Trek Curriculum Policies and Procedures (AY 2023-2024)
Policies and Procedures Class of 2024 Hybrid Curriculum (AY 2023-2024)
Update coming
Foothills Guidebook Class of 2025
Foothills Guidebook, Class of 2026
Preparation to Teach and Provision of Instructor Resources
Educational Conflict of Interest
Standards for Medical Student Supervision
CUSOM Competencies (Program Objectives)
This Teacher Learner Agreement serves both as a pledge and a reminder to teachers and students that their conduct in fulfilling their mutual obligations is the medium through which the profession perpetuates its ethical values.
The Office of Faculty Relations provides a private resource to obtain a fair and equitable process and resolution for all matters pertaining to professionalism concerns regarding residents, fellows, staff members, and faculty in any school or college on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
As the Associate Dean for Student Advocacy, I help and advise medical and physical therapy students with any and all of your concerns. My interactions with students are entirely confidential and strictly “Off-of-the-Record”. I have been in this position for nearly two decades and have gained considerable experience with many issues. At your request, I can serve as your advocate at promotions and honor council deliberations and various interactions with faculty. I am connected with and can make referrals to a cadre of other confidential professionals who are skilled in addressing academic and many other issues. It is always better if you seek my consultation earlier rather than later. My contact information is listed below:
John E. Repine, MD
Waring Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Director Webb-Waring Center
Associate Dean for Student Advocacy
303-724-4788 (office 8118 in RC-1)
303-917-4257 (cell)
John.Repine@ucdenver.edu
As medical students, you have access to several resources from the AMA:
In addition to the pdfs attached above you can get more information from the Med Plus Advantage site and enter the code 644189 into the "My Med Plus Advantage" portion to access their certificates of coverage as well as membership cards and services. Also, you can contact your AMA Insurance Agency representative:
Brian Farmer
National Account Executive, Brokerage Marketing
AMA Insurance Agency, Inc.
515 North State Street
Chicago, IL 60654
T: 312-464-5460
M: 317-432-7656
email: brian.farmer@amainsure.com
This online request form can be used by former or current University of Colorado School of Medicine MD students. Requests may take up to 1 week after submission for processing. Upon completion, the Student Data Records Manager will send an email notification of completion.
Documents available:
If you only need an official transcript (with no accompanying form or letter), please order the transcript from the Office of the University Registrar.
Campus Health Center -The clinic accepts most health insurance, offers same or next-day appointments, and walk-ins are welcome. Example of services: Immunizations, minor skin condition, minor eye care, minor sprains, routine lab testing (step, flu, mono) nebulizer treatments, suture removal, ear infections, cold and flu, well woman exams, urinary tract infractions. Blood glucose and blood pressure checks are also available. The clinic also has a well-staffed mental health clinic with experienced practitioners.
Mental Health Services - Provides comprehensive and confidential mental health services for all students (including postdoctoral fellows and graduate students) enrolled in the schools located at the Anschutz Medical Campus (Medical, Dental, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, postdoctoral programs, graduate school, etc.). Initial appointments are scheduled relatively quickly, often within the same week. Options for ongoing care include receiving treatment from the AMC Student Mental Health clinicians, the UCH Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic, and a community network of providers, depending on insurance coverage.
Colorado Physician Health Program (CPHP) - CPHP can assist students, physicians, residents who may have health problems, which, if left untreated, could adversely affect their ability to practice medicine safely. They can assist with Depression, Stress, Relationship Issues, ADHD, Chronic Pain, Emotional Problems, Bipolar, Career Issues, Substance Abuse, Professional Boundary Issues, Sleep disorders, Psychiatric Issues, etc. There is no charge to students for individual CPHP appointments CPHP provides: Evaluation and Assessment, Treatment Referral and Monitoring, Urine Drug Screen, Family services
Advocacy and Support Center - The CU Anschutz Advocacy and Support Center is a campus resource providing support to students, faculty and staff who’ve experienced sexual assault or interpersonal violence at home or on campus in an education/clinical environment or a community/public setting.
| Mailing address: 13001 East 17th Place, Mail Stop C292, Aurora, CO 80045 School of Medicine Undergraduate Medical Education Document Requests Page |
Section 1: Ensuring a Climate for Learning-This section focuses on how we treat each other in order to create a climate that supports learning by all, including our Teacher-Learner Agreement, lapses in enacting this agreement, absence and evaluation obligations.
Duty: Medical educators have a duty not only to convey the knowledge and skills required for delivering the profession's standard of care but also to model the values and attitudes required for preserving the medical profession’s social contract with its patients.
