VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

The Clinical Site Administration and Faculty In each Core Regional Hospital VCOM provides a Director of Student Medical Education (DSME). The DSME oversees the Clinical Site Coordinator and the students who are rotating in the region. The DSME also oversees the academic program on site, including but not limited to, the student clinical case presentations, academic days, and individual academic counseling of students. Just as the Associate Dean oversees the clinical faculty on campus who are also responsible to their Chairs, the DSME oversees the clinical site faculty who are also responsible to their Chairs. The DSME helps to recruit and recommend for appointment new clinical site faculty and to assure the clinical site faculty are appropriate for the curriculum they are to teach. The DSME is responsible to the Associate Dean in assuring quality and consistency of the clinical site program. In oversight of students, the DSME may require attendance at scheduled conferences, grant leave of up to four days per year under the excused absence policy, and assign additional requirements such as written papers, attendance at special events, presentation at rounds, etc. The DSME also addresses any student and preceptor concerns. In the event that the DSME determines that a student may constitute a threat to the welfare of themselves, fellow students, staff, or patients, the DSME may suspend the student or place the student on leave. The DSME, just as the Associate Dean for Clinical Academic Affairs, has the authority and responsibility to enforce VCOM's academic policies of VCOM in the clinical site. A Clinical Site Coordinator is hired in each region to assist the DSME. The Clinical Site Coordinator is responsible to both the DSME and the Director of Clinical Rotations to assist in assuring each rotation is scheduled, all paperwork is completed, all evaluations are completed, and all schedules are implemented. They also assist students in navigating the hospital system, as well as the community (including personal difficulties such as car problems, health issues, and housing). Clinical faculty are hired for each discipline to teach within the clinical sites (as clinical faculty preceptors). All third year core rotations are arranged with clinical faculty in the regional sites who hold clinical faculty appointments with VCOM and who actively participate as a member of the department. The Clinical Discipline Chairs meet annually with the core clinical faculty in their clinical site to exchange academic information. These meetings provide an opportunity for clinical faculty to have input into the curriculum, discuss readiness of most recent students, review how (collectively) the prior year students who completed training with the clinical faculty preceptor performed on end-of-rotation exams and boards, and offer one on one faculty development where requested or needed. Clinical Chairs also communicate with the clinical faculty throughout the year through conference calls, newsletters, and blogs. Clinical Assignments and the Clinical Match Third year students are assigned to a clinical site. While the placement is an assignment, VCOM utilizes a Match System to attempt to make clinical site assignments based on the best match for students. Within the Match System, students rank their hospital choices and provide a written reason for their top choices. Students should be aware that the site assignments are made to provide the largest number of students with their first choice collectively and to assure meeting the student’s educational needs. Students who feel their circumstances meet criteria for hardship or special consideration may complete a separate form and provide necessary documentation. All students participate in the match for core sites associated with their campus. A student-to-student trading mechanism is provided for student use after a preliminary match is announced. Hardship, special consideration, and trade requests are adjudicated by the selection committee and approved by the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and the Campus Dean. All decisions are confidential and private. The Office of Clinical Affairs then performs the match. VCOM attempts to match students in their top choices; however, this is dependent on the capacity of site. When the number of students exceeds the capacity of a site, a committee composed of the Dean, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, the Director of OMS 3 Clinical Rotations,

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