Clerkship Attendance, Participation and Absence Policy

Purpose
To outline the attendance, participation, and absence policy for the Clerkship curriculum phase.

Audience
Clerkship phase medical students

LCME Standard
8.8 Monitoring Student Time
12.4 Student Access to Health Care Services

Policy

Definitions

  • Time Away: not being at the clerkship or related educational activities for an amount of time less than 4 hours.
  • Absence: not being at the clerkship or related educational activities for a continuous amount of time equal to, or greater than, 4 hours. Time that cannot be made-up clinically, except at the discretion of a Course Director, is included in this definition. The ability to make up clinical time will vary by clerkship rotational capacity.
  • Day: time equal to, or greater than, 4 hours of any day or night a student is assigned to clinical work.
  1. Students are expected to arrive on time, fully engage in the clerkship experience and remain present, and act professionally.
  2. Students must send notifications for time away, and get prior approval for an absence, unless it is emergent. (See Procedure)
  3. Time away or an absence may or may not have make-up work assigned at the discretion of the Clerkship Director. Make up work may or may not count as a "made up absence."
  4. Students must not miss more than 2 days of assigned clerkship activity in a 6-week block. Time that cannot be made up clinically, except at the discretion of a Course Director, will contribute to this time. The ability to make up clinical time will vary by clerkship rotational capacity.
  5. Time away or an absence that results in a student being unable to meet the learning objectives of the course may require the student to complete additional work to achieve all objectives or repeat the rotation.
  6. A student who is absent more than 2 days of assigned clerkship activity in a 6-week block will be referred to the Associate Dean for Students for consultation and next steps.
  7. Any student absent more than 7 days of assigned clerkship activity during the academic year will be required to meet with the Vice Dean for Education.
  8. Students are excused from all clerkship activities on university holidays, regardless of site.
  9. An absence from clerkship activities may include personal, illness, or professional activities provided it does not exceed 2 days. No non-emergent rescheduling of an examination will be permitted, as outlined in the Required Course Exam policy.
  10. Exceptions to this policy may be made for students needing leave from the curriculum or a modified curriculum due to medical or other reasons. Educational leave and modified curricula will require an educational plan developed jointly with the Associate Dean for Students, the Associate Dean for Curriculum, and the relevant course/clerkship directors, faculty and staff stakeholders for the period of the leave or modified curriculum. 

Procedure

  1. Notification of Emergent Issues
    Students must notify their clinical teams, the Clerkship Directors and the Clerkship Coordinator of their emergency as soon as possible.
  2. Notification of Time Away (less than 4 hours)
    Students must notify their clinical teams and Clerkship Coordinator of time away that is less than 4 hours (e.g. appointments) that conflict with their clerkship as soon as the time away is scheduled.
  3. Notification of an absence (4 or more hours)
    1. Students must complete the Absence Request Form as soon as an absence is anticipated and at least two weeks in advance of the absence request date.
    2. Clerkship Directors will be notified of all absences and will follow up with students regarding any questions or concerns. Absences that occur without appropriate notification will be considered unapproved. Unapproved absences will be referred to the Associate Dean for Students.
    3. Emergent absences will be considered if a student experiences an illness or an emergency affecting the day(s) of concern. The Course Director and the Curriculum Manager should be notified as soon as the emergent issues become apparent.
    4. Students must notify their teams of all absences as soon as they are known. If any resistance is encountered, students should inform the Clerkship Director.

Responsibility
Clerkship Directors and Curriculum Managers 

References
UC Davis School of Medicine Bylaws and Regulations, Regulation 60: Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Medicine

Related Policy
Required Course Exam Policy

Policy Owner
Committee on Educational Policy

Reviewed By
Committee on Educational Policy*
Clerkship Directors and Curriculum Managers
Curriculum Steering Subcommittee

Reviewed Date and Review Cycle
April 2024; annual review cycle

*indicates the Policy Owner