Attendance and Work Hours

DGSOM Universal Attendance and Absence Policy

The DGSOM Learning Environment is based upon the interactive engagement of students and faculty who have a shared interest in promoting a respectful and collaborative learning environment. Professional behavior is demonstrated through attendance, preparedness, and respectful participation in learning events. 
 
The Curricular Affairs Office (CAO) records and reviews all absences. 

1. Excused Absences

   • (1a) In the event you need to report an absence of an urgent nature, email the Curricular Affairs Office at CA@mednet.ucla.edu. All absences will require submission of an Absence Request Form. For students with an emergency, the Absence Request Form should be submitted as soon as this is feasible in the setting of the underlying circumstances. Acceptable reasons for excused absences encompass the following scenarios: 
     1. Illness affecting one's ability to report to the scheduled session. Please note that if a student is absent for three or more consecutive days, the student must submit a note from a healthcare provider or the Clearance to Return to the Curriculum Form (PDF) to the Student Affairs Office (dgsomsao@mednet.ucla.edu) attesting to the student’s ability to resume participation in the curriculum.  
     2. Students seeking health care for which health care appointments cannot be rescheduled
     3. Personal Emergency (for example, illness of a loved one or loss of a loved one). Please note that it is the student’s responsibility to also notify their Society Dean for absences related to a personal emergency. 
     4. Professional Activities. Requests for an absence to attend professional meetings will be considered for approval if a student is presenting their research or is serving as a delegate representing DGSOM at UCLA. The request should be made as soon as the student is aware of the need to attend the professional meeting and at least 30 business days prior to the meeting.
     5. Jury Duty. For information regarding Jury Duty, please visit the Registrar page. 

2. Religious Observances

   • Faculty and staff are committed to supporting diversity at DGSOM. Religious holidays are excused absences and students are required to submit a form to the Curricular Affairs Office to document their absence. Students may be required to make up missed time. 

3. Unexcused Absences

   • (3a) Unexcused absences are considered unprofessional behavior and will result in issuance of a Professionalism Concern Report (PCR)(see PCR policy).  
     1. (3a.1) Consequences for unexcused absences or repeated episodes of significant tardiness may include changes in student academic standing by the Academic Performance Committee (APC)  
     2. (3a.2) Demonstration of poor professionalism, such as habitual unexcused absences and/or habitual tardiness, may also be reflected in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), per recommendations by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). 
     3. (3a.3) Misrepresentation or dishonesty about information in absence notification forms or attendance sign-in is considered a violation of the UCLA student professional code of conduct and will result in a professionalism concern report (PCR). 
   • (3d) If a student does not notify the Curricular Affairs Office or their team, the Dean’s Office may reach out to their emergency contact to check on the students’ well-being. 
   • (3e) For any absence, the Course Chair(s) and/or Course Coordinator will determine how missed coursework can be remediated to fulfill course requirements. Students are responsible for material they miss due to an excused absence.  
   • (3f) Missed required sessions will not be rescheduled or reoffered, though they may be remediated. Students are responsible for submitting all assignments on the original due date, except in cases of emergency or extenuating circumstances. 
   • (3g) Students missing optional educational activities are responsible for their own remediation of missed material. Faculty are not required to provide compensatory educational experiences. 
   • (3h) If a student has or anticipates circumstances necessitating unique, unusual, or excessive requests for time away, they should speak with an Assistant and/or Associate Dean for Student Affairs as soon as possible after becoming aware of the circumstance and prior to the course(s) which will be affected by time away. 

4. Procedures

   • (4a) All absence forms are found in the Helpful Links dashboard on Gryphon and on the DGSOM Handbook webpage; they include submission and approval or acknowledgement of the absence. All absences will require submission of an Absence Request Form. For students with an emergency, the Absence Request Form should be submitted as soon as this is feasible in the setting of the underlying circumstances.

