SOM Policies and procedures

• Leave of absence

  Please utilize the following leave of absence checklist during your process of requesting a leave. The checklist is not required to go on a leave of absence but provided for your convenience and understanding. 

  Leave of absence checklist

  1. Review the leave of absence (LOA) policy in the Medical Student Handbook.
  2. Considering taking a LOA? Set up a meeting with your assigned class counselor at stars.wayne.edu. A meeting with the Assoc. Dean of Student Affairs where final approval is granted, may be needed.
  3. Submit a LOA request (PLOA, FLOA, MLOA, ELOA) or Intake (ALOA) Form
  4. Meet with a Financial Aid Officer to understand the financial implications of taking a LOA
  5. Set up a meeting with the Enrollment Management Coordinator to discuss LOA enrollment implications
  6. Contact records@med.wayne.edu and inform the scheduling coordinator of your LOA dates. If you have health insurance through the SoM and you wish to maintain that coverage while on LOA, you must contact the Office of Records and Registration to determine the status of your health insurance during your leave. If applicable, you are also advised to receive counsel regarding your eligibility to receive long term disability benefits. 
  7. You are expected to remain in professional compliance with timely documentation of all required vaccinations including annual Flu and any recommended COVID-19 boosters prior to your return.
  8. Check your student account for holds. Go to "Prepare for Registration" Select a future term and view if you have any holds. 
  9. You will be added to a LOA Canvas course. In this course, you can explore research opportunities, mental health support, study materials, and more.

  If you have questions for Student Affairs, please call 313-577-1463. If you have any Leave of Absence questions, please contact medenrollment@wayne.edu. 

  Leave of absence checklist - print only

   

• Mistreatment procedure

  The School of Medicine strives to create a safe and supportive learning environment that reflects the Institution’s values: professionalism, respect for individual rights, appreciation of diversity and differences, altruism, compassion and integrity. We are committed to maintaining an educational and professional environment that is free of all forms of harassment and discrimination and take the rights of our students very seriously. Incidents of medical student mistreatment are addressed following the reporting process below.

  Discuss

  Counselor, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Assistant Dean of Basic Science, Assistant Dean of Clinical Education, WSUSOM clerkship/course director, hospital system clinical campus Director of Medical Education, or the Office of Ombudsman at WSU

  File a School of Medicine report

  File a report anonymously or self-disclosed via the following link: Mistreatment Reporting Form

  The form will be received by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. All investigations are confidential and your information is protected during any follow-up activities. If you would like to receive feedback about the outcome of your concern, please provide your name.  If you are not comfortable providing your name, but would still like follow up of any outcomes concerning your complaint, you may create an anonymous or disposable email address on the form.

  Examples of Mistreatment

  Students should use this Mistreatment Policy to address discriminatory, unfair, arbitrary or capricious treatment by faculty, staff, students, clinical teaching faculty and medical personnel. The school adheres to the professional standards of behavior established by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Wayne State University Nondiscrimination Policy (referenced in III.c.)  Students are expected to report behavior which interferes with the learning process. Students should consider the conditions, circumstances and environment surrounding the behavior. Examples of discriminatory, unfair, arbitrary or capricious treatment include, but are not limited to: *

  Physical

  • Physically mistreated causing pain or potential injury
  • Pushed/slapped hand (“get out of the way communication”)
  • Exposed to other forms of physical mistreatment used to express frustration, make a point or get attention

  Verbal

  • Accused
  • Threatened/intimidated
  • Yelled at/snapped at
  • Degraded/ridiculed/humiliated/sworn at/scolded/berated
  • Exposed to inappropriate conversation/comments (of nonsexual and nonracial nature)

  Sexual harassment

  • Making sexual comments, innuendo, jokes, or taunting remarks about a person’s protected status as defined in the University’s Nondiscrimination Policy Statement. (referenced in III.c.)
  • Making sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct or communication of a sexual nature as per the University Sexual Harassment Policy, http://bog.wayne.edu/code/2_28_06.php.
  • Ignored because of gender
  • Stalking of a sexual nature; i.e. persistent and unwanted contact of any form whether physical, electronic or by any other means.

