Carver College of Medicine Student Handbook: Absences
Back to the Student Handbook Table of Contents
Attendance expectations and absences
Students are expected to attend all scheduled instruction in both preclinical and clinical courses. Students must notify course or clerkship director of absences resulting from illness or other unanticipated issues. Students must request permission in advance when an issue arises that will necessitate an absence from courses or clerkships. Any unexcused absence from a course or clerkship or from an examination may result, at the discretion of the course or clerkship director, in a failing grade.
Absence from exams
The Carver College of Medicine's Guidelines for Course and Clerkship Directors, September, 2004, states: Unforeseen emergencies or family obligations may arise that conflict with scheduled examinations, and course directors are encouraged to be reasonable in balancing the legitimate needs of students, of the course or clerkship, and of the College.
University regulations require that students be allowed to make-up examinations which have been missed due to illness, mandatory religious obligations, or other unavoidable circumstances or University activities.
Time off from clinical clerkships
Effective in July 2007, M3 and M4 students are expected to use the online site to request and report time off from clerkships https://webapps1.healthcare.uiowa.edu/timeoff Students are expected to adhere to the following policies that accompany the time off request system:
Medical students are expected to request in advance any time off that is needed from a clerkship. The request should be made as much in advance as possible using this online system. Students are also expected to report, after the fact, any absence that occurs due to illness or other unforeseen event. It is the clerkship director's prerogative to require that time off is made up. Time off may not be taken from one clerkship in order to make up time (including the exam) from another clerkship.
Students should not request the first (orientation) day of a clerkship off or the exam day. Check the clerkship's ICON course materials for the exam day and time. Students should not request time off on the day of a Performance Based Assessment (PBA) exam. Passing the PBA is required to pass the clerkship and individual make-up PBA exams are not available. The PBA exam schedule can be found at http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/osac/pba/PBAExamSchedule.htm
Select the date, start and end time, and verify that the correct clerkship is showing for the date. The clerkship field is automatically populated from your schedule. Note the clerkship director and/or clerkship contact who will receive the time off request.
If you are requesting a full day off from the Lab Med/EKG combined clerkships, you need to submit a separate request to each of the two clerkships. If you are requesting time off in the morning, submit your request only to EKG. If you are requesting time off in the afternoon, submit your request only to Lab Medicine.
Select the reason for the absence using the following guidelines. Note that details are required except for illness or medical appointment.
1. Illness – in addition to submitting this online absence report, you are expected to call in on the day of your illness and report the absence to the clerkship contact and/or the supervising resident or staff physician. Some clerkships require a physician's note if you are absent for more than 2 days (this requirement should be listed in the clerkship's syllabus). Details of the illness may be provided but are not required.
2. Medical appointment – details of the appointment may be provided but are not required.
3. Family emergency – details are required.
4. Funeral – details are required.
5. Conference/meeting – details are required. It is recommended that you discuss this request with the clerkship director in person or via email before paying any meeting registration fees or incurring any travel expenses because your request could be denied or approved with modifications. You may be required to make up the time.
6. Research presentation – details are required. It is recommended that you discuss this request with the clerkship director in person or via email before paying any costs associated present your research because your request could be denied or approved with modifications. You may be required to make up the time.
7. Residency interviews – details are required. As much as possible, you are expected to arrange your interviews during your unscheduled time and during winter break. The next option is to try to rearrange your clerkship schedule to accommodate interviews. As a last resort, you may submit a time off request using the following guidelines – time off requests should be submitted as much in advance as possible:
a. The time off request may not be for the first (orientation) day of the clerkship or for the clerkship exam day. Check the clerkship's course materials for the exam day and time.
b. The maximum time allowed is one day off per week of the clerkship during interview season only (November 1 through January 31).
c. No time off may be taken from 2 week clerkships during the blocks that include Thanksgiving and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday because the clerkships are already shortened during those blocks.
d. Documentation of the interview may be required.
e. Students should not request time off from the same clerkship for an interview and for taking a USMLE exam.
Keep in mind that while time off for residency interviews may be approved, you may be required to make up the time. Time off may not be taken from one clerkship in order to make up time (including the exam) from another clerkship. Requests for time off for second interviews will not be approved. Such interviews are costly, time consuming and are not endorsed by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
8. USMLE Step 2 exams – details are required. As much as possible, you are expected to schedule your USMLE exams during your unscheduled time or during winter break. The next option is to try to rearrange your clerkship schedule to accommodate taking the exam. As a last resort, you may submit a time off request using the following guidelines – time off requests should be submitted as much in advance as possible:
a. The time off request may not be for the first (orientation) day of the clerkship or for the clerkship exam day. Check the clerkship"s course materials for the exam day and time.
b. Students should make every effort not to request time off during 2 week clerkships to take USMLE exams. No time off may be taken from 2 week clerkships during the blocks that include Thanksgiving and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday because the clerkships are already shortened during those blocks.
c. The maximum time off allowed is 1 day for the Clinical Knowledge exam and 1.5 days for the Clinical Skills exam (regardless of the CS exam site).
d. Documentation of the exam date and location may be required.
e. Students should not request time off to take both Step 2 exams in the same clerkship and should not request time off from the same clerkship for USMLE exams and interviews.
f. M3s should not request time off during the M3 year to take either of the USMLE Step 2 exams.
Keep in mind that while time off for USMLE exams may be approved, you may be required to make up the time. Time off may not be taken from one clerkship in order to make up time (including the exam) from another clerkship.
9. Group facilitator/teaching – details are required. Students may request no more than one half day per week for activities such as facilitating/teaching in Case-Based Learning in FCP I, Cased-Based Learning in FCP II, Physical Exam Skills in FCP II, Patient-Centered Learning in FCP III, Case-Based Learning for admission interviews, etc. Students requesting time off for these experiences should not request time off for the Continuity of Care elective during the same week. Documentation of participation in these activities may be required.
10. Continuity of Care (COC) elective – details are required. Students may request no more than one half day per week for the Continuity of Care elective. Students requesting time off for the COC elective should not request time off for the group facilitator/teaching activities listed above during the same week. Documentation of participation in this elective may be required.
11. Other – details are required. Note – no time off is allowed after Match Day for such activities as house hunting.