[AKADEMIK] IMPORTANT: regarding absentees and exams

by akmal at alexmed

BISMILLAH HIRRAHMAN NIR RAHIM

ASSALAMUALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH

How are you guys? We are praying for the very best of you; all the ways in your life.

To make it plain and understandable, may we go straight to the point. Since the very last year, we've seen that student absence is one of the major undeniable factor that promotes student unproductive in term of their academical aspect. Thus, we have been discussing with the Administrator of IUMP programme. In that, the decision has been finalized and shall be implied at once.

Those whom fails to attend any practical classes or clinical round more than 25% will be suspended from entering the exam

(whatever the exam is). Thus the attendance shall be taken as follows:

PRECLINICAL PHASE:

Your attendance will be taken by the department authorities separately and shall be counted a week before the exam. Thus, any names, that has been posted (as they fail to keep their good habits by attending the classes) shall be suspended from entering any exam.

CLINICAL PHASE:

Attendance will strictly be taken by the SR, (yet, the clinical round sheet need to be signed). At the end of half-block for each department, names of those having high absence rate will be announced in alexmedicalteam yahoogroups, monitored & later on, for persistent absentees, the names will be forwarded to the co-ordinator for further action.

Please spread this notice among you friends, especially to those who never bother to check their e-mails.

Why would you even sign up for a medical school if you weren't going to go to class in the first place? If you think that going to class is a waste of time, then you shouldn't go to the medical school at all.

Here, together with this email, there are 2 documents explaining why you should do your best to attend all the classes.

Together we strive to be excellent doctors for the ummah!

Document 1

Part of the experience of college life is attending classes. While it is also customary to miss a class or two, the main purpose of college is to expand your horizons and meet new people. What better way to do so than attending a class? Going to class encourages social interactions with the occasional group assignments, student participations and open discussions. Many of us would find it a privilege to carry on conversations with a scholar.

Attending a lecture is different from learning the course syllabus from a textbook. While the information is detailed in the course book, nothing beats the interpretation from an experienced teacher. Professors have actually lived the course content and they are an ample source of wisdom. Listening to a lecturer describe his experiences are usually better and clearer than trying to decode a textbook on a subject. While the class is in session, the facilitator can usually tell if students are getting tired or if the syllabus is beginning to confuse, indicating the need for a break with a joke or two. Textbooks usually don't have a sense of humor.

While the Internet can hold a myriad of information readily accessible at the click of a mouse at any time of the day, a computer cannot replace the flow of knowledge from one person to another. Textbooks may provide all the necessary course materials but it can't can inspire and motivate much less mentor and encourage. A classroom is where knowledge can come alive.

The whole point of going to college is to learn, and to get an education. There is rarely going to be a time when you shouldn't go to class, or that you will have that good of an excuse to not go. Even if you think the class is a joke, there are still reasons why you should go to class, even if only for the fact that you might as well get what you pay for. Why would you even sign up for college if you weren't going to go to class in the first place? If you think that going to class is a waste of time then you shouldn't go to college.

http://www.helium.com/items/1523162-why-its-important-to-go-to-class

Document 2

Reasons often given for not attending class

I overslept	Unless you're talking about only one missed class, this is not a good reason.
I was sick	Okay, this is fair. The other students - and the professor - will appreciate your not spreading germs if you're contagious, but it doesn't apply if you just sneezed once yesterday.
It's boring	Not everything in life can be exciting, or even interesting. There are things we all have to do, whether we like them or not or whether or not they seem relevant. We can't promise you'll love the teaching style of every professor, or that you'll find every course fascinating, but don't miss classes and ruin your GPA just because a class didn't seem good to you.
The class isn't challenging	Some classes do repeat information you've learned or used in other classes, or will cover something you already know. Many of the Social Sciences, for instance, contain a lot of overlap. Use these classes to explore links between disciplines, or to look for subleties and variations. If the homework is too easy, ask if there's some extra credit work, or do some extra reading in a related topic which interests you. Don't lie back and take it easy - you could be missing something!
I had some other homework to finish	Thinking logically here, missing one class to complete work for another really doesn't help. It's like using your Visa card to pay off your American Express bill: you're still behind, but you've just switched your priorities around.
My friend records it for me	Unless you are visually-impaired, or learn primarily in an auditory fashion, this will not help you. A recording will only cover class discussion and the lecture - it will not include any visual cues such as diagrams, charts, pictures or clarifications written on the board. Recordings have their place , and are useful for reminding you of details covered in class, but should not be used as a substitute for class attendance.

http://main.uab.edu/Sites/student-success/resources/49024/

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any inquiries.

Faithfully,

MUHAMMAD AKMAL ZAKARIA

(MUHAMMAD AKMAL BIN ZAKARIA)

Head of Academic Bureau,

Malaysian Medical Students Association of Egypt,

Alexandria Branch