  Ethnic

  • Exposed to racial or religious slurs/jokes as defined in the University’s Nondiscrimination Policy Statement. (referenced in III.c.)
  • Stereotyped
  • Neglected/ignored (because of student’s ethnicity)

  Power

  • Dehumanized/demeaned/humiliated (nonverbally)
  • Intimidated/threatened with evaluation or grade consequences
  • Asked to do inappropriate tasks/scut work
  • Forced to adhere to inappropriate work schedules
  • Neglect/ignored

  *list adapted from Fried et. al, Academic Medicine, Sept 2012                               

  Please note: When one party has any professional responsibility for another’s academic or job performance or professional future, the university considers sexual relationships between the two individuals to be a basic violation of professional ethics and responsibility; this includes but is not limited to sexual relationship between faculty and student or between supervisor and student, even if deemed to be mutually consenting relationships. Because of the asymmetry of these relationships, “consent” may be difficult to assess, may be deemed not possible, and may be construed as coercive.

• Snow policy

  The SOM follows official university closures and does not make independent determinations.

  M1 and M2 (Pre-Clerkship phase)

  In the event that Wayne State University closes due to severe weather, then the School of Medicine will be closed.  All classes, small group activities, and exams scheduled during the closure will be cancelled.  A revised schedule will be sent out via the list-serve.

  M3 and M4 (Clerkship phase)

  Students are assigned to the clinical campus sites and thus follow the routines and practices of clinicians. Clerkships and hospital sites have agreed to be lenient for situations that students may feel are unsafe. If you feel that you cannot safely make it to the hospital or clinical site, you are to contact your team or preceptor. Please note, this will not be recorded as an unexcused absence. However, as for any absence, the clerkship director or hospital team may instruct you to make up the time missed. The SOM expects that, as physicians in training, students will balance their professional responsibilities with common sense to develop personal decision-making on these issues at this stage in their medical education. Thus:

  • Clerkship-phase students will observe official WSU closures for snow. In the event of a WSU snow closure (road conditions that make transit impossible), segment 3 and 4 students should not report to their clinical site but should personally notify their team that they will not be in attendance due to a university snow closure.
  • WSU closures for other reasons, such as power outage or cold temperatures, will not be observed by segment 3 and Segment 4 students.
  • If the university is otherwise open (not weekends or holidays), students must get an excused absence from their counselor for any missed days other than official WSU snow closures.
  • For severe snow storms occurring on days that the university is not open (weekends, holidays), students should directly contact their faculty supervisor/rounding team to notify them that they will not be in due to hazardous weather conditions. 
  • Segment 3 and Segment 4 students may be required to make up clinical time that is missed at the discretion of the WSUSOM clerkship director.
• Scientific meetings and travel procedure

  M3/M4 - Students are not allowed to miss clerkship orientation or days of required activities that have no makeup. Students are not allowed to be gone for the dates of any exams. Foreign travel (except nearby Canada) is not allowed. Excused dates cannot be extended after commencement of travel and travel delays are not viable excuses. This request must be filed 60 days in advance of the meeting, and is revocable at any time if there are changes in the student’s eligibility status. Download excused absence form.

  M1/M2 - Must receive an excused absence from their counselor.

• Withdrawal from medical school

  If you are considering withdrawal from medical school, you must contact your counselor and the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Career Development to discuss your intent. Withdrawal is a permanent, voluntary student-initiated request for termination in the MD program. Students wishing to withdraw must submit a written request to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Career Development, including in the request the statement that the student understands that withdrawal is voluntary, permanent, and not subject to appeal. A student cannot avoid disciplinary action or academic hearing procedures through a request to withdraw, however, the Promotions Committee may allow a student to withdraw prior to the completion of such hearings or an action to dismiss. Only the Promotions Committee and the Vice Dean for Medical Education can involuntarily withdraw a student. View the complete Withdrawal Policy (Section 9.7)