Integrity: Learning environments that are conducive to conveying professional values must be based on integrity. Students and residents learn professionalism by observing and emulating role models who epitomize authentic professional values, attitudes and, especially, behaviors.
Respect: Respect for every individual is fundamental to the ethics of medicine. Mutual respect between students, as novice members of the profession, and their teachers, as experienced and esteemed professionals, is essential for nurturing that ethic. Given the inherently hierarchical nature of the teacher-learner relationship, teachers have a special obligation to ensure that students and residents are always treated respectfully.
Teachers Must | Students Must |
Duty
Integrity
Respect
| Duty
Integrity
Respect
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Students and teachers should recognize the special nature of the teacher-learner relationship, which is, in part, defined by professional role modeling, mentorship and supervision. There is a power differential, as expressed by the fact that teachers often evaluate student performance, and the results of their evaluations may affect the student's future. Conversely, students evaluate the quality of their teachers, and this can, to a lesser degree, affect the teacher’s career.
Because of the special nature of this relationship, students and teachers should strive to develop a relationship that is characterized by mutual trust, acceptance, and confidence. They both have an obligation to respect and maintain appropriate boundaries. Students and teachers must avoid any and all behaviors that conceivably could lead to the perception of a boundaries violation; avoiding boundary violations is crucial to a proper teacher-student relationship. There are similar boundaries between students and patients that exist because of the nature of this special and trusting relationship. Boundary violations or actions that may give the appearance of a boundary violation should routinely be avoided. A partial list includes:
Health providers who provide health services, including psychiatric/psychological counseling, to a medical student or their primary family members will not be involved in the academic assessment or promotion of the medical student receiving those services. When students or their primary family members choose their health care providers from physicians who are on the faculty, they have the potential to be in a conflict-of-interest situation, where their provider is also evaluating their academic or clinical performance. Faculty members are not allowed to complete an evaluation for any students for whom they provide or have provided medical care, including their primary family members. Conflicts arise between a faculty’s role as the student's physician and their role as an evaluator of the student's performance. Faculty must notify students as soon as they recognize the conflict. Students likewise must notify a faculty member if they are assigned to a physician for evaluation who is providing or has provided medical care for them or their primary family members in the past. The student must also notify the course director who will find an alternative clinical site or provide an alternative faculty member for evaluation. Students may consult the Office of Student Life for a list of physicians who do not teach students. See Educational Conflict of Interest Policy.
1.2.1 Standards of Behavior and the Definition of Mistreatment
The CUSOM has a responsibility to provide an environment conducive to effective learning and compassionate, high quality patient care by creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and collegiality among faculty, residents, students, and staff.
The CUSOM is committed to creating a learning, research and clinical care environment that is supportive, that promotes learner well-being and that is free from ridicule, exploitation, intimidation, sexual or other forms of harassment, physical harm, and threats of physical harm. To that end, the CUSOM will not tolerate the mistreatment of students, nor will it tolerate retaliation against any learner because they reported, in good faith, a violation of the school’s professionalism standards. The CUSOM shall also:
Definition of Mistreatment
The American Association of Medical Colleges states, “Mistreatment, either intentional or unintentional, occurs when behavior shows disrespect for the dignity of others and unreasonably interferes with the learning process.” Examples of mistreatment include: public belittlement or humiliation; verbal abuse (e.g., speaking to or about a person in an intimidating or bullying manner); physical harm or the threat of physical harm; requests to perform personal services; being subject to offensive sexist remarks, or being subjected to unwanted sexual advances (verbal or physical); retaliation or threats of retaliation against students; discrimination or harassment based on race, religion, ethnicity, sex, age, or sexual orientation; and the use of grading or other forms of assessment in a punitive or discriminatory manner.
Suboptimal Learning Environment
Although it is not mistreatment, a suboptimal work or learning environment can interfere with learning, compromise patient care, marginalize students and cause significant distress among students. Student feedback about suboptimal learning environments should be given to course directors, to the Assistant Deans of Medical Education as appropriate or reported in your course or clerkship evaluation.
1.2.2 Procedures for Reporting Faculty and Staff Unprofessional Behavior
If a student feels that they have witnessed unprofessional behavior in the learning or clinical environment, the student should contact the Office of Faculty Relations. The Office can serve as an advocate for fair and equitable treatment for medical students and can facilitate confidential and safe reporting of unprofessional behavior. For further information, go to the Office of Faculty Relations.
Contact by phone: 1-888-CU-TITLE
Contact by email at equity@ucdenver.edu
To make an online report, click on the Submit a Report or Request button.
