/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/som/policies-local.json

/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/som/policies.json

EAA033 Clerkship County Site Choice

Policy Number: EAA033
Policy Title: Clerkship County Site Choice

A. Purpose

As per the amended (June 14, 2013) Texas State Senate Bill 24, students attending the UTRGV School of Medicine (SOM) will be predominantly¹ assigned to Cameron County for their Years 3 and 4 clinical education. The purpose of this policy is to codify the clerkship county site selection process for students for their MS3 clerkship year in which students rotate through the required clerkships.

B. Persons Affected

The policy applies to all students during required clerkship experiences.

C. Implementation Date

This policy is effective with the UTRGV SOM Class of 2021 and will remain in effect for future classes unless otherwise amended.

D. Definitions

County Site Choice: Refers to the county (Cameron or Hidalgo) in which students will participate in their MS3 required clerkships.

E. Policy

Student assignment to a site for the MS3 clerkship year is based on the outcomes of the Clerkship County Site Choice process which is conducted during the fall term of the MS2 Academic Year.

F. Procedures

Notification to Students Regarding Clerkship County Site Choice Survey and the Lottery

1. By September 1 of each year, the SOM Office of Student Affairs will publish the schedule for the Clerkship County Site Choice survey in multiple venues (e.g. Medical School Announcements and Events page in Blackboard, class listserv email, bulletin board postings, etc.).

2. In the first half (September/October) of the fall term of the MS2 year, students will be provided with information regarding county site opportunities.

3. In November, following receipt of this information, students will receive a site selection preference survey asking them to choose either Cameron or Hidalgo County as their primary site for their MS3 clerkship schedule.

The Clerkship County Site Choice Lottery

4. Should more than 50% of the students self-select Cameron County as their Clerkship County Site Choice, students will then be entered into the Clerkship Schedule Lottery conducted by the Office of Educational Affairs. During the Clerkship Schedule Lottery, students will rank their preferred sequencing for their MS3 clerkship schedule and choose an elective to complete during a 4 week block.

5. Should less than 51% of the students self-select Cameron County as their Clerkship County Site Choice, students will be asked for volunteers to make the switch from Hidalgo County to Cameron
County to achieve the greater than 50% requirement without reverting to a Clerkship County Site Selection Lottery. If an insufficient number of students volunteer to switch to Cameron County to ensure 51% representation in Cameron County, a Clerkship County Site Choice Lottery will be held in November to finalize student county assignment..

6. Students will receive their Clerkship County Site Lottery results by the first of December.

Trades:

Within 14 business days of the Clerkship County Site Selection lottery, students may trade site choice once with approval by the Office of Educational Affairs.

Petition for Exception

7. Students have five business days from the initial date of notification of the county site selection lottery results to submit in writing their petition which provides justification for a change in site choice to the Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs, Clerkships:

1. The Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs, Clerkships will have 14 business days to accept or deny the petition for the county site selection.
2. If the initial petition is denied, student will have 5 business days to appeal the site selection to a County Site Choice Committee comprised of the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs or designee, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs or designee, and an ad hoc faculty member not involved in the clerkships. The Clerkship County Site Choice Committee will have 14 business days to accept or reject the petition. The committee will inform the student of their decision by the first week in January.
3. The student may file a written appeal to the Dean of the SOM within five business days of receipt of the decision of the Clerkship County Site Choice Committee. The student must also inform the Clerkship County Site Selection Committee of the intent to appeal, also within five business days. The student's appeal portfolio must include a justification state for appeal and all documentation provided to the Clerkship County Site Choice Committee.
4. Within fifteen (15) business days from receipt of the student's appeal, the Dean will provide a written decision to the student and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. The decision of the Dean is final appellate review.