Updated by DGSOM Dean's Office September 2023

Basecamp Attendance Policy and Procedures

1. Attendance Policy for Basecamp

   • (1a) All learning activities for Basecamp are designated as required. See students’ course calendars or communication from course chairs or course coordinators for more details for each session.  
   • (1b) Attendance will be recorded for all required learning activities during Basecamp. 
   • (1c) For any absence, the Course Chair(s) or Course Coordinator will determine how missed coursework can be remediated to fulfill course requirements. Students are responsible for material they miss due to an excused absence.  
   • (1d) If a student needs to miss a required session for any reason, the student must contact the Curricular Affairs Office at CA@mednet.ucla.edu before the session begins.
   • (1e) Students must notify the Curricular Affairs Office if they anticipate the rare event of arriving late and/or leaving a session early. 
   • (1f) In the event a student needs to report an absence of an urgent nature, email the Curricular Affairs Office at CA@mednet.ucla.edu. All absences will require submission of an Absence Request Form. For students with an emergency, the Absence Request Form should be submitted as soon as this is feasible in the setting of the underlying circumstances. 

2. Basecamp Absence Policy  

   • (2a) Unexcused Absences  
     1. (2a.1) Unexcused absence(s) during the course will result in an Unexcused Absence Notification. 
     2. (2a.2) Additional unexcused absences will result in the issuance of a Professionalism Concern Report (PCR). 
     3. (2a.3) Failure to notify the Curricular Affairs Office (ca@mednet.ucla.edu) in advance of the missed session will result in an unexcused absence.  
     4. (2a.4) Forgetting to sign-in to a required session will result in a warning. Forgetting to sign-in multiple times will result in a PCR. 
     5. (2a.5) Students who arrive late and/or students who leave the required session early who do not inform the Curricular Affairs Office beforehand will receive an Unexcused Absence Notification. 

3. Basecamp Procedures

   • (3a) Excused Absence Request for Basecamp​​​​​​​
     1. (3a.1) Due to all Basecamp activities being required, absences may not be excused unless they are of an urgent nature specified in the Universal Attendance Excused Absence Policy.
     2. (3a.2) Students must submit a notification of an absence due to illness, health care for which appointments cannot be rescheduled, or personal emergency using the Absence Request Form.

​​​​​​​Updated by Dean's Office September 2023

Attendance Policy and Procedures for  Foundations of Medical Science (FoMS)

1. FoMS Attendance Policy 

   • (1a) Required learning activities for FoMS courses are designated as such in student course calendars or in communication from course chairs, core educators, and coordinators. See students’ course calendars or communication from course chairs or course coordinators for more details for each session.  
     When missing a required session, students will need to take into account the effect of their absence on the function of their small groups and the ability of their educators to provide feedback on skills and provide both informal and formal assessments. For small group activities including those in Foundations of Practice (FoP) where students are assigned a role, it is the student’s responsibility to communicate with their group to reassign roles when missing a session with required attendance.  
   • (1b) For required sessions, students are expected to attend on their assigned date. For required sessions, students are expected to attend for the entire duration of the session.  
     1. (1c.1) Students must inform the Curricular Affairs Office, if they anticipate the rare event of arriving late and/or leaving a required session early. 
     2. (1c.2) Students who arrive late and/or students who leave the required session early who do not inform the Curricular Affairs Office beforehand will be marked absent to required sessions. 
     3. (1c.3) Students seeking to attend on a date other than their originally assigned one must submit an absence request form to Curricular Affairs Office 
   • (1c) Attendance will be recorded for all required learning activities (in-person, virtual, and hybrid activities) during FoMS. 
   • (1d) Attendance at required sessions will be tracked and reviewed by the Academic Performance Committee following each Pit Stop week. 

