Clinical Comprehensive Examination Guidelines:

General Expectations
Students are expected to demonstrate successfully a range of clinical skills and knowledge of conceptual and theoretical aspects of clinical practice, awareness of professional and ethical issues, understanding of the client case selected for the comprehensive exam, and integration both in their comp document and in their presentation and discussion during the oral exam. These required clinical competencies may be evidenced by:

1. Presentation of the student's theoretical model (or orientation) and its application to: case conceptualization, client assessment, helping process and relationship building, use of helping skills and intervention strategies, assessment of helping outcome and effectiveness etc.


2. Linking relevant research information to the student's theoretical model to demonstrate a scientist-practitioner approach to clinical practice


3. Satisfactory demonstration of basic counselling skills and applied techniques


4. Theory-practice compatibility reflected in transcripts and videotapes


5. Demonstration of ethical practice and awareness of ethical and professional issues as presented by the selected client case (to be accompanied by a discussion on ethical decision making process and a reflection on personal values and their influence on their ethical decision making)


6. Appropriate critique of own interventions and counselling process and demonstration of the student's reflective ability to recognize strengths and areas for further development in terms of their clinical skills, theoretical integration, intervention strategies, ethical decision making, and case conceptualization abilities


7. Effective and satisfactory oral presentation and engagement in discussion and responding to questions and comments during the exam

Clinical Comprehensive Examination Guidelines for "Conditional Pass"

1. Please note that students receive a "pass," "conditional pass," or "fail" grade for their clinical comprehensive examination. The chair of the Examination Committee ("Exam Chair," hereunder), the Faculty Advisor, and the Director of the Ph.D. Program will sign the form, and it will be placed in the student file. Passing this exam entitles the student to enrollment in CNPS 688. (The Faculty Advisor is a faculty member who is a advisor or a dissertation supervisor for the student.)


2. In case of a "conditional pass," the Exam Chair will write a memo outlining the following three points,
         1) Specific reasons for the grade and specific issues to be addressed by the student
         2) A list of specific remedial recommendations and conditions in order for the student to receive a "pass" grade
         3) Time-table for further work to be undertaken by the student.
   and send it to:
         (a) Faculty Advisor,
         (b) student,
         (c) another Examination Committee member, and
         (d) Committee Chair.
   


3. The Faculty Advisor is responsible for monitoring the student's progress with regards to the recommendations and conditions outlined in the memo.


4. The Faculty Advisor indicates in writing to the original Exam Chair when the student has made satisfactory progress and addressed the Examination Committee's recommendations and conditions appropriately. The Exam Chair will then recommend that the student's standing be moved from "conditional pass" to "pass" The Exam Chair will send a memo to the appropriate staff member, indicating the new "pass" standing to be placed in the student file, and will copy the memo to
         (a) Faculty Advisor,
         (b) student,
         (c) another Examination Committee member, and
         (d) Committee Chair.


5. In case of a "conditional pass," the Exam Chair should meet with the CNPS 688 instructor, without delay, to discuss whether or not the student should proceed to enrollment in CNPS 688. The Exam Chair may also consult with the Faculty Advisor, another member of the original Examination Committee, and Committee Chair in this process, if necessary.


6. In case of disagreement between the Exam Chair and the CNPS 688 instructor, the Director of the Ph.D. Program will be invited to act as a mediator to address the disagreement and to facilitate reconciliation. If needed, the Director of the Ph.D. Program will strike a Special Adjudication Committee at his/her own discretion to recommend a final solution to this matter.