Academics

Educational Objectives

Knowledge & Lifelong Learning

1. The graduate will demonstrate knowledge of the basic medical sciences, clinical skills and the ability to acquire, manage, and use current information for clinical decision-making and problem-solving in the care of individual patients, family members, populations, and systems of care delivery.
2. The graduate will demonstrate knowledge of the ethical, social, economic, and cultural influences upon the health of and health care delivery to patients and patient populations, and will be able to propose realistic approaches to improving the health of an individual patient and for a patient population.
3. The graduate will be able to identify the diverse factors that influence the health of the individual and the community; identify the socio-cultural, familial, psychological, economic, environmental, legal, political and spiritual factors impacting health care and health care delivery, and be able to respond to these factors by planning and advocating the appropriate course of action at both the individual and the community level.   

Interpersonal Relations & Communication

4. The graduate will demonstrate the ability to establish a professional relationship with a patient, build a comprehensive medical and social/personal history, conduct either a focused or comprehensive physical examination as indicated, construct a differential diagnosis, and recommend a course of treatment consistent with current standards of care.
5. The graduate will demonstrate the ability to communicate (written & oral) clearly, professionally, and effectively with patients, their family members, health care team members, and peers.
6. The graduate will demonstrate the capacity to listen to and respond appropriately to constructive feedback from peers and teachers, as well as give constructive feedback and evaluation to peers and faculty as requested.    

Professionalism, Advocacy & Personal Growth

7. The graduate will be able to identify personal strengths and weaknesses in the care of patients and working with colleagues and allied health professionals, and if indicated, demonstrate the ability to make changes in behavior that facilitate collaborative relationships.
8. The graduate will demonstrate through the period of undergraduate medical education a pattern of responsible behaviors consistent with the highest ethical standards of the profession: honesty, confidentiality, reliability, dependability, civility, and punctuality.
9. The graduate will demonstrate a commitment to leadership and the advancement of new knowledge.

Approved by the Faculty, January 19, 2006

Academics

Biennium I

The first two years are devoted to learning the basic science of medicine. Learning activities include presentations, small group case discussions, team-based learning modules, laboratory exercises, and standardized and volunteer patient interviews. Assessments include computer-administered multiple-choice and short essay examinations, laboratory and dissection practicals, essays, Team-Based Learning' modules, peer evaluation, supervised interviews with volunteer patients and evaluation by standardized patients. All students must successfully complete the USMLE Step One prior to starting Biennium II. All courses in Years 1 and 2 are Pass/Fail with a final percent score as shown below.

Year I Courses

The following are the courses in the first year:

Year 2 Courses

Year 2 is divided into two academic grading periods: Medical Systems Term I (August-December), and Medical Systems Term II (January-May). One grade is given for each term.

Biennium I Electives

The Biennium 1 (B1) Electives Program is one of the unique features of the Boonshoft School of Medicine. Through the electives program, students are encouraged to immerse themselves in areas of particular interest which are relevant to their development as physicians.

Students are required to complete four weeks of elective courses during B1. This requirement must be fulfilled prior to starting Biennium 2 (MS3). Each elective course must be a minimum of two weeks in length. Additionally students must complete 60 hours of service learning electives during Biennium 1 as follows: students must complete a minimum of two service learning experiences with a minimum of 12 hours per service learning experience.

Both electives and service learning hours can be completed:

1. during the academic year between January and May of the MS1 year (students must be in good academic standing to complete electives during the MS1 academic year);
2. during the two week elective period immediately following the MS1 year;
3. during the summer between the MS1 and MS2 years; and
4. during the MS2 academic year.

Both electives and service learning hours can be designated as either faculty directed or student initiated. Faculty directed electives and service learning hours have been developed by faculty members, are typically offered annually and are listed in the B1 Electives Catalog. Student initiated electives and service learning hours are developed by students in conjunction with faculty and community partners, and may only be offered once. Both electives and service learning hours can be either domestic or international.

Electives are listed in the electives catalog. Students rank order their preferences for electives.