Professional behavior is expected of CUSOM students throughout the medical school curriculum and is a program outcome for graduating medical students. Professional behavior includes, but is not limited to, respectful and integrity-based involvement, interactions, and introspection. This behavior manifests as responsibility to patients, to peers, to faculty members, to staff, and to oneself. It also includes responsibility for self-education and self-improvement, timeliness, attendance, and active participation in curricular activities. Ensuring that students attain this outcome, professional behavior will be considered when grades are assigned by Course or Clerkship Directors in the curriculum. Expectations for professional behavior evolve as a medical student moves into the Clerkships and assumes responsibility for patient care. For additional information, go to the CU Medical Student Professionalism Committee site.
The purpose of the Student Professionalism Committee is to enhance and encourage medical student professional behavior, to review—in strict confidence—instances of substandard medical student professional behavior and to offer remediation for this behavior. The Chair of the Student Professionalism Committee is appointed by the Senior Associate Dean for Education. Committee membership includes basic science faculty, clinical faculty, faculty from the Center for Bioethics and Humanities, faculty from other University of Colorado health care professional programs or schools, and student representatives from each class. The Student Honor Council Chair is an ex-officio member of the Committee to assure that a given incident is considered by the appropriate group. The Student Professionalism Committee is a standing committee of the Student Promotions Committee.
The Student Professionalism Committee process encourages timely and regular feedback to students on their professional behavior. Minor concerns (i.e., late assignments, incomplete evaluations, or requirements etc.) identified by grading committees and staff are documented for tracking purposes and included in the Trek Dashfolio, but not automatically reviewed by the Student Professionalism Committee. Instead, these are reviewed for patterns by the Chair of the Student Professionalism Committee to identify students of concern to be included in Trek Progress Committee reviews. For all other professionalism lapses, faculty, staff, or peers (through a faculty member) may initiate the professionalism feedback process that includes direct communication with the student about their unprofessional behavior, documentation through the Professionalism Feedback Form and an opportunity for students to respond with their comments in writing. The form is submitted to the Chair of the Student Professionalism Committee for review and tracking of the behavior. Feedback documentation is reviewed by the Student Professionalism Committee which determines whether additional follow-up (reflections, required activities, etc.) is necessary. If unprofessional behavior is repetitive or egregious, a remediation plan is established for the student.
If there is a pattern of recidivism, an egregious event, or the student fails to successfully complete the remediation plan, the matter is referred to the Student Promotions Committee for official action. In this case, the Student Promotions Committee will consider the individual situation, giving the student an opportunity to present his/her case. The Student Promotions Committee may act to place a student on probation, with a required remediation for unprofessional behavior, or recommend consideration for dismissal, even if such unprofessional behavior did not affect the student’s grade. In addition, the Student Promotions Committee will determine if the behaviors rise to the level of being included in the MSPE. If a student is referred to the Promotions Committee for any reason, a review of their Professionalism/Honor Council materials in the Office of Student Life will occur and be included in the information forwarded for Promotions Committee review.
The CUSOM was the first medical school in the United States to have a student honor code in 1908. The Honor Code is both a philosophy and a set of rules that requires medical students and their peers to hold each other accountable for their actions. The Honor Code is signed by each medical student at matriculation to confirm acceptance and understanding.
The Honor Code is designed to prevent and deter violations rather than impose penalties after violations have occurred. The goal of the Student Honor Council is to provide education and peer support in matters of ethical behavior. The Honor Code of the University of Colorado School of Medicine states that students must not lie, cheat, steal, take unfair advantage of others, nor tolerate students who engage in these behaviors. It also provides anonymous, informal advice to students and faculty members with questions about ethical behavior of students. When unethical behavior, dishonesty or other transgressions occur, the Student Honor Council is obligated to uphold the standards of the Honor Code. This contrasts with the Professionalism Committee which deals with behavior including, but is not limited to, responsibility to patients, to peers, to faculty members, to staff, and to oneself. It also includes responsibility for self-education and self-improvement, timeliness, attendance, and active participation in block activities. The Student Professionalism Committee works in concert with the Honor Council to ensure that a given incident will be considered by the correct committee.
The CUSOM Honor Code is designed and enforced by students under the guidance of a faculty advisor through the Student Honor Council. Each class elects one student to represent them, and these offices may be held for the entire 4 years of medical school. The rising senior student becomes the Chair, and the senior class elects another representative to serve on the committee.
The Student Honor Council’s policies and procedures are described in greater detail in the appendix. For more information, go to the Student Honor Council’s website.
