I. POLICY
It is the policy of the New York Medical College School of Medicine to allow a medical student with an appropriate rationale to request an alternative clinical assignment when circumstances allow for it.
II. PURPOSE
This procedure was designed to allow students to formally request an alternative educational site or clinical assignment.
III. SCOPE
Medical Students
IV. DEFINITIONS
None
V. POLICY AUTHOR(S)
Office of Student Affairs
VI. RELATED POLICIES
None
VII. PROCEDURE(S)
The procedure to allow students to formally request an alternate educational site or curriculum assignment during the clinical years is managed as follows:
1. Any student who believes that he/she has circumstances that would warrant an alternate educational site or curriculum assignment during the clinical years can make a request directly to the Office of Student Affairs during a specified window in advance of the formal lottery for clinical assignments in year three and four.
2. Student requests can cover all or part of his/her schedule for an academic year and can include requests for course sequence, course sites, or both.
3. Any individual making a request must provide Student Affairs with an e-mail narrative, outlining the specific details of the request-the changes in sequence/site + the basis for an "extenuating circumstance."
4. All requests are reviewed by the Student Affairs Deans as a collective with the final determination being made by the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
5. Requests are accepted and schedule assignments given based upon (a) whether the reason for the request is deemed valid; and (b) whether there will be adequate academic resources to support the students' assignments.
6. Notification of this procedure is provided to the students via (a) e-mail distribution messages to the entire Class; (b) discussion of this topic at the pertinent Class Meetings, conducted by the Student Affairs Deans-information discussed at all class meetings is recorded and provided for students on the SOM learning management system for reference and for any student(s) who was unable to be present at the class meeting; and (c) individual meetings of students with assigned Advisory Deans when planning his/her clinical schedule.
VIII. REFERENCES
- LCME Standard 10.11: Student Assignment: A medical school assumes ultimate responsibility for the selection and assignment of medical students to each location and/or parallel curriculum (i.e., track) and identifies the administrative office that fulfills this responsibility. A process exists whereby a medical student with an appropriate rationale can request an alternative assignment when circumstances allow for it.
IX. TYPE OF POLICY
Student Affairs Procedure
X. APPROVALS
Office of Student Affairs (written December 2014; last reviewed May 2015)
XI. POLICY MANAGEMENT
- Responsible Executives: Deans of the School of Medicine
- Responsible Officer: Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs
- Responsible Office: Office of NYMC-SOM Student Affairs
