Contents
Catalog Links

EAA015 Reporting of Professional Conduct via the Professionalism Portal

Policy Number: EAA015
Policy Title: Reporting of Professional Conduct via the Professionalism Portal

A. Purpose

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine (SOM) students are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct. Medical students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner in interaction not only with patients, but also with peers, faculty, and staff of the UTRGV SOM and the broader community. The UTRGV SOM has written expectations regarding professional conduct. Medical students are governed by the Medical Students Code of Professional Conduct in the SOM. The purpose of this policy is to outline the procedures for reporting student violations of professional conduct via the UTRGV SOM Professionalism Portal.

B. Persons Affected

This policy will cover students participating in the UTRGV SOM curriculum.

C. Authority and Responsibilities

The Central Curricular Authority Committee (CCAC), the central authority responsible for the overall design, management, and evaluation of the curriculum through appropriate subcommittees, monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of the medical curriculum. The standards for student professional conduct are established and governed by the CCAC and monitored by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) and the Medical Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee (MSEPC) which makes the final decisions regarding remediation and promotion which include student adherence to professional conduct policies and guidelines.

D. Definitions

  1. MSEPC: The MSEPC is charged with the review of the academic progress and professional development of each student during all components of the four-year medical education program. The MSEPC makes all recommendations to the dean and his/her delegates for promotion of students throughout the four years and ultimately for graduation. Only those candidates who have satisfactorily completed all requirements and demonstrated the professional conduct appropriate for a physician can graduate from the UTRGV SOM.
  2. OSA: In addition to its many other student-related responsibilities, the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) is responsible for investigating and addressing any issues related to professional misconduct by students.
  3. Professionalism: See Appendix B for the UTRGV SOM Medical Students Code of Professional Conduct.
  4. Professionalism Portal: The professionalism portal is a web-based site for reporting potential violations of Medical Students Code of Professional Conduct and is located at this link: https://www.utrgv.edu/som/student-affairs/professionalism/index.htm.

E. Policy Overview

This policy outlines the use of the UTRGV SOM Professionalism Portal for reporting alleged student violations of the Medical Students Code of Professional Conduct.

F. Implementation Date

This policy is effective with the UTRGV SOM inaugural class, the Class of 2020, and will remain in effect for future classes unless otherwise amended.

G. Policy

Members of the UTRGV community are encouraged to report potential student violations of the Medical Students Code of Professional Conduct via the Student Professionalism Portal. All reports will be directed and reviewed by the Associate Dean for the OSA.

H. Procedure

Faculty, staff and students who witness a student potentially violating the Medical Students Code of Professional Conduct can access the Student Professionalism Portal1 and complete a report (See Appendix C) which includes the following information:

  • the name of the student;
  • the name of the concerned observer;
  • the date and approximate time of the incident being reported;
  • the location of the incident;
  • any witnesses of the incident;
  • the specific professionalism concern;
  • a narrative description of the student’s behavior;
  • any supporting documentation (e.g., photos, documents, etc.)

Individuals who submit reports regarding students are encouraged to provide their names but do have the option of reporting anonymously with the understanding that there may be difficulty in establishing the validity of the submitted report.

All submissions to the Professionalism Portal are directed to the Associate Dean for the OSA who investigates each report and makes a determination regarding what actions, if any, are indicated. The investigation may involve interviewing the student cited in the report and/or the gathering of additional data from the witness (es) if available. The ultimate goal is to provide the student with opportunities for remediation and counseling, if needed, and it is not intended to be punitive in nature. However, repeated reports of violations can result in disciplinary action. Students who feel that they have been cited in error for violations of the Medical Students Code of Professional Conduct have the recourse of filing a grievance.

In addition, the OSA maintains records of all reports for the following purposes:

  • To generate quarterly reports, without student names, of the types of professionalism issues that arise;
  • To generate a report, with student names, to be reviewed by the MSEPC; and
  • To fully inform the Associate Dean of the OSA about students who are experiencing difficulty adhering to the School of Medicine’s prescribed standards of professional conduct.

1https://www.utrgv.edu/som/student-affairs/professionalism/index.htm.

