GEneral Absentee Policy
The Required Clerkship Curriculum Committee, which is composed of clerkship directors, students, and members of the Dean’s Office, developed the following policy related to absences from clinical coursework. These guidelines will also be provided to you as part of the Clerkship Track Scheduling material in the fall of the second year, and are included as part of each clerkship’s syllabus.
Please familiarize yourself with the UW School of Medicine Clerkship Absentee Policy
- It is in the student’s best interest to be present for all days during clerkships. Please try to anticipate personal events and fit them into breaks or elective time off.
- Time is too short during two-week clerkships to allow any anticipated time off.
- Absences should not be planned during orientation, final examination, or other required elements of the clerkship.
- Students needing any time off should consult with the appropriate Clerkship Administrator at obclerk@uw.edu at least six weeks prior to the beginning of the clerkship to make sure there are no conflicts with #3 above and to limit the negative impact on the clerkship experience.
- Students absent without permission may receive a Fail grade and may be required to repeat the clerkship. In addition, students may also receive an Unacceptable professionalism grade.
To request an anticipated or unanticipated absence please complete the Absence Request Form.
Anticipated Absences
Personal Events
Personal events include weddings, graduations, presenting papers at conferences and receiving awards. If more than two days off are needed during a six week clerkship, the clerkship should be rescheduled.
Vacations
There are no vacation days during clerkships except for Match Day and possibly holidays, as discussed below. Please schedule vacation days during school breaks or time off.
National or Religious Holidays
As a member of a health care team during clerkships, there is no guaranteed time off for University of Washington holidays, traditional observances, or major days of religious significance, just as there won’t be when you are a practicing physician. Students are expected to follow the holiday practice of the clinic/hospital/site at which they are rotating. Meaning, if it is a holiday at your site, you may get the day off. If it is a working day for your site, you must show up. Clinical responsibilities such as night call and rounding take precedence over holiday schedules. To plan ahead for national holidays, you may wish to call the practice site in advance and inquire.
The UW SOM clerkship committee encourages faculty and students to work together to accommodate students’ scheduling constraints in observing their central religious and cultural practices. Similar to when you are in practice, you must take responsibility and plan ahead. If you have religious holidays that require you to miss or modify work, consult with the clerkship director well in advance to see what accommodations can and can’t be made.
Residency Interviews
Students should schedule time off for residency interviews. If interviews are offered when students are already scheduled for clerkships in the fourth year, students should work directly with the Clerkship Director right away regarding absences for residency interviews.
Match Day
All graduating students will be allowed to attend the Match Day celebration with no clerkship responsibility starting at 8AM on Match Day until the next morning (variable start time depending on the clerkship). For students doing WWAMI clerkships, additional travel time the day prior to the celebration may also be needed.
Unanticipated Absences
Unanticipated Illness or Personal Emergency
Students missing ANY number of days must speak with the site director as well as the attending or resident in charge prior to the start of the shift. It is not acceptable to leave only a phone or email message or to contact only administrative staff. Students should receive confirmation (direct conversation, return email or phone call) from the site director and/or the attending/resident in charge indicating that the team is aware of the student’s absence. The specific person and his/her contact information are available on the individual clerkship websites. Students missing THREE OR MORE days must also contact the Clerkship Director who will determine if make-up time is needed for unanticipated absences or if the entire clerkship needs to be rescheduled. If a clerkship exam must be postponed, the student should contact the Clerkship Director to determine if the exam should be rescheduled as soon as possible or delayed until the next time the exam is given. Progress in other clerkships may be interrupted until the examination is taken depending on the situation surrounding the delay.
Inclement Weather
The inclement weather policy for clerkships matches the policy for holidays. If your team is working in the hospital or the clinic is open, you are expected to show up. If you are unable to access the hospital/clinic due to hazardous travel, you must notify your team as described above.
Policies
Student Health Related Information
The UWSOM supports students’ access to healthcare and strongly encourages them to obtain and maintain health insurance while enrolled at the UWSOM. The consolidated content on the links below has been created by collaboration between students and the UWSOM student affairs to ease of referencing for student related health information. All three sources will be updated centrally by student affairs and the Student Committee on Healthcare Access (SCoHA). If you have questions regarding the content, please reach out to adminsa@uw.edu.
Healthcare Access for Medical Students
SOM-Telehealth Program for Medical Students
Reporting Mistreatment or a Serious Concern
Students who wish to report mistreatment or a serious concern that doesn’t require immediate response are encouraged to use the Learning Environment Feedback Tool.
In the tool, you will be able to provide a description of your concern and indicate your follow-up preference and how you would like your feedback shared. You will have the option of reporting completely anonymously and indicating how you want your identity and the identity of anyone else involved in the situation to be shared.
Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Protocol
Please see this webpage for instructions on how to proceed in the event of any blood/body fluid exposure.
If students have questions about a BBP exposure, they can call the Student Affairs Office during business hours 206-543-5560. If after hours, HSIP’s physician, Dr. Geoff Gottlieb (Infectious Diseases), or a covering provider, will provide backup consultation to either a provider in the region or to a student if a needlestick occurs and either the student or the provider is unclear about the management process.
UWSOM Clerkship Policies
Please see the UW School of Medicine Clerkship Policies webpage.
UWSOM Policy for Medical Student Use of Electronic Health Records
Please see the UW School of Medicine Policy on EHR in clerkships.