All Honor Council reports in which a student has been deemed to be guilty of a violation of the Honor Code will be documented in the student’s Dashfolio and uploaded to a secure electronic database with access limited to the Chair of the Honor Council, the Faculty Advisor of the Honor Council, and the Associate Dean of Student Life. In addition, all Honor Council issues requiring remediation will be reported to the Assistant Deans of Student Affairs. These reports will be stored in a secure electronic database with access limited to the Associate Dean of Student Life and the Assistant Deans of Student Affairs. More than one Professionalism and/or Honor Council issue requiring remediation will be referred to the Student Promotions Committee by the Office of Student Affairs. If a student is referred to the Promotions Committee for any reason, a review of their Professionalism/Honor Council materials in the Office of Student Life will occur and be included in the information forwarded for Promotions Committee review. Professionalism or Honor Council matters referred to the Promotions Committee may be included in the MSPE.
Learning to be a physician requires learning in the practice environment. Students, as part of their medical training, are placed in the practice environment and actively participate in patient care activities. Students have an obligation to perform these duties free from impairment and with regard to safety for themselves, patients, and others in the setting. The ability to function safely and without impairment is outlined in the Technical Standards for Admission, Promotion and Graduation and the Drug Screening Policy, which can be found in this document.
When a student is unable to function at the level specified and without impairment, students, faculty, staff, and others in a health care setting have a duty to report observed behavior or other indicators of concern to the Office of Student Life.
OSL Initial Assessment: The Office of Student Life, as an advocate on behalf of individual students, and as a repository for concerns about specific students, will make an initial judgement about whether concerns demonstrate the student’s inability to meet the Technical Standards, Drug Screening Policy, or this Section 1.3.3. If the Assistant or Associate Deans in OSL finds that the level of concern warrants immediate action, they may require that the student be removed from the practice setting.
OSL Follow-Up and External Evaluations: Following this initial assessment, the OSL reserves the right to research the issues of concern further, and as warranted, require a student to participate in external professional evaluations on either a one-time or ongoing basis. Professional evaluations can include the assessment of the student in question by a variety of professionals capable of assessing the situation. These professionals may include but are not limited to health care providers, mental health care providers, drug and alcohol counselors, Office of Disabilities Access and Inclusion (ODAI), and/or the Colorado Physician Health Program (CPHP). If a student is referred to CPHP, they must sign a release to allow communication between the OSL Deans and CPHP. The student must complete the evaluation before being allowed to proceed in the curriculum. The OSL will assist the student in arranging for the appropriate, required evaluations. The OSL will forward the evaluations to the Student Promotions Committee (SPC) as appropriate, and the SPC will consider any evaluation it receives in its review of the individual student’s case.
Actions Available to the Student Promotions Committee: The SPC in collaboration with the OSL reserves the right to research the issues and modify the student’s educational plan within the experiential program if deemed necessary. SPC actions for students deemed unfit to participate in a practice environment range from taking no action, modifying the student’s experiential education plan, requiring mandatory changes in student behavior, requiring the student to take a leave of absence from the program in order to address specific concerns, or withdrawing the student from their experiential education experience. For any of these situations, the student may appeal SPC decisions to the Senior Associate Dean for Education.
In the case that the SPC approves the temporary removal of a student from the MD program, OSL in collaboration with SPC will develop a reentry plan for the student including implementation of the leave of absence process if necessary. The plan will address any additional work that may be recommended in order to remedy the specific set of conditions that have led to the leave of absence or withdrawal from the program.
1.4.1 There are differences in how each Phase handles absences, and students should attend to these differences. The areas below describes these policies.
Most aspects of a student’s educational experience at CUSOM require student participation. Active participation and engagement are an essential part of the educational experience. Consequently, attendance requirements are defined for all curricular
elements. All learning events’ attendance requirements are clearly labeled/identified in each course’s syllabus and/or learning management system.
Expectations
Definitions & Associated Attendance Requirements
Allowable Absences
It is understood that life events interfere with schooling at times, and the CUSOM recognizes that mental health, physical health, obligations to family and friends, and outside interests may make attendance at all school events difficult. Therefore, some absences are allowed for “Required Elements” without requiring permission; nevertheless, students must either report their attendance at or absence from all "Required Elements” (see below). Students are responsible for how they apportion these hours, as the allowable absence hours include missed sessions for any reason, including but not limited to personal illness, preventive health services, care for acute illness, ongoing care for chronic illnesses, physical therapy, behavioral health services, religious observances, limited family emergencies, etc. Consistent with their rights under the University policies and the law, students have a right to privacy when seeking care; students need not disclose the specific type of healthcare that is being sought.
