Standard Policy and Procedures for the
Medicine Clerkship
Attendance
-
If a student is absent or late for any reason, he or she is required to contact the attending physician and/or resident for that rotation and the clerkship director’s office that day. This policy applies to all students regardless of whether the rotation is on or off-campus.
-
Students are required to be present for all clinical activities. All absences must be excused by the clerkship director. If an emergency results in a student being absent three days during a four-week rotation, withdrawal or an incomplete grade will result, unless both the clerkship director and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs feel that circumstances allow the student to complete the clerkship. Personal illness and family emergencies are examples of legitimate reasons for being absent. Weddings, visits to family and friends, pre-purchased airline tickets, interviews, etc. are not acceptable reasons to be absent from the rotation.
-
Students on the inpatient service at MCG or the VAMC may arrange for one weekend day off during a four-week rotation. These days cannot be on a call or post call day. For those students on a team that this cannot be arranged because of the call schedule, the chief residents will notify the resident on the service to allow the students to take another day off. This does not apply to ambulatory rotations, community-based rotations or off-campus inpatient rotations. Each off campus site determines if a student is permitted a day off. All students have the Saturday and Sunday off after each four-week block.
-
Vacation Schedule. Vacations begin and end on the following dates.
- Thanksgiving Holiday: November 23- November 26, 2006
- Christmas Holiday: December 18, 2006 - January 1, 2007
- Spring Holidays: April 2-8, 2007
Holidays. The following holidays are treated the same as a Saturday or Sunday.
Labor Day
Columbus Day (VA holiday only)
Veterans Day (VA holiday only)
Martin Luther King Day
President’s Day (VA holiday only)
Memorial Day
Independence Day
This means that you will come to the hospital and make rounds with your team as you would on any weekend day. If your team is on Long Call on one of these holidays, you will be expected to take call with your team.
Administrative Issues
-
Any student requiring special testing conditions must notify the clerkship director or coordinator before the start of the clerkship or on the first day of the clerkship.
-
If a student has had a recent name change, he or she must notify the clerkship director or coordinator before the start of the clerkship or on the first day of the clerkship.
-
Students should not arrange for a core clerkship rotation at any of the participating sites. All assignments are made through the Clerkship Director’s office.
Professional Conduct
As you become an active member of the health care team, your degree of interaction with patients will often equal or exceed that of more senior members of your team. Accordingly, you are required to meet certain minimum standards of professional decorum.
Dress
You are expected to wear clean white coats with name tags at all times. Men must wear shirts and ties. Women are expected to be comparably attired. You may wear a scrub suit when on call (obtain from operating room, 2nd floor). Please do not change into scrubs until 5:00pm on weekday call days and please change back into street clothes the following morning.
Patients
All patients are to be addressed as Mr., Mrs., etc. Any discussion of diagnosis, management or prognosis with the patient or family should be first cleared with the housestaff or attending physician.
Ancillary Personnel
Optimum patient care requires a mutual attitude of courtesy and respect. You can and should learn a great deal from nurses and other personnel. Should you have any interpersonal difficulties with ancillary personnel, notify your resident or attending.
Punctuality
You are expected to be present and on time for all rounds, conferences and other scheduled activities.