VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

OMS 3 and OMS 4 Excused Absences Excused absences are those that may be expected or unexpected and that meet the criteria for an excused absence as outlined below.

Excused absences fall into two categories: • Planned Excused Absences • Unplanned Excused Absences

Students must request approval for a planned or unplanned excused absence for 1 or more days absent from the rotation. Regardless of whether an excused absence is granted, students must still complete a minimum of 160 hours for a 4-week rotation and 80 hours for a 2-week rotation in order to pass the rotation. Excused absences will not be granted after the fact, except in emergencies as verified by the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs or the Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME. Students should be aware that preceptors are not required to allow a student to make-up time missed during a rotation; therefore, the make-up requirement is at the discretion of the Chair and the Associate Dean. Any time missed must be remediated during the course of the rotation for credit to be issued. Students may remediate up to four missed days or 48 hours missed during any rotation period by working on normal days off. Planned Excused Absences for OMS 3 and OMS 4 Students Planned excused absences are those that a student is aware of a minimum of 30 days prior to the absence and requires an absence from the academic program for 1 or more days absent from the rotation. Reasons for planned excused absences include the following: conference attendance, court appearance, medical procedures known in advance, weddings requiring participation, and other qualifying planned excused absences. Students requesting a planned excused absence must complete and submit the “OMS 3 Request for a Planned Excused Absence” form and submit all required documentation a minimum of 30 days prior to the requested absence. Students may obtain the form from the Office of Clinical Affairs or the VCOM website at: https://www.vcom.edu/academics/clinical/clinical-forms and must return the form and required documentation to the Office of Clinical Affairs. The student may be required to submit additional documentation upon returning from the planned excused absence. Examples of required documentation include proof of conference attendance, subpoena, proof of court appearance, wedding announcement, and other required verification as requested. Final approval may or may not be granted by the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs or the Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME. OMS 3 and OMS 4 Conference Attendance OMS 3 and OMS 4 students requesting to attend a conference must follow the policy and procedures for requesting a planned excused absence. All conference attendance must be pre-approved by the Campus Dean. Only students who do not have any conditional or failing grades can request a planned excused absence for a conference and/or national meeting provided an absence from a rotation does not interfere with the academic work of other students and does not result in the student missing an assignment that cannot be remediated (as determined by the Associate Dean). Planned excused absences will not be granted after the fact. See below for the policies and procedures for requesting a planned or unplanned excused absence.

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