Participation Trophies in Scrubs: When Passing the Test Isn’t Enough to Pass the Profession
If you wouldn't want them treating your mom, why are they passing the class?
There’s a growing problem in higher education - and no, it’s not just AI, tuition hikes, or declining enrollment.
It’s participation trophies.
I’m not talking about literal ones, but the kind given in spirit when we allow students to pass through programs; even highly sensitive, professional ones like healthcare — without demonstrating mastery. Not because they earned it, but because we’re afraid of what will happen if they fail.
Let me explain.
At my institution (and I know we’re not alone), students who are dismissed from a program due to academic failure can appeal. And, if faculty didn’t meticulously document every effort to intervene (e.g., like meeting after a failed exam, sending out nudges throughout the semester, or offering extra support)... the appeal often succeeds. The student is reinstated.
On the surface, it sounds fair. We want support systems. We want compassion. But there’s a dark side.
This shifts the burden from the student demonstrating competence... to the faculty proving they tried hard enough. And if the faculty didn’t check every administrative box? The system says the failure was ours — not the student’s.
In healthcare education, that’s terrifying. These aren’t just grades; they’re the foundations for people who will be interpreting life-altering scans, delivering medications, or standing in front of real patients one day. When a student doesn’t pass, it should be a wake-up call — not a clerical error.
What’s more alarming? I’ve heard of program directors being fired not for incompetence, but for prioritizing education over profits. For choosing standards over enrollment. Some institutions would rather keep the revenue stream flowing than risk a drop in retention rates.
Are we creating professionals… or customers?
Are we educators… or service reps in a tuition-for-diploma transaction?
I know this might ruffle feathers. But if we’re serious about integrity in education — especially in fields where people’s lives are at stake — we can’t keep rewarding effort over outcome, nor passing students for optics.
So what can we do?
Build stronger faculty protections that reward documentation but don’t weaponize it.
Reinforce academic standards as a pillar of program accreditation.
Make sure students understand that support is there — but passing isn’t guaranteed.
Remind institutions: retention at the expense of rigor is a short-term win with long-term consequences.
This isn’t about being harsh. It’s about being honest. It’s about being human… and about recognizing when a system meant to support growth has started rewarding something else entirely.
Till next time, and… stay human.
Dr. D
