Procedure to Request an Alternate Clinical Site Assignment

Policy

The Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine allows medical students with an appropriate rationale to request an alternative clinical assignment when circumstances allow for it.

Purpose

This procedure was developed to provide guidelines about how students must proceed to formally request an alternate educational site or clinical assignment.

Procedure

The procedure for students to formally request an alternate educational site or assignment during the clinical years is as follows:

1. Students who believe that they have circumstances that would warrant a particular clerkship sequence of the ten available for the first clinical year (third year), or the nine in the last clinical year (fourth year), can make a request directly to the Vice-President of Student Affairs or the Clinical Coordinator, in advance of the student group assignments, or fourth-year student academic schedule.
2. Once assigned to a clinical clerkship site (e.g., a hospital), for a justified reason, the student can request an alternate site assignment from the chair of the department.  Changes may only be made to sites students are routinely assigned in this clerkship. Students are requested to inform them about any potential conflict as soon as they are informed of the faculty and site assigned.
3. For students with extenuating circumstances that justify the request for a particular clerkship sequence or particular clerkship site assignment, the request must be provided in writing to the Office of Clinical Affairs with the specific details and explanations for the request.
4. All requests are reviewed by the Vice President of Students Affairs and the Clinical Coordinator who make a recommendation to the Associate Dean for Faculty and Clinical Affairs (ADFCA) as a collective, with the final determination being made by the ADFCA.
5.  Requests are accepted, and schedule assignments are given based upon:
   1. whether the reason for the request is deemed valid; and
   2. whether there will be adequate comparable sites to support the students’ request.
   3. Reported conflict of interest in the student-teacher relationship is a major reason to accept a change.
6. Notification of this procedure is provided to the students via:
   1. e-mail distribution messages to the entire class
   2. orientation conducted by the Vice President of Student Affairs or the Clinical Coordinator.
   3. This policy will also be available in the Outlook Public Folders and in the Student Policies Handbook.
7. Notification of this procedure is provided to the faculty via e-mail distribution by the clinical department chairs.