists of internships. To best support workplace learning, the programme has opted for programmatic assessment. This means that assessments are based on several points of assessment in conjunction with portfolio feedback. This gives a better picture of the development of the doctor’s skills than an exam with a grade would do.
With grades no longer being awarded, the basis for cum laude honours would be too narrow. The cum laude honour will continue to be used by the other programmes at Leiden University.
Who will be affected?
Students starting the Master’s in Medicine from 1 September 2024 will no longer have the opportunity to earn a cum laude honour. Students who started the Master’s in Medicine before 1 September 2024 will retain the opportunity to be awarded a cum laude honour. A transitional arrangement will apply to students switching from the current to the revised programme. These students will have until 31 August 2027 to complete their degree with a cum laude honour.
What does this mean in practice?
Students will no longer be assigned grades but an assessment stating whether or not they met the requirements. The feedback will give examiners a clear picture of the student’s development. It has also been found that dropping the cum laude system means students focus more on their development and self-regulated learning, and has a positive effect on their well-being.