VCOM Institutional Policy and Procedure Manual

VCOM Policy and Procedure

Policy #S009

In events of a site change for one rotation or all rotations, VCOM will assure housing in the site where the new rotation occurs. Pre-approved excess costs for the student for housing caused by sudden closures will be provided by the College including short-term housing and/or until appropriate housing is found. 5.2 Clinical Education Interruption Due to Critical Events In rare critical events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, all VCOM students may be removed from clinical education. This may be due to a national directive by government, hospitals, or accrediting bodies in an effort to assure student and patient safety. When such a critical even occurs, the Campus Dean shall convene a committee to determine and oversee the alternate clinical education for the student. The Emergency Clinical Education Committee shall be composed of the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs; the Associate Dean for Simulation and Technology; the Associate Dean for OMS4 and GME; the Core Clinical Chairs; the Vice Provost for Academic Planning, Institutional Effectiveness, and Accreditation; and may include additional members as determined by the Campus Dean. The purpose of the committee is to determine the best possible plan for continued clinical medical education. The plan must be one that assures medical student clinical core competencies are met while reducing medical student or patient risk. The rotation schedule must continue to support VCOM’s mission of providing physicians for the rural and medically underserved areas in the Appalachian and Delta regions of the Southeast U.S. throughout the process. • In developing the plan, flexibility in curriculum and student advancement shall include: o The ability to exchange 3 rd and 4 th year rotations in the curriculum to meet the needs of the students. o The replacement of certain clinical rotations may consist of

observing patients and physician care using telemedicine and other simulated patient care experiences, including but not limited to, hands-on simulations, standardized patients (with Avatars when needed), interactive patient case discussions with small groups (includes discussions and interpretations of imaging and other test results), and simulated clinical procedures that will enhance clinical skills. This is acceptable in one primary care rotation, one psychiatry rotation, and certain specialty rotations as approved by the committee. The committee will determine an overall schedule that assures certain in-person clinical experiences are complimented by those that may be done in a telemedicine and/or simulation environment. o The ability to decrease the number of OMS 3 and/or OMS 4 rotations to allow for periods of quarantine between rotations while

VCOM Policy on Assuring the Clinical Education Curriculum

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