Appendix A - Applicable LCME Standards

3.5 Learning Environment/Professionalism

A medical school ensures that the learning environment of its medical education program is conducive to the ongoing development of explicit and appropriate professional behaviors in its medical students, faculty, and staff at all locations. The medical school and its clinical affiliates share the responsibility for periodic evaluation of the learning environment in order to identify positive and negative influences on the maintenance of professional standards, develop and conduct appropriate strategies to enhance positive and mitigate negative influences, and identify and promptly correct violations of professional standards.

9.9 Student Advancement and Appeal Process

A medical school ensures that the medical education program has a single set of core standards for the advancement and graduation of all medical students across all locations. A subset of medical students may have academic requirements in addition to the core standards if they are enrolled in a parallel curriculum. A medical school ensures that there is a fair and formal process for taking any action that may affect the status of a medical student, including timely notice of the impending action, disclosure of the evidence on which the action would be based, an opportunity for the medical student to respond, and an opportunity to appeal any adverse decision related to advancement, graduation, or dismissal.

10.3 Policies Regarding Student Selection/Progress and Their Dissemination

The faculty of a medical school establish criteria for student selection and develop and implement effective policies and procedures regarding, and make decisions about, medical student application, selection, admission, assessment, promotion, graduation, and any disciplinary action. The medical school makes available to all interested parties its criteria, standards, policies, and procedures regarding these matters.

Appendix B

Medical Students Code of Professional Conduct

Preamble

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine’s Honor Code requires that medical students live honestly, advance on individual merit, and demonstrate respect for others. UTRGV SOM subscribes to the highest Code of Professional Conduct. Our aim is professional behavior beyond reproach. In particular, we subscribe to the following points of conduct.

Code

A. I will promote and maintain an honest and effective learning environment. I will:

  • Do my part to ensure that the environment promotes acquisition of knowledge and mastery of skills;
  • Not tolerate harassment, flagrant disruption of the learning process, demeaning language or visual aids, disrespectful behavior, or lack of respect for life and living things;
  • Exhibit the highest Code of Professional Conduct, honesty, and professionalism;
  • Identify and report those who exhibit academic or professional misconduct; and
  • Appreciate each individual as a person of value and help maintain dignity during the learning process.

B. I will place primary emphasis on the health and welfare of patients. I will:

  • Attain and maintain the most current knowledge in the healing arts and the skill to apply that knowledge,
  • Display respect and compassion for each patient,
  • Foster and preserve the trust that exists between professional and patient,
  • Respect and maintain the confidentiality of the patient, and
  • Let no patient in whose care I participate suffer physically or emotionally as a consequence of unprofessional behavior by myself or others.

C. I will conduct myself at all times in a professional manner. I will:

  • Exhibit honesty, openness, and evenhandedness in dealing with others;
  • Maintain my personal hygiene and appearance in such a way that it does not interfere with my ability to communicate with patients, colleagues, or community;
  • Not engage in language or behavior which is disrespectful, abusive, or insulting;
  • Take responsibility for my actions, acknowledge my limitations, and ask for assistance when needed;
  • Assure the welfare of others is not compromised as a result of my inadequacy or impairment;
  • Not be deceitful or self-serving;
  • Achieve satisfactory balance in personal, community, and professional activities;
  • Not allow personal conflicts to interfere with objectivity in relationships with colleagues or patients;
  • Accommodate a fellow professional’s request for my knowledge and expertise;
  • Refrain from the manifestation of bias, including sexual, marital, racial, ethnic, or cultural harassment;
  • Support my fellow professionals if they should falter; and
  • Identify colleagues whose ability to provide care is impaired, support them as they seek rehabilitation, and help them to reintegrate into the medical community.

Appendix C

Professionalism Portal Reporting Forms

Medical Students: Report Professionalism Concerns About Others

Faculty/Staff: Report Professionalism Concerns About Faculty, Staff, or Students

Dates Reviewed or Amended

Approved by the Central Curricular Authority Committee (CCAC) on June 08, 2016.

Approved by the Dean/Chief Academic Officer on December 21, 2017; July 2, 2021.

Non-substantive changes made on June 30, 2021.