Absences: Exceptional Situations
Process to Report Attendance at and Absence from Learning Events
Reporting Attendance | Students are responsible for either reporting their attendance at or absence from each “Required Element.” Students will be prompted to report their attendance for a “Required Element” by e-mail 10 minutes prior to the event, and they will have until 10 minutes after the start of the event to report their attendance. Should a student report their attendance but then an issue arises such that they are unable to attend and/or miss more than 10 minutes of that event, the student should promptly report their absence to update the record. Students that do not report their attendance for a “Required Element” within the appropriate timeframe will be considered absent regardless of whether they attended. |
Absence Reporting: Routine Absences | Students are responsible for either reporting their attendance at or absence from each “Required Element.” Routine absences refer to the vast majority of absences, which include, but are not limited to, absences due to personal illness, healthcare appointments, limited family emergencies, obligations to family and friends, outside interests, conference attendance, and religious observances. Students should report their absence from a “Required Element” via the Plains Absence Reporting Form, which is linked to every course homepage under the “Plains Specific Resources” section. Absences should be reported in advance whenever possible; absences due to involuntary and/or emergency situations (e.g., personal illness or family emergency) must be reported within 3 days of the initial absence. |
Absence Reporting: Significant Life Events | Significant life events (e.g., prolonged personal illness, hospitalization, birth/adoption of a child, illness of others requiring care, and/or death of a loved one) may occur and may necessitate extended absences. Students should contact the Assistant Dean of Medical Education for the Plains Curriculum and/or the Associate Dean of Student Life, who will arrange to discuss the situation on a case-by-case basis with the impacted student. The goals of these discussions are 3-fold: provide student support, provide additional allowable absence hours, and/or consider whether curricular adjustments or a pause might be warranted. Reasonable documentation may be required as part of these discussions. |
An “unexcused absence” is an absence for which permission has not been granted and/or exceeds a student’s allowable absences. Unexcused absences should be reported by the student via the learning management system and to the appropriate Assistant Dean and/or LIC Director if applicable, who will then report this to an Assistant Dean of Student Affairs or designee for further action.
An “excused absence” is an absence for which permission has been granted and/or falls within a student’s allowable absences. Excused absences include requested absences that have been approved prior to the absence or absences that result from involuntary/emergent situations that are approved.
LCME STANDARD
3.5 Learning Environment
8.8 Monitoring Student Time
12.4 Student Access to Health Care Services
Foothills Clinical Courses & Clerkships
Expectations
Attendance on clinical clerkships and in learning seminars (unless otherwise specified) is required. Every attempt must be made to schedule absences for voluntary situations outside of the required curricular elements (e.g. during holidays, course breaks). Students will be permitted a maximum of 5 excused absences for acute illness over the course of the LIC year. Any additional time off for acute illness will require students to do make up time. Students exceeding this number need to make up time during the LIC year and will be assigned an IP grade until that time is completed. Students requiring time away from clinical requirements for chronic illness or regularly occurring appointments will need accommodations through the Office of Disability, Access, and Inclusion.
Personal Days: Each student will be permitted a maximum of 5 excused absences for personal days for excused absence over the course of the LIC year. Requests for personal days must be submitted to the LIC Director at least 60 days in advance, except in cases of emergencies, and will be granted if curricular obligations allow. Additional personal days beyond the 5 may be granted for personal emergencies only but would require make-up time. Students must request a personal day if they need to protect any day for a personal day, including weekends. Appropriate reasons for a personal day include important events such as weddings, funerals, reunions, graduations, religious holidays, and extra conferences beyond the 48 hours allowed.
Presentation at conference: Students are permitted attendance at one conference limited to 48 hours including the day of presentation over the course of the LIC year. Students must present documentation of their authorship and presentation at the conference to the LIC Director in order to qualify for absence from the LIC to attend a conference. Requesting a weekend day off for a conference will count as a conference day.
PROCESS to Seek an Excused Absence or to Inform of an Involuntary Absence
Requested Absence | Process to Seek an Excused Absence or to Inform of a Voluntary Absence: Student must submit request in writing to their LIC Director. The student must inform his or her attending and/or resident of the approved absence. Involuntary Situation: Student must contact his or her attending and/or resident as well as the LIC Director as soon as possible. To be considered an “excused” absence, an absence for an involuntary situation must be approved by the LIC Director. The LIC Director must inform the Office of Student Life Student if student exceeds 5 days in the academic year of absences for illness or 5 personal days. |
Involuntary Situation |
Student must contact his or her attending and/or resident as well as the LIC Director as soon as possible or prior to missing any time. To be considered an “excused” absence, an absence for an involuntary situation must be approved by the LIC Director. |
Consequence of Absence (e.g., make-up work/days, remediation, professional report, grading)
If absences (voluntary or involuntary) exceed allotment for illness and/or personal days, the LIC Director or the LIC Coordinator will work with the student and faculty regarding make-up time/work, issues for credit, etc., consulting with an Assistant Deans of Clinical Clerkships and/or Student Affairs. If the agreed upon make-up session or work is not completed, not completed within the agreed upon timeframe, or not completed with satisfactory quality, then the LIC Director will ask the Assistant Dean of Medical Education and Clinical Clerkships to convene an executive committee meeting of the LIC Directors to discuss the assignment of a non-passing grade (an “IP” or a “F”).
