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Last update: August 11, 1999
"P=MD" is a dumb saying. Everyone wants the H, and so do you. Here's the rule of thumb: the longer someone lingers at the bulletin board where the scores are posted, the more likely it is that they are close to the cutoff point for either honors or pass.
Seriously, though, take your pass/fail/honors grades seriously, but don't let them turn you into a total bastard. For instance, realize that an honors mark hinges on several components -- not just quizzes and practicals, though it may seem that way. Also realize that Cornell affords a ridiculous number of H's to its students, ranging from 20-25% for every course.
Where you'll get into trouble, though, is if you believe that doing well on quizzes and such makes you a better student than most other people. Wake up and smell the formaldehyde, jack-o -- if you compare our curriculum to, oh, say, Columbia's, you're in for a surprise. Do the non-assigned reading in the review books if you possibly can, so that when you leave the comfortable confines of your red chair in the Ed Center, you're not a total idiot for knowing only the diseases presented on your PBL cases.
It's time to put the smack down. Don't even think about grubbing for grades like in your pre-med days, or complaining about single questions on quizzes. You'll incur the wrath of your classmates, and then feel bad about it yourself after a while. And it has nothing to do with how bright or stupid at the basic sciences you may be -- either way, you'll earn your class a reputation for being whiny, even if it's just a few students. It's just not worth it. If you truly deserved the H, it wouldn't have been by just a few decimal points.
Finally, most of all, Cornell's not about to install some pansy-ass pure pass-fail scheme (or, essentially, "pass-pass"). Nor are they about to pull a Hopkins letter grade scheme on you. They've hit about as good of a compromise as you can possibly hope for, and be thankful for it.
So, the take-home message: don't let the new curriculum make you soft and cynical. You've got it much better than any of the classes before you, so use your time to your advantage. And remember, even if P=MD is dumb, it's also true.
(Your mileage may vary. The contributors, editors, and owners of this site are not responsible or liable for any damages or losses incurred as a result of anything published on this site. Hello, meet our lawyers.)