Standard Policy and Procedures for the Medicine Clerkship

Attendance

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Vacation Schedule. Vacations begin and end on the following dates.

• Thanksgiving Holiday: November 23- November 26, 2006Christmas 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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.