Alpine & Summit / Post-clerkship (CU Students Only)
Overall Phase; See Specific Courses/Course Types Below
Overall Considerations
Students have a great amount of flexibility and unscheduled time available during the post-clerkship phase. Every attempt must be made to schedule absences for voluntary situations outside of the required curricular elements, especially Advanced Science Courses, Trail Immersions, Basecamps, and Clinical courses.
Attendance of Post-clerkship Courses is generally required. Absences are generally not permitted, but extenuating circumstances may be considered, especially if requested > 60 days in advance.
Presentation at conference: One instance of up to 48 hours of excused absence time per academic year in Alpine-Summit phase may be granted during any course that is greater than 2 weeks. The 48 hours includes the day of presentation, travel time, etc. Students are responsible for coordinating with Course Directors and completing make-up work for any missed work/assignments that are required.
Definitions:
Advanced Science Courses
Expectations
Attendance in Advance Science Courses is required. Absences are generally not permitted, but extenuating circumstances may be considered.
Personal Days: Each student will be permitted a maximum of 2 excused absences for personal days for excused absence over the course of the Advanced Science Courses. Requests for personal days must be submitted via the Alpine Summit absence request form at least 60 days in advance, except in cases of emergencies, and will be granted if curricular obligations allow. Additional personal days beyond the 2 may be granted for personal emergencies only but would require make-up time. Students must request a personal day if they need to protect any day for a personal day, excluding weekends. Appropriate reasons for a personal day include important events such as weddings, funerals, reunions, graduations, religious holidays, and extra conferences beyond the 48 hours allowed.
Presentation at conference: Students are permitted attendance at one conference limited to 48 hours including the day of presentation over the course of an academic year. Students must present documentation of their authorship and presentation at the conference as a part of their absence request via the Alpine Summit absence request form.
Apart from absences, students will receive at least 1 day off per week in accordance with duty hour policy (4 days for 4-week rotations, 2 days for 2-week rotations).
Definitions:
Failure to obtain approval for absences is considered a professionalism issue.
PROCESS to Seek an Excused Absence or to Inform of an Involuntary Absence
Requested Absence
Submit your request via Alpine Summit absence request form for approval. Requests must be presented greater than 60 days in advance and submitted with reasonable documentation.
If accommodations can be arranged, an appropriate plan will be developed by the Course Director in conjunction with the student.
Involuntary Situation
Student must contact the Alpine & Summit Curriculum Course Coordinator, the related Advanced Science Course Directors, the clinical preceptor, and complete the Alpine Summit absence request form as soon as possible.
To be considered an “excused” absence, an absence for an involuntary situation must be approved via the Alpine Summit absence request form. Absences for illness may require appropriate documentation.
Greater than 2 involuntary excused absences will require make-up work which typically occurs following the completion of the normal ASC timeframe and may result in a non-passing grade as below in “Consequences of Absence” section.
Consequence of Absence (e.g., make-up work/days, remediation, professional report, grading)
If absences (voluntary or involuntary) exceed allotment for illness and/or personal days, make-up work will be required, and the Course Directors and Coordinator will work with the student and faculty regarding make-up time/work, consideration of issues for credit, etc., consulting with the Assistant Dean of Post-Clerkship phase and/or Student Affairs. If the agreed upon make-up session or work is not completed, not completed within the agreed upon timeframe, or not completed with satisfactory quality, then the Assistant Dean of the Post-Clerkship Phase and appropriate Course Directors may convene an executive committee meeting to discuss the assignment of a non-passing grade (an “IP” or a “F”).
Acting-Internships & Selectives & Electives & Trails
Expectations
Attendance in Acting Internships, Selectives, Electives, and Trail courses is required. Absences are generally not permitted, but a unique circumstance may be considered.
Personal Days: Each student will be permitted a maximum of:
*Students only need to request absences during times in which they are enrolled in coursework and not while they are on unstructured time.
Presentation at conference: Students are permitted attendance at one conference limited to 48 hours including the day of presentation over the course of an academic year. Students must present documentation of their authorship and presentation at the conference as a part of their absence request via the Alpine Summit absence request form.
Apart from absences, students will receive at least 1 day off per week in accordance with duty hour policy (4 days for 4-week rotations, 2 days for 2-week rotations).