• Each student is given a random numerical assignment by computer scrambling, and priority for elective enrollment is determined accordingly.
• Students may design their own electives to meet specific needs or special opportunities. Student Initiated Elective proposals must be submitted to the Biennium I Subcommittee of the Faculty Curriculum Committee for approval. (See the deadline dates in the B-I Electives Catalog.)

During the first Biennium, a student may enroll for elective credit in courses occurring during core time if he or she has:

• a course percent average of 76 percent or above,
• a satisfactory remediation record, and
• no schedule conflict between the course taken for elective credit and the schedule of core courses.

Student-Initiated Electives

A student may design his or her own elective experiences around a special medical interest, subject to departmental sponsorship and the routine approval process. Please consult the B-I Electives Catalog before preparing a proposal. (See deadline dates in the B-I Electives Catalog.)

Before granting final approval of student-initiated electives, the subcommittee must receive forms from the faculty preceptor and from the chair of an appropriate department indicating approval and commitment. Students will be notified of approved Student Initiated Electives. Off campus electives in which the preceptor/evaluator is a relative of the student will not be approved.

Biennium II

The concluding two years are almost entirely devoted to learning clinical medicine. In our region there are many hospitals and clinics where our full-time and voluntary faculty both practice and teach and supervise medical students and residents. All third-year and the two required fourth-year clerkships must occur at our affiliated hospitals whereby the school's faculty can supervise a student's progress. Required clerkships cannot be taken at other medical schools. Duty hours are restricted to 80 hours per week and each student must attest compliance with this requirement at the end of each clerkship.

Clerkships have a set of learning objectives that are congruent with the School's Educational Objectives and an assessment system. Faculty evaluate student performance in a standardized web-based format at the end of the clerkship, however, there is also a mid-clerkship formative evaluation process. All clerkships, with the exception of Emergency Medicine, require the NBME Shelf Exam as part of the final grading. All students must complete the School's Fourth Year Objective Standardized Clinical Examination (OSCE) within about six weeks of finishing the third year. The USMLE Step 2 (CK) should be taken during this time frame as well.

Year 3 begins in late July or early August and lasts 12 months. The number of hours per week varies with each clinical rotation but is limited to 80 hours per week. Students will receive three weeks of vacation during the year. By the end of the third year, all students are expected to have demonstrated the ability to:

• Establish rapport with patients and their families and co-workers.
• Obtain a complete medical history using the appropriate departmental format.
• Perform a complete physical exam using the appropriate departmental format.
• Recommend appropriate diagnostic studies.
• Interpret diagnostic studies.
• Synthesize data from the medical history, physical exam, and diagnostic studies.
• Develop a differential diagnosis.
• Develop management plans.

Year 3 Clerkships

Year 4 begins in August and lasts 10 months. During this period, students may choose two months for visiting potential residency program sites. During the remaining eight months, the required and elective rotations will be completed.

Year 4 Clerkships & Electives

Requirements

In the fourth year, all students are required to take:

1. One month Emergency Medicine.
2. One month Neuroscience
3. Six months of electives, including:
   1. A subinternship in one of the six core specialties.
   2. One month of Surgery (anesthesia & orthopaedics also fulfill this requirement; a subinternship in surgery does not fulfill this requirement).
4. Students may take two extramural months unless permission is granted for more.
5. Students must choose electives from at least three departments with one being a primary care department. This is referred to as the clinical triad' three months of clinical rotations from three different departments: A surgical month, including a subinternship, can be counted as part of the required clinical triad.
   1. Orthopedics is considered to be surgery for this requirement.
   2. Pathology and radiology are considered clinical months.
   3. Research is not considered a clinical month.
6. Students may take two half-month electives for the equivalent of a one-month elective. (Two of the required months may be fulfilled in this manner.)
7. Students may take two essentially identical electives, provided one is completed at the Boonshoft School of Medicine.

Scheduling

Years 1 & 2 Courses

Students are automatically registered by the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions with the university registrar each quarter. To complete registration:

• The School must have all transcripts for a student on file.
• For each subsequent quarter, students must clear any "holds" — such as the library, parking services, student loans, or the bursar — through the appropriate university division before they can be registered.

