18 - Duality of Interest

Duality of Interest: Health Provider and Education Roles for Faculty Supervising Students

• The physician has a primary duty to their patient and is professionally obligated to act in the best interests of their patient.
• The student has the right to strict confidentiality of their health and medical conditions, including their physical health, their mental health, and the presence of learning disabilities.
• Faculty and staff are responsible for approaching and working with each student without bias and without favoritism.
• Faculty and students must recognize that the appearance of a duality of interest may interfere with the learning environment for both the involved student as well as the student’s peers, and must be considered regardless of whether a conflict of interest is truly present.
• DGSOM Faculty and Staff who are providing or who have provided clinical care for a student must not serve in any academic supervisory role for that student, nor be involved in the academic assessment or promotion of the medical student receiving those services.
• This policy is not intended to prevent the timely intervention by a qualified clinician in case of a medical emergency.

Approved July 2019