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EAA068 Oversight of Extramural Electives

Policy Number: EAA068
Policy Title: Oversight of Extramural Electives

A. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide clear guidelines as to how and by whom extramural electives will be reviewed and approved prior to being made available for student enrollment.

B. Persons Affected

Medical students participating in the UTRGV SOM curriculum beginning with the UTRGV SOM inaugural class, the Class of 2020, and will remain in effect for future classes unless otherwise amended.

C. Policy

Medical students have the opportunity to complete domestic extramural electives at LCME and/or ACGME accredited institutions. Students apply for the electives through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) or using the host institutions' application system. Students' plans for extramural electives must be discussed with and approved by the students' faculty advisors prior to enrollment to ensure that the elective is appropriate for the student. The UTRGV SOM has established that the VSLO vetting process for electives meets the expectations of the school and, therefore, VSLO electives need no further approval. For electives at non-LCME accredited institutions, students must submit a petition with a detailed plan and daily schedule to include learning objectives. This petition requires the support of a UTRGV SOM faculty sponsor or the student's faculty advisor. Petitions are submitted to the Office of Student Affairs through the Office of Clinical Education for review and final approval.

Medical students can also complete extramural electives abroad. These can be scheduled at international affiliated institutions or also through AAMC VSLO. The UTRGV SOM has established that the VSLO vetting process for electives meets the expectations of the school and, therefore, VSLO electives need no approval beyond that of the student's faculty advisor. If a student identifies an elective opportunity at a site not at an affiliated institution or a VSLO institution the site is vetted by the Office of Student Affairs. Petitions for electives abroad are reviewed and either approved or denied by the Office of Student Affairs based on the ability of the host site to ensure the health and safety of the student, availability of emergency care, the possibility of natural disasters, political instability, exposure to disease, and the level and quality of supervision.

Appendix A

LCME Standard(s)

11.3 OVERSIGHT OF EXTRAMURAL ELECTIVES

If a medical student at a medical school is permitted to take an elective under the auspices of another medical school, institution, or organization, a centralized system exists in the dean's office at the home school to review the proposed extramural elective prior to approval and to ensure the return of a performance assessment of the student and an evaluation of the elective by the student. Information about such issues as the following are available, as appropriate, to the student and the medical school in order to inform the student's and the school's review of the experience prior to its approval:

  • Potential risks to the health and safety of patients, students, and the community;
  • The availability of emergency care;
  • The possibility of natural disasters, political instability, and exposure to disease;
  • The need for additional preparation prior to, support during, and follow-up after the elective;
  • The level and quality of supervision; and
  • Any potential challenges to the code of medical ethics adopted by the home school.

Dates Reviewed or Amended

Approved by the Central Curricular Authority Committee (CCAC) on September 27, 2017.

Approved by the Dean/Chief Academic Officer on December 21, 2017.

Non-substantive changes made on February 10, 2021.