2. FoMS Absence Policy  

   • (2a) In the rare case that a student needs to miss one of these required sessions for personal reasons, they must complete the Absence Request Form at least 7 days prior to the absence.  
   • (2b) Failure to notify the Curricular Affairs Office at least 7 days prior to missing a required session for any reason other than a medical need or personal emergency will result in an unexcused absence and a Professionalism Concern Report will be issued.  
   • (2c) In the event a student needs to report an absence of an urgent nature, email the Curricular Affairs Office at CA@mednet.ucla.edu. All absences will require submission of an Absence Request Form. For students with an emergency, the Absence Request Form should be submitted as soon as this is feasible in the setting of the underlying circumstances.
   • (2d) For any absence, the Course Chair(s) or Course Coordinator will determine how missed coursework can be remediated to fulfill course requirements. Students are responsible for material they miss due to an excused absence.  
   • (2e) Faculty are not required to contact a student who has missed a required attendance session, but makeup work may be assigned at the discretion of FoMS leadership. Should a student miss a session with required attendance, it is their responsibility to learn the content covered in that session. 
   • (2g) EACE Absence Policy 
     1. (2g.1) In the rare instance a student expects an absence during EACE, please complete the Absence Request Form at least 7 days in advance of the session and alert the EACE Site Director as soon as possible. 
     2. (2g.2) EACE Site Directors cannot approve a change in date for required sessions or approve absences. 
     3. (2g.3) If a student has an unexpected absence for EACE, contact ca@mednet.ucla.edu immediately and include the EACE Site Director(s).  
     4. (2g.4) Students who miss one EACE session will be required to participate in the designated make-up EACE session scheduled at the end of the academic year.  
     5. (2g.5) Students who miss an EACE session will have an “incomplete” self-assessment, which they must complete after attending the make-up session. 
        For students outside of the Tuesday/Wednesday footprint, please reference the schedules provided by the Site Director(s) for designated make-up session dates. 
     6. (2g.6) In the event that a student is absent to more than one EACE session during the year, they are responsible for arranging additional make-up session dates in coordination with their Site Director(s) and must promptly inform the Curricular Affairs Office once the makeup session dates have been finalized. 
     7. (2g.7) All 12 site-visits must be completed by the conclusion of the last makeup session in order to pass the EACE course. 

3. FoMS Procedures

   • (3a) Permission for an excused absence from a FoMS required educational activity is granted at the discretion of the Curricular Affairs Office.
   • (3b) In the rare case that a student needs to miss one of these required sessions for personal reasons, they must complete the Absence Request Form at least 7 days prior to the absence.
     1. (3b.1) Student fills out absence request form and submits form to Curricular Affairs Office for approval
     2. (3b.2) Course chair/Coordinator outlines any consequences and/or make-up work for missed activities
   • (3c) Requests for an excused absence submitted less than 7 days prior to the absence will not be considered (except for acute illness and emergencies)
   • (3d) Appeal of a denied request for an excused absence:
     1. (3d.1) ) If a student is not approved for a requested absence that they believe meets the requirements for an excused absence, the student may appeal the decision in writing directly to the Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs within 72 hours of receiving the denial notification.
     2. (3d.2) The Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs makes the final decision about the absence request and may consult with the Curricular Affairs Office as needed.
   • (3e) Students must submit a notification of an absence due to illness, health care for which appointments cannot be rescheduled, or personal emergency using the Absence Request Form.

Updated by DGSOM Dean's Office September 2023

Attendance Policy and Procedures for Intersessions

1. Intersessions Attendance Policy

   • (1a) All learning activities for Intersessions are required. See students’ course calendars or communication from course chairs or course coordinators for more details for each session.
     Site-specific onboarding activities (e.g., Live Scan, obtaining your badge, completing paperwork or training modules, etc.) should be completed outside of in-person sessions during the course.  You will not be excused from required in-person sessions/activities during Intersessions to complete these onboarding activities.
   • (1b) Attendance will be recorded for all required learning activities during Intersessions.
   • (1c) For any absence, the Course Chair(s) or Course Coordinator will determine how and by when missed coursework can be remediated to fulfill course requirements. Students are responsible to remediate material they miss due to an absence.
   • (1d) In the event a student needs to report an absence of an urgent nature, email the Curricular Affairs Office at CA@mednet.ucla.edu. All absences will require submission of an Absence Request Form. For students with an emergency, the Absence Request Form should be submitted as soon as this is feasible in the setting of the underlying circumstances.
   • (1e) Students are expected to attend required sessions on their assigned date and time. Students are expected to attend for the entire duration of the session.
     1. (1e.1) Students must inform the Curricular Affairs Office, course coordinator, and course director if they anticipate the rare event of arriving late and/or leaving a required session early.
     2. (1e.2) Students who arrive 10 or more minutes late and/or students who leave a session early who do not inform the Curricular Affairs Office, course coordinator, and course director beforehand (or as soon as possible in the setting of an emergency that makes communication prior to a session impossible or the setting or an unanticipated urgent issue that arises during a session) will receive an Unexcused Absence Notification. 
   • (1f) Attendance will be recorded for all learning activities

