Participation & Attendance in the Essential Core: Policy Highlights

UCSF School of Medicine (UCSF SOM) requires every student pursuing the degree of Doctor of Medicine to be responsible for meeting the school's expectations regarding attendance in all aspects of the curriculum. When the school confers the M.D. degree, the faculty is attesting not only that the student has achieved a level of competency as measured by performance on tests, but that the student has shown a commitment to professional responsibility and has also participated in the entire educational experience that is defined by the curriculum. Read the full text of policies and curricular philosophy.

1. Students are expected to be present, to be prepared, and to be on time. Lectures, labs, and small group sessions begin at 10 minutes after the hour. Exams and clinical activities (like preceptorships) begin on the hour.

2. Attendance and participation in small groups is required of every student. Small group faculty are expected to keep track of students' attendance and participation.

3. Students are expected to limit vacations to the periods specified by the official academic calendar.

4. A student who needs to miss scheduled/required activities must request approval* at least THREE working days in advance directly from the Course Directors (EC block course and FPC). The request must be made using the online submission form in iROCKET. Individual small group leaders are not authorized to approve absences. The Course Directors make the ultimate decision, and convey it in writing to the student and to relevant course faculty. * Illness and other personal or family emergencies will obviously be handled in a different time frame, but with the same process, i.e. requests for approval of absences due to illness and other personal or family emergencies must be made using the online submission form in iROCKET, even if the submission is made after the small group session occurs.

5. Students may request up to 3 days per academic year for "discretionary" absences. Beyond these 3 "discretionary" days, students' requests for excused absences must meet the guidelines listed in the exam policy (see below, #8).

6. There are important limitations to excused absences, discretionary or otherwise: 1) excused absences will not be granted to "bookend" any official school vacations or holidays (including 3-day weekends); 2) the curriculum contains several categories of unique small group sessions that are not feasible to recreate (PBL, Foundations groups, preceptorships, simulator sessions). Where possible, student swapping and rescheduling is supported, with timely communications that include all parties. Otherwise, such sessions are not eligible for "excused" absences.

7. In general, attendance at large group sessions/lectures is anticipated of all students, and when not otherwise specified, attendance in labs is expected. However, when patients are part of large group learning experiences, attendance is strongly encouraged, and timely arrival is required. When patients are part of small group and preceptorship experiences, students are required to attend all such sessions.

8. Exam Policy: students will be allowed to reschedule exams only with the permission of the course director and for the following reasons: documented illness, approved personal or family emergency, approved religious observance or approved professional commitment. Students with unexcused absences from exams will not be eligible to take makeup exams. Full text of the exam policy.

Adopted September 2003