Opinion ID: 1861952
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Grade in Surgery.

Text: In 1963-64 Dr. Champ Lyons was Chairman of the Department of Surgery; Dr. Thomas B. Patton was a Professor of Surgery and Head of the Section of General Surgery; and next in line was the chief resident, the overall instructor, Dr. Eugene Sherlock. At the time of the trial, Dr. Sherlock had left the Medical College and was Chief of Plastic Surgery at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. He had an M. D. degree from the Medical College of Alabama, had interned there and had done four years general surgery at University Hospital. He was responsible for the hospital ward to which appellant was assigned. He testified that it was reported to him that appellant was not doing well in Surgery, that he knew himself that appellant was having difficulty, and approximately half way through the course, he reported to Dr. Patton that appellant was having difficulty and requested that Dr. Patton talk with appellant and get him to work harder. He further testified that at the end of the course, appellant was deficient as to his knowledge and qualifications in Surgery; that he gave appellant a grade of 80. He said, 80 would be the lowest grade. He would be low man on the totem pole in the group. It would be the lowest grade I would put. He said that at the time he gave the grade he did not think appellant was qualified to pass the junior grade in Surgery and go into the senior grade. He testified that he had a conversation with Dr. Lyons about appellant's performance. Dr. Patton testified that he talked with appellant during the term and told him they were worried about his ward work. Near the end of the term, he and other instructors gave appellant an oral examination and gave him a grade of 70, which was barely passing; and that it was a rule that anyone receiving a grade of 70 or below on the oral examination would be referred to Dr. Lyons for his re-examination, for his counsel, or whatever else was deemed indicated. When he submitted a list of grades of the surgery students to Dr. Lyons, which showed appellant with a 70 on oral examination, he told Dr. Lyons that Mr. Mustell was one of the individuals that we thought he should talk to. Dr. Patton testified that under the procedure that was followed in the Department of Surgery that year, Dr. Lyons was the final arbiter in all gradings. He stated that the final grades he submitted to Dr. Lyons were submitted for his perusal, for his comment, for his amendment, for his revision; and they were not final until they were entered on a blue sheet by the Chairman of the Surgery Department, Dr. Lyons. Dean Hill also testified that it was up to the Chairman of the Department to put all the grades of the instructors in perspective, and make and arrive at the final grade. The list of grades submitted to Dr. Lyons by Dr. Patton showed appellant and one other student with a grade of 70 on oral examination and one other student with a failing grade (65) on ward work. When next seen by Dr. Patton, a 65 had been written over the 70 by the name of appellant and one other student and the three 65 grades were circled and Dr. Lyons had written the word FAIL by each of the names. Appellant admits that he was called in by Dr. Lyons on the morning of the day that the Promotions Committee met, that they had a five to ten minute discussion, but that Dr. Lyons did not examine him about the course in surgery and there was never any discussion of surgery whatsoever. This interview was on May 28, 1964. Dr. Lyons died on October 25, 1965, after a short illness. The instant suit was filed November 2, 1965. We come now to the meeting of the Promotions Committee. Every person present at that meeting testified except Dr. Baird, who was ill at the time of the trial. The testimony was that Dr. Lyons, as Chairman of the Junior Promotions Committee, told them that three junior students were deficient in their subjects and the committee needed to discuss them. He named appellant as one of the students and it was brought up that appellant had been reported as having failed medicine at the March 5th meeting. All the people present at the May 28th meeting of the Promotions Committee testified that Dr. Lyons stated to them that he had just given the appellant an oral examination, and that he was inadequate in his knowledge of surgery and did not deserve to pass and be promoted. After a discussion, the vote was unanimous to recommend that appellant be dismissed from Alabama Medical College. Dr. Bentley testified that he sat next to Dr. Lyons and saw him write the word FAIL on the surgery grade sheet which Dr. Patton had turned in to Dr. Lyons. The minutes of the meeting of the committee in reference to appellant read (except as to the names of two students): I. The Chairman asked the Committee to consider three third year students, two of whom had been brought up for discussion at the meeting of this committee on March 5, 1964. These students were: 1. Mustell, Frederick    Medicine F; Surgery F; Pediatrics C 2.    3.    The performance of each of the above three students was discussed in detail for their entire tenure in medical school. On the basis of each student's total evaluation, the committee recommended to the dean that each student be dropped from medical school. On the basis of each student's total evaluation, the committee recommended that the dean advise each student to change his field of interest.