2. Intersessions Absences

   • (2a) Unexcused absence(s) during the course will result in an Unexcused Absence Notification, which may be referred to the Academic Performance Committee and may lead to a change in student academic standing.
   • (2b) If a student needs to miss a required session for any reason, the student must contact the Curricular Affairs Office, Course Director, and Course Coordinator before the session begins or as soon as feasible for students with an unanticipated emergency that makes communication ahead of time impossible.
   • (3c) Failure to notify the Curricular Affairs Office, Course Director, and Course Coordinator as specified in (1e.2) above will result in an unexcused absence.
   • (3d) Forgetting to sign in to a required session once will result in a warning. Forgetting to sign in a second time will result in an unexcused absence.
   • (3e) Because each Intersessions Course is only one week in length, attendance for the entire week is critical to maximizing the educational experience. As such, absences for non-emergency events (e.g., academic conferences, weddings, etc.) will not be excused. Students are expected to review the academic calendar in advance and plan accordingly.

3. Intersessions Procedures

   • (3a) Due to all Intersession activities being required, absences may not be excused unless they are of an urgent nature specified in the Universal Attendance Excused Absence Policy.
   • (3b) Students must submit a notification of an absence due to illness, health care for which appointments cannot be rescheduled, or personal emergency using the Absence Request Form
   • (3c) In submitting the notification, it is the student’s professional responsibility to notify the course chair, the course coordinator and (where relevant) the course faculty, such as core educators, of the absence due to illness, healthcare for which appointments cannot be rescheduled, or personal emergency.

Updated by DGSOM Dean's Office September 2023

Attendance Policy and Procedures for Core Clerkships

1. Attendance Policy for Core Clerkships Overview

   • (1a) The medical student work hour policy regarding the amount of time students spend in required activities, including the total required hours spent in clinical and educational activities during clinical rotations, is based on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) general guidelines. All clinical courses are committed to and responsible for promoting patient safety while promoting medical student well-being and providing a supportive educational environment. Clinical courses must ensure that faculty provide appropriate supervision of medical students in patient care activities.

2. Work Hours for Clerkships

   • (2a) Maximum Hours of Work per Week
     Duty hours must be limited to 80 hours per week, averaged over the course of the rotation, inclusive of all in-house call, clinical and formal educational activities. These hours do not take into account studying done by students outside of required activities.
   • (2b) Maximum Duty Period Length
     Duty periods for students must not exceed 28 hours of continuous scheduled duty.
   • (2c) Minimum Time Off between Scheduled Duty
     Students must have at least 8 hours free of clinical work and required education between clinical shifts and/or required educational sessions. After 24 hours of continuous call, students must have at least 14 hours free of clinical work and/or required education.
   • (2d) Maximum In-House On-Call Frequency
     Students must be scheduled for in-house calls no more frequently than every third night when averaged over the course of the rotation. No overnight call is permitted before exams.
   • (2e) Mandatory Time Free of Duty
     Students must be scheduled for a minimum of one day free of duty per week when averaged over the course of the clerkship or elective.
     Violations of the Duty Hour Policy are automatically sent to the Clerkship Chair and Assistant Dean for Clinical Education. Students should feel free to contact the Clerkship Chair and Assistant Dean for Clinical Education with any additional concerns.
   • (2f) Required Reporting of Duty Hours
     Regular reporting of duty hours is required in all core clerkships. In addition, violations of the Duty Hour Policy should be reported to the Site Director, Clerkship Chair, and/or the Dean’s Office.
   • (2g) DGSOM Technical Standards
     Students are encouraged to thoroughly review DGSOM Technical Standards. Any student with an existing disability, or who develops a disability (permanent or temporary), and wishes to seek an accommodation must notify the Director for DGSOM Disability Services (an extension of the UCLA Center for Accessible Education) in writing via the private online application process. The UCLA Center for Accessible Education will consult with the School of Medicine to notify them of a student’s request and recommended accommodations. For more information about DGSOM Disability Services, review their webpage.  

