The Best Time to Request Off
If you need to make appointments, medical, dental, etc., the best time to try and schedule your appointments is as late in the afternoon as possible, mornings are the busiest time for the Psychiatry Clerkship.
Student health related information
The UWSOM supports students’ access to healthcare and strongly encourages them to obtain and maintain health insurance while enrolled at the UWSOM. The consolidated content on the links below has been created by collaboration between students and the UWSOM student affairs to ease of referencing for student related health information. All three sources will be updated centrally by student affairs and the Student Committee on Healthcare Access (SCoHA). If you have questions regarding the content, please reach out to adminsa@uw.edu.
Healthcare Access for Medical Students
SOM-Telehealth Program for Medical Students
Excused leave during a 6 week clerkship is permitted with the approval of the Clerkship (paulrb@uw.edu) and local site director.
- Vacations: There are no vacation days during clerkships except for Match Day and possibly religious holidays, as discussed below. Please schedule vacation days during school breaks or time off.
- National or Religious Holidays: As a member of a health care team during clerkships, there is no guaranteed time off for University of Washington holidays, traditional observances, or major days of religious significance, just as there won’t be when you are a practicing physician. Students are expected to follow the holiday practice of the clinic/hospital/site at which they are rotating. To plan ahead for national holidays, you may wish to call the practice site in advance and inquire. Important religious holidays may be excused as “Personal Events” as noted above.
- Residency Interviews: Students should schedule time off for residency interviews. If interviews are offered when students are already scheduled for clerkships in the fourth year, students should work directly with the Clerkship Director regarding absences for residency interviews.
- Match Day: All graduating students will be allowed to attend the Match Day celebration with no clerkship responsibility starting at 8AM on Match Day until the next morning (variable start time depending on the clerkship). For students doing WWAMI clerkships, additional travel time the day prior to the celebration may also be needed.
- Unanticipated Illness or Personal Emergency: For ONE or TWO days missed, students must speak with the attending or resident in charge prior to the start of the shift. It is not acceptable to leave only a phone or email message or to contact only administrative staff. Students should receive confirmation (direct conversation, return email or phone call) from the attending/resident in charge indicating that the team is aware of the student’s absence. Students missing THREE OR MORE days must also contact the Clerkship Director who will determine if make-up time is needed for unanticipated absences or if the entire clerkship needs to be rescheduled. Grades may be delayed until the time is made up. If a clerkship exam must be postponed, the student should contact the Clerkship Director to determine if the exam should be rescheduled as soon as possible or delayed until the next time the exam is given. Progress in other clerkships may be interrupted until the examination is taken depending on the situation surrounding the delay.
- Inclement Weather: The inclement weather policy for clerkships matches the policy for holidays. If your team is working in the hospital or the clinic is open, you are expected to show up. If you are unable to access the hospital/clinic due to hazardous travel, you must notify your team as described above.
Clerkships WITH Call
- No more than 80 hours of awake time in the hospital per week.
- Post-call, if you did not sleep, go home at the same time as the intern or resident, within 30 hours of starting the prior day.
- Post-call, if you slept at least 5 hours, you should stay through the working day.
- You should have at least one full day off per week, averaged over a month.
- No matter how many hours you have worked, always check out with the team before leaving for the day.
Clerkships WITHOUT call
- No more than 80 hours of awake time in the hospital per week.
- Parking and transportation issues may demand you leave the hospital by a certain time.
- Feel free to come in early or stay late. Family and personal obligations are important and need to be balanced.
- You should have at least one full day off per week, averaged over a month.
- No matter how many hours you have worked, always check out with the team before leaving for the day.
Hours will not be specifically logged unless you feel it is necessary because of a potential violation. If you are working close to the 80-hour limit, please document your hours for the week in question and present these to your Site Director as soon as possible; your work schedule will be modified as appropriate. Also document any violation of the 30-hour policy for overnight call. Further concerns should be brought to the attention of the Clerkship Director.
Appropriate exposure to the EHR includes:
- Medical students will have their own unique login and password to access and search the EHR.
- Medical students are expected to comply fully with all aspects of EHR security.
- To assure an appropriate educational experience medical student are expected to perform the following activities:
- Review/update the past, family/social history/problem list and review of systems.
- Enter and complete chart notes (including assessment and plan)
- EHR-related logistics may be complicated; unique issues may exist at individual sites. If a training site recognizes potential challenges with any element of this policy, site directors should contact clerkship directors to address issues and assure the appropriate educational experiences.