Definitions:
Unexcused absence: an absence for any reason that was not approved by the Course Director and/or OSL.
PROCESS to Seek an Excused Absence or to Inform of an Involuntary Absence
Requested Absence
Submit your request via Alpine Summit absence request form for approval. Requests must be presented greater than 60 days in advance and submitted with reasonable documentation.
If accommodations can be arranged, an appropriate plan will be developed by the Course Director in conjunction with the student.
Involuntary Situation
Student must contact their attending and/or resident as well as Course Director, as soon as possible.
To be considered an “excused” absence, an absence for an involuntary situation must be approved by the Course Director and via the Alpine Summit absence request form. Absences for illness may require appropriate documentation.
Consequence of Absence (e.g., make-up work/days, remediation, professional report, grading)
If absences (voluntary or involuntary) exceed allotment for illness and/or personal days, make-up work will be required, and the Course Directors and Coordinator will work with the student and faculty regarding make-up time/work, consideration of issues for credit, etc., consulting with the Assistant Dean of Post-Clerkship phase and/or Student Affairs. If the agreed upon make-up session or work is not completed, not completed within the agreed upon timeframe, or not completed with satisfactory quality, then the Assistant Dean of the Post-Clerkship Phase and appropriate Course Directors may convene an executive committee meeting to discuss the assignment of a non-passing grade (an “IP” or a “F”).
Requesting Make-up Time
If a student misses less days than the maximum allowed (and is not required to do any make-up), but feels their grade, letters of recommendations and/or experience was impacted by the missed days, they have the option to work with the Office of Student Life, the course director and their career advisor to discuss make-up time.
Basecamps
Expectations
Attendance is mandatory for all Basecamp sessions, including lectures, small groups, large groups, etc. unless otherwise posted as “optional.” Every attempt must be made to schedule absences for voluntary situations outside of the required curricular elements (e.g., holidays, course breaks). In general, voluntary absences will NOT be approved. If a student fails to complete at least 90% of the required Basecamp curriculum, they will be required to engage in make-up work.
PROCESS to Seek an Excused Absence or to Inform of an Involuntary Absence
Requested Absence
Voluntary (pre-planned) requests should be submitted at least 4 weeks prior to your requested absence dates using the Trek Alpine-Summit Absence Request Form. If this process is not followed, the absence may not be approved.
Absences that are not approved are considered “unexcused” absences. “Unexcused absences” result in completion of a Professional Feedback Form and may result in a review by the Student Professionalism Committee and required remediation.
Missing a session due to an excused absence may require the student to complete make-up assignment(s) covering the missed material, and to do so in a timely manner. Further consequences are described below.
Involuntary Situation
Involuntary absences are, by definition, unpredictable and/or unavoidable. Students must contact the Basecamps Director(s), Basecamp Coordinators and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs (brian.dwinnell@cuanschutz.edu ) as soon as possible as well as complete the Trek Alpine-Summit Absence Request Form.
To be considered an “excused” absence, this process must be followed and an absence for an involuntary situation must be approved by the Course Director and the Associate Dean of Students Affairs.
Absences that are not approved are considered “unexcused” absences. “Unexcused absences” result in completion of a Professional Feedback Form and may result in a review by the Student Professionalism Committee and required remediation.
Missing a session due to an involuntary situation may require the student to complete make-up assignment(s) covering the missed material, and to do so in a timely manner. Further consequences are described below.
Inform Office of Student Life
Student or Basecamps Director must report to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, any of the following:
Ultimate responsibility for notifying the Associate Dean of Student Affairs rests with the student.
Consequence of Absence (e.g., make-up work/days, remediation, professional report, grading)
Students missing required sessions (or exams) at the CAPE or FCB clinical skills session will be responsible for rescheduling. Some sessions offered are only for student benefit and cannot be rescheduled so alternative make-up will be required. Additionally, a student excused for a voluntary situation may be responsible for the costs involved in rescheduling the CAPE session/exam. Other mandatory sessions may require similar costs. A student must complete at least 90% of the Basecamp curriculum or make-up work will be required.
A grade of IP for the course will be posted 3 weeks after the completion of the course until remediation is completed and may result in the disqualification to take the USMLE Step 2 and/or not being promoted (e.g., allowed) to take Alpine medical school courses. Failure to submit assignments on time may lead to professionalism feedback with completion of the professional feedback form. Similarly, due to the proximity of the Summit Basecamp and graduation, timely completion of make-up assignments must be within two calendar days of the course ending, otherwise a student’s graduation certificate may be delayed.