3. Clerkship Make-up Days

   • (3a) Students will need to complete a commensurate number of clinical make-up days for any excused absences that exceed two (2) total days on any given clerkship.
     1. (3a.1) The aforementioned two (2) total days on any given clerkship may only be used for Excused Absences described in Section 1a of the Universal Attendance and Absence Policies: (1) illness, (2) health care appointments which cannot be rescheduled, and (3) personal emergencies.
   • (3b) Make-up days will be determined by the Clerkship Chair(s) and may need to be completed at a future time if there are insufficient make-up days that can be scheduled during the clerkship.
   • (3c) For any absence, the Course Chair(s) or Course Coordinator will determine how missed coursework can be remediated to fulfill course requirements.

4. Clerkship Excused Absences

   • (4a) For absences of an urgent nature, as described in section 1a of the Universal Attendance and Absence Policy, please contact the Site Director, Clerkship Chair, Executive Clerkship Coordinator and your clinical team to let them know you will not be in attendance.
   • (4b) In the event a student needs to report an absence of an urgent nature, email the Curricular Affairs Office at CA@mednet.ucla.edu. All absences will require submission of an Absence Request Form. For students with an emergency, the Absence Request Form should be submitted as soon as this is feasible in the setting of the underlying circumstances.

5. Clerkship Unexcused Absences

   • (5a) Unexcused absence(s) during the clerkship may result in automatic failure requiring the student to repeat the clerkship rotation.
   • (5b) If a student needs to miss clerkship activities for any reason, the student must contact the clinical team, the Clerkship Chair, and the Coordinator before the session begins.
   • (5c) Failure to notify these individuals in advance of the missed session will result in an unexcused absence.

6. Clerkship Schedule Requests

   • (6a) It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Clerkship Chair/Coordinator and Site Director/Coordinator at least 30-days in advance of the clerkship to request an adjustment to scheduled days off.
   • (6b) Submitting the Required Clerkship Schedule Absence Request Form does not guarantee that a request can be accommodated. Due to the importance of the required clerkship education and the complexity of clerkship scheduling, it may not always be possible to grant a request.
   • (6c) All schedule request submissions will be reviewed by the Clerkship Chairs(s) who will make a final determination.

7. Religious Observances during Clerkships

   • (7a) Faculty and staff are committed to supporting diversity at DGSOM. The DGSOM at UCLA allows for the observance of religious holidays; however, students are required to make up missed time. Medical students are professionals with a responsibility for patient care that may require them to work on religious holidays.
   • (7b) Students must request approval for absence for the observance of religious holidays from the Clerkship Chair at least 30-days prior to the start of the clerkship. Attempts will be made to adjust the student’s schedule to allow for the use of a day off on the requested religious holiday.
   • (7c) The Clerkship Chair will notify the Site Director and Clerkship Coordinator of any approved absences. Should the requested number of religious holidays exceed the maximum days off for the clerkship (one day per week, averaged over the course of the clerkship), requests for time off for religious holidays and observances must be discussed with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs to ensure that clerkship requirements are fulfilled.

8. Clerkship Days Off

   • (8a) According to the DGSOM Duty Hour Policy for the Clinical Years, students must be scheduled for a minimum of one day free of duty per week when averaged over the course of the clerkship or elective.

9. University Holidays during Clerkships

   • (9a) All medical students on core clerkships are excused from clinical duties on Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week.
   • (9b) Students are required to be present on all other holidays and holiday observations if the clinical service is operational.

10. Vacation during Clerkships

    • (10a) All medical students on core clerkships are excused from clinical responsibilities during Winter Break. See the Calendars site for dates.

