VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

Request for OMS 4 Rotation Change VCOM realizes students may change their area of interest. If the student does change the area of interest, they must notify the Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME and the Director of OMS 4 Clinical Rotations to request schedule changes. Changes may not be possible for rotations that the office does not know about 30 days in advance . Students should recognize that signing up for clinical rotations represents a commitment by the student that they intend to be present during the scheduled rotation period. This commitment in turn is a component of professionalism that all members of the osteopathic profession must understand and honor. The collaborative relationship VCOM and prior VCOM students have built with hospitals, residency programs, and individual preceptors is one of trust and respect, which includes honoring our commitment to scheduled rotations. Disrupting that trust could adversely affect VCOM students’ ability to rotate with the site in the future. • Requests for a change in rotation schedule must be submitted using the Change of Rotation Request Form from their home campus. • Students may not request more than three schedule changes to the fall semester (Semester 7) of the OMS 4 year and must make all requests to the Director of Fourth Year Clinical Rotations a minimum of 30 days in advance of the rotation to be considered for approval by the Associate Dean (the limit of three changes does not apply to rotations that have been denied by the site). • The student may not make changes, without Associate Dean approval, to their schedule for the spring semester (Semester 8) as the required rotations are balanced with other students within the region. Students should contact VCOM’s Director of Fourth Year Clinical Rotations if requesting a change to the approved schedule in Semester 8. The Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME and Director of Fourth Year Clinical Rotations will make the final decision based on advanced notice, the hardship reason for the request, and availability of the rotation the student is requesting. o A Change of Rotation Request Form must be completed, and students must designate the nature of extreme hardship on the form. In addition to the Change of Rotation Request Form, students must write a letter describing the necessity of the change. Students are required to verify all information leading to an extreme hardship request and falsification of any information during this process will result in a Professional and Ethical Standard Board. A student may discuss their circumstances to determine if they qualify for an extreme hardship, in advance, with the Associate Dean of OMS 4 and GME. Upon receipt of the Change of Rotation Request form, the Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME will review the information and make a decision. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the decision, they may appeal the decision to the Campus Dean whose decision will be final. It is important to note that the primary choice of core clinical training sites is made based on the Mission of the College and the best educational resources available. • Submission of a request for a change in a rotation, even if submitted within the above guidelines, does not guarantee approval of the request. • Students may not cancel or change any scheduled rotation until official approval is granted by the Associate Dean. The Director of OMS 4 Clinical Rotations will then notify the student as to the approval or disapproval of the request. • Failure to show up for a scheduled rotation will result in an F grade for that rotation and the student will be required repeat the entire rotation, causing a delayed graduation. o Rotations which are required to be repeated due to a violation in rotation change policy will be scheduled at a site assigned by the Associate Dean. o The requirement to repeat a rotation may also affect the student’s ability to obtain financial aid on time if in the first half of the year. The following guidelines have been established for any request for changes to the rotation schedule:

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