Absences related to healthcare are considered “requested absences” as defined above. Students are expected to seek necessary health care to maintain their physical and mental well-being. Examples of necessary health care include preventive health services, visits for acute illness, ongoing care for chronic illnesses, physical therapy, and behavioral health services. Students are also expected to attend all required elements, and to the extent possible, should schedule healthcare appointments outside of required curricular activities or courses. Students requiring regular (e.g., weekly) healthcare appointments should contact the Office of Disability, Access, and Inclusion (ODAI) to determine whether accommodations are needed.
For planned absences related to healthcare, students should follow the specific procedures provided in Section 1.4.2 - Absence Policies by Phases and Curricular Areas. It is the student’s responsibility to report absences to inform all relevant parties, which may include reporting through the learning management system, to supervising attendings or residents, course directors, and/or to the appropriate Assistant Dean, to coordinate time away from the course, clerkship, or other required curriculum.
There are differences in how each Phase handles absences, and students should attend to these differences. The information below describes these policies.
All exams and assessments are required unless specifically denoted as “optional” (e.g., End of Week Checkpoints that occur the last week of each course and on weeks that have calendar impacts due to holiday observances).
Type of Assessment | Type of Situation | Notification Procedure to Seek Approval & Consequence of Absence |
End of Week Checkpoint | Situation where advance notice is possible |
|
End of Week Checkpoint | Situation where advance notice is NOT possible (e.g., severe acute illness or emergency) |
|
Basic Science Exam (CBSE) |
| |
End of Course Assessment, Anatomy Practical, DOCS Clinical Skills Assessment, Comprehensive Basic Science Exam (CBSE) | Situation where advance notice is possible |
|
End of Course Assessment, Anatomy Practical, DOCS Clinical Skills Assessment, Comprehensive Basic Science Exam (CBSE) | Situation where advance notice is NOT possible (e.g., severe acute illness or emergency) |
|
*Absences from exams and assessments are reported to the Office of Assessment, Evaluation, and Outcomes as well as the Office of Student Life for general tracking purposes. If there are persistent patterns to a student’s absences at exams and assessments, this will initiate a discussion between the student and the Assistant Dean of Medical Education for the Plains Curriculum and will be relayed to the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, and this may lead to professionalism feedback and/or an impact on the earned grade.
Consequences due to delayed exam downloading. It is expected that students will download all exams and assessments no later than 7am the morning of the exam. This ensures that technologic issues nor exam availability will not impact the start of the exam. If a student has not downloaded the exam by 7am, they may receive professionalism feedback, including a discussion between the student and the Assistant Dean of Medical Education for the Plains Curriculum, may be considered absent for the exam, and/or may have an impact on the earned grade.
Consequences due to tardiness to an exam and/or assessment. It is expected that students are present and prepared to start all exams and assessments at their designated start time. Arriving after or being unprepared to start the exam at the designated start time may result in professionalism feedback, including a discussion between the student and the Assistant Dean of Medical Education for the PlainsCurriculum, may result in an absence for the exam, and/or may have an impact on the earned grade. Should students begin testing after the start of the exam, the exam will end at the designated end time; students will not be entitled to the full test
time.
All exams and assessments are required. Students are expected to take these as scheduled. All absences from scheduled exams will be reported by the student to the appropriate persons for their curricular phase as outlined in the table below.
Type of Situation and Notification Procedure by Phase
Foothills
Situation where advance notice is possible.
In general students are not permitted to miss scheduled exams in Foothills outside of emergency or acute illness. This includes scheduled make-up exams.
Situation where advance notice is NOT possible (e.g., major emergency)
Notify appropriate Course or Clerkship Director and an Assistant Dean of Student Affairs as soon as possible.
Student will be required to make-up exam on designated date.
Alpine, & Summit
Situation where advance notice is possible.
To be considered an “excused” absence, an absence for an involuntary situation must be approved by the Course Director and via the Alpine Summit absence request form. Absences for illness may require appropriate documentation.
Situation where advance notice is NOT possible (e.g., major emergency)
Student must contact their attending and/or resident as well as Course Director, as soon as possible.
To be considered an “excused” absence, an absence for an involuntary situation must be approved by the Course Director and via the Alpine Summit absence request form. Absences for illness may require appropriate documentation.
Student will be required to make-up exam on designated date.
Expectations for attendance at the Fort Collins Campus are the same as at the Anschutz Medical Campus. If concerns arise about an individual’s participation, we will schedule a meeting with the student’s COMPASS guide and the Fort Collins Assistant Dean to develop a plan that may include monitoring of attendance at an individual level.
CU Anschutz
Fitzsimons Building
13001 East 17th Place
Campus Box C290
Aurora, CO 80045
303.724.5375