11. Clerkship Procedures

    • (11a) Absences on core clerkships may not be excused unless they are of an urgent nature specified in the Universal Attendance Excused Absence Policy.
    • (11b) In the event that a student has an absence on a core clerkship, students must submit a notification of the absence due to illness or personal emergency using the Absence Request Form
      1. (11b.1) In submitting the notification, it is the student’s professional responsibility to notify the clerkship chair, executive clerkship coordinator, and their clinical team
    • (11c) It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Clerkship Chair/Coordinator and Site Director/Coordinator at least 30-days in advance of the clerkship to request an adjustment to scheduled days off via the Absence Request Form
      1. (11c.1) All schedule request submissions will be reviewed by the Clerkship Chairs(s) who will make a final determination within 5 business days of submission.
      2. (11c.2) Student submission of the form does not guarantee approval of the request of an adjustment to scheduled days off. Due to the importance of the required clerkship education and the complexity of clerkship scheduling, it may not always be possible to grant a request.

Updated by DGSOM Dean's Office September 2023

Attendance Policies and Procedures for Discovery and Longitudinal Clinical Experience (LCE)

1. Discovery Attendance Policy 

   • (1a) During Discovery, students pursuing Area of Concentration experiences are expected to engage in approximately 40 hours/week of Discovery-related work. We recognize that specific schedules and location of work (in-person or remote) and degree of flexibility may vary based on individual projects.  
   • (1b) Students and their mentors must also ensure time is allotted for weekly Longitudinal Clinical Experience activities. Students should adhere to expectations co-created with their mentors and are reminded of DGSOM’s policy on professionalism. 
   • (1c) For any absence the Course Director and/or Course Coordinator will determine how missed coursework can be remediated to fulfill course requirements. 
   • (1d) Attendance will be recorded for all required learning activities during Discovery. 
   • (1e) If a student needs to miss clerkship activities for any reason, the student must contact the Course Director and Course Coordinator before the session begins. 
   • (1f) Failure to notify these individuals in advance of the missed session will result in an unexcused absence. 
   • (1g) In the event a student needs to report an absence of an urgent nature, email the Curricular Affairs Office at CA@mednet.ucla.edu. All absences will require submission of an Absence Request Form. For students with an emergency, the Absence Request Form should be submitted as soon as this is feasible in the setting of the underlying circumstances.

2. Discovery Procedures

   • (4a) Permission for an excused absence from a Discovery required educational activity is granted at the discretion of Discovery Course Leadership and the Curricular Affairs Office.
   • (4b) If a student needs to miss a required session, they must complete the Absence Request Form at least 7 days prior to their absence.
     1. (4b.1) Student fills out the Absence Request Form and submits form to Curricular Affairs Office for approval.
     2. (4b.2) Upon approval, Curricular Affairs Office shares form with course faculty leads for review.
   • (4c) Requests for an excused absence submitted less than 7 days prior to the absence will not be considered (except for acute illness and emergencies).
   • (4d) ) In submitting the notification, it is the student’s professional responsibility to notify the course chair and the course coordinator of the approved absence.

3. Longitudinal Clinical Experience (LCE) Attendance Policy 

   • (2a) During the Longitudinal Clinical Experience (LCE), students are expected to engage in 24 half day sessions seeing patients with their Preceptor-Coach. Twelve (12) of these sessions are with a Generalist and twelve are with a Specialist or Sub-specialist. While specific calendar weeks are allocated for these sessions, students have flexibility to work with their Preceptor-Coaches on alternate weeks, including vacation weeks, if needed. There are also two scheduled make-up weeks at the end of LCE. 
     1. (2a.1) During LCE, students are also expected to spend a half day per week engaged in self-directed learning activities. These can include self-study of skill-building exercises and/or career exploration with DGSOM faculty across all fields of medicine. 
   • (2b) Students must ensure that time engaged in LCE activities on non-alloted weeks does not interfere with Discovery activities. Students should adhere to expectations co-created with their Preceptor-Coaches and are reminded of DGSOM’s policy on professionalism. 
   • (2c) After each LCE Preceptor-Coach meeting, students are expected to summarize the formative feedback they receive using the LCE Feedback and Attendance form. Upon submission, a copy of the form will be sent to the assigned Preceptor-Coach, the student, and LCE course coordinator. Attendance is documented by submitting this form. Failure to submit this form after each session will result in the session not being documented and, therefore, not counted toward fulfilling the course requirements until submitted. 
   • (2d) If students know they will be unable to attend a scheduled session with their Preceptor-Coach, they must notify them and arrange a mutually convenient time to make up the half-day session. 
   • (2e) In the event a student needs to report an absence of an urgent nature, email the Curricular Affairs Office at CA@mednet.ucla.edu, the LCE course Coordinator, and include the Preceptor-Coach with whom they have a scheduled session. All absences will require submission of an Absence Request Form. For students with an emergency, the Absence Request Form should be submitted as soon as this is feasible in the setting of the underlying circumstances.

4. Vacation during Discovery and LCE 

   • (3a) All medical students in Discovery are excused from curricular responsibilities during Winter Break and Academic holidays. See Academic Calendar on the Calendars page.

 Updated by DGSOM Dean's Office September 2023  

Attendance Policy and Procedures for Foundations for Fourth Year (FFY) and Assessment for Internship (AFI)

1. Excused Absences during FFY and AFI 

   • (1a) All learning activities for FFY and AFI are required. See students’ course calendars or communication from course chairs or course coordinators for more details for each session. 
   • (1b) Attendance will be recorded for all required learning activities during FFY and AFI. 
   • (1c) For any absence, the Course Chair(s) or Course Coordinator will determine how and by when missed coursework can be remediated to fulfill course requirements. Students are responsible to remediate material they miss due to an absence. 
   • (1d) In the event a student needs to report an absence of an urgent nature, email the Curricular Affairs Office at CA@mednet.ucla.edu. All absences will require submission of an Absence Request Form. For students with an emergency, the Absence Request Form should be submitted as soon as this is feasible in the setting of the underlying circumstances.
   • (1e) Students are expected to attend required sessions on their assigned date and time. Students are expected to attend for the entire duration of the session.  
     1. (1e.1) Students must inform the Curricular Affairs Office, course coordinator, and course director if they anticipate the rare event of arriving late and/or leaving a required session early. 
     2. (1e.2) Students who arrive 10 or more minutes late and/or students who leave a session early who do not inform the Curricular Affairs Office, course coordinator, and course director beforehand (or as soon as possible in the setting of an emergency that makes communication prior to a session impossible or the setting of an unanticipated urgent issue that arises during a session) will receive an Unexcused Absence Notification. 
   • (1f) Attendance will be recorded for all learning activities.

2. FFY & AFI Procedures

   • (2a) Due to all FFY and AFI activities being required, absences may not be excused unless they are of an urgent nature specified in the Universal Attendance Excused Absence Policy.
   • (2b) Students must submit a notification of an absence due to illness, health care for which appointments cannot be rescheduled, or personal emergency using the Absence Request Form
   • (2c) In submitting the notification, it is the student’s professional responsibility to notify the course chair, the course coordinator and (where relevant) the course faculty, such as core educators, of the absence due to illness, health care for which appointments cannot be rescheduled, or personal emergency.

 Updated by DGSOM Dean's Office September 2023

Attendance Policies and Procedures for Fourth Year Electives

1. Excused Absences during 4th Year Electives 

   • (1a) For absences of an urgent nature, please contact the Site Director, Coordinator and your clinical team to let them know you will not be in attendance. 
   • (1b) In the event a student needs to report an absence of an urgent nature, email the Curricular Affairs Office at CA@mednet.ucla.edu. All absences will require submission of an Absence Request Form. For students with an emergency, the Absence Request Form should be submitted as soon as this is feasible in the setting of the underlying circumstances.

2. Unexcused Absences during 4th Year Electives 

   • (2a) An unexcused absence may result in automatic failure, requiring the student to repeat the course. 
   • (2b) Failure to notify course chair, coordinator, and clinical team will result in an unexcused absence. 

3. Religious Observances during 4th Year Electives 

   • (3a) Faculty and staff are committed to supporting diversity at DGSOM. The DGSOM at UCLA allows for the observance of religious holidays; however, students are required to make up missed time. Medical students are professionals with a responsibility for patient care that may require them to work on religious holidays.  
   • (3b) Students must request approval for absence for the observance of religious holidays from the Course Chair at least one month prior to the start of the elective. Attempts will be made to adjust the student’s schedule to allow for the use of a day off on the requested religious holiday or rescheduling of clinical shifts. 
   • (3c) The Course Chair will notify the coordinator and clinical team of any approved absences. Should the requested number of religious holidays exceed the maximum days off for the elective, then these requests must be discussed with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs to ensure that course requirements are fulfilled. 

4. University Holidays during 4th Year Electives 

   • (4a) All medical students are excused from clinical duties on Thanksgiving Day.  
   • (4b) Students are required to be present on all other holidays and holiday observances if the clinical service is operational. 
   • (4c) For any absence, the Course Chair(s) will determine how missed time will be made up in order to fulfill course requirements. 
     1. (4c.1) For electives scheduled to fulfill the requirements for consecutive weeks of DGSOM Sub-Is (300-level, 400-level, and ICU electives):  
        • (4c.1a) If missed time during such electives cannot be made up before the elective concludes, then the elective will not count towards fulfilling the graduation requirements for consecutive weeks of DGSOM Sub-Is (300-level, 400-level, and ICU electives).  
        • (4c.1b) The student may make arrangements (if permitted by the Course Chair, and schedule permitting) to complete the elective at a later date to earn elective credit towards the total number of weeks of elective training to meet graduation requirements, but not towards the 12 weeks of required consecutive 300-level, 400-level and ICU training.  
     2. (4c.2) For electives not scheduled to fulfill the requirements for consecutive weeks of DGSOM Sub-Is (300-level, 400-level, and ICU electives):   
        • (4c.2a) If missed time during such electives cannot be made up before the elective concludes, if permitted by the Course Chair and schedule permitting, the student may make arrangements to complete the elective at a later date to earn elective credit towards the total number of weeks of elective training to meet graduation requirements. 

5. Days Off Policy for the MS-4 Year 

   • (5a) According to the David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) Duty Hours Policy for the Clinical Years, students must have 1 day off per week, averaged over the course of the elective.  
   • (5b) For electives in which students have no duties scheduled on weekends: 
     1. (5b.1) The weekend days are considered the scheduled days off. 
     2. (5b.2) During these electives, students are not permitted to request additional days off between Monday and Friday, except for emergencies as described above. 
     3. (5b.3) In some cases, if the service does have clinical activities during the weekend, a student may request the approval of the Course Chair and supervising resident and attending to work on the weekend in place of an equivalent number of weekdays for certain events. However, these scheduling requests should be discussed with the Course Chair in advance of the start of the course. 
   • (5c) For electives in which students have weekend duties: 
     1. (5c.1) Students will have 1 day off per week averaged over the rotation (e.g., 3 days off for a 3-week elective). 
     2. (5c.2) Students may request a change to their scheduled days off to accommodate residency interviews, but approval must be obtained from the course chair and supervising resident and attending (when applicable). 

6. Policy for Scheduling Residency Interviews

   • (6a) Interviews for Internship/Residency are not excused absences.  
   • (6b) Students may not request days off for interviews during scheduled elective rotations (except during research electives).  
   • (6c) Students may use scheduled days off for interview purposes. As noted above, students may request a change to their scheduled day(s) off to accommodate residency interviews but must obtain approval from the course chair and supervising resident and attending (when applicable). 
   • (6d) As noted above, students may request approval from the Course Chair and supervising resident and attending for time off during the week for an interview if the rotation is one in which the student may be able to work on a weekend to make up the missed day(s). 

7. 4th Year Electives Procedures

   • (7a) Absences on scheduled fourth year electives may not be excused unless they are of an urgent nature specified in the Universal Attendance Excused Absence Policy.
   • (7b) In the event that a student has an absence on a fourth year elective, students must submit a notification of the absence due to illness or personal emergency using the Absence Request Form
   • (7c) In submitting the notification, it is the student’s professional responsibility to notify the elective chair, coordinator and the clinical team.

 Updated by DGSOM Dean's Office September 2023