Tuition statements are available on Wings Express. Students will receive instructions to log in to their Wings Express account. For smooth processing, remember:

• Payments are due by the dates specified on the statement.
• A $100 per month fee is charged for late payment.
• If a student has loans and takes a leave of absence, he/she should contact the director of financial aid as soon as the leave is approved.

Year 3 Clerkships

Students' preferences are considered in clerkship scheduling. The Office of Student Affairs confirms all assignments to clerkships by May for the upcoming third year. Student are advised that there may be changes to an assignment after this date, depending upon facility or faculty load for a particular block of time. Within each clerkship, students may have the opportunity to rank-order their preferences for a hospital or clinic setting, but this is done within a couple of weeks of the start of a clerkship.

Year 4 Clerkship & Electives

Approving and Modifying Schedules

Students may begin planning their fourth year schedules in February of the third year. In order to accommodate preferences for specific courses, students are given eight priority points to attach to those electives which they most prefer. An iterative scheduling process is employed to accommodate student preferences. Students' fourth year schedules should be completed in March. All schedule changes after May 1 require the use of the elective change form. Each elective has a deadline for adding or dropping. These are listed in the catalog or on the back of the form. Schedule changes must be submitted to Student Affairs and Admissions 30 to 60 days (see drop time in catalog) prior to the start of the elective.

Extramural Electives

Extramural electives are fourth-year course offerings listed at other institutions. B-II students may take two extramural electives without approval of the Student Promotions Committee; however, if academic deficiencies are apparent, the committee may place a lower limit on extramural electives. Students who wish to take extramural electives are responsible for contacting external institutions for application materials.

Extramural approval forms are available in the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions. Requests must be approved by the student's advisor and the Y4 elective director before they are submitted to Student Affairs and Admissions for approval. Department chairs are responsible for review and approval of content and evaluation procedures of all electives in their specialty. The sponsoring department is responsible for distribution and collection of evaluation forms. The extramural form should be accompanied by a complete description as published by the approved institution. The extramural form must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs with all necessary signatures no later than 60 days before the start of the elective. Extramural forms for international electives are due 90 days prior to the start of the elective. If an extramural is approved, an updated copy of the schedule will be e-mailed to the student. If not approved, the student will be notified. If an extramural elective is canceled after being added to a student's schedule, the student must submit a Drop/Add form to the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions after signatures are obtained from his or her advisor and the appropriate department chair.

If students are planning an extramural elective, they must have the extramural approved by the School in order to receive credit for the elective. This is required even though they have been approved/accepted by the host institution or have submitted information through VSAS. The process is as follows:

Students complete the top half of the extramural form and send the form and the elective description from the host school by email to the persons listed below, requesting approval:

1. The advisor: He/she may send Gwen Sloas, Ed.D. an email stating approval if that is more convenient than signing and sending/faxing the form.
2. The appropriate WSU department: A WSU department must sponsor (approve) the extramural. The student coordinator will obtain the signatures and return the form to Dr. Sloas.
3. Dr. Sloas: Receives the extramural form and course description which has been approved by the advisor and department.

The extramural will be added to the student's schedule. Students receive credit upon receipt of the preceptor's evaluation with a grade of Pass or Honors.

Extramural approvals are due 60 days prior to the start of the elective. International extramural approvals are due 90 days prior to the start of the elective.

Student-Initiated Electives

Developing or taking an elective that isn't part of an approved program in the Association of American Medical Colleges or the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals may require approval from the B-II Curriculum Subcommittee.

The details in a proposal outline should correspond to School knowledge of the proposed sponsor. Significant detail will speed the process when the departmental Y4 elective director is not familiar with the sponsor. Upon approval, the student must discuss the proposal with, and receive approval from his or her advisor first, the department second and then the School Y-4 elective director.

Students must coordinate arrangements with those who will supervise the experience and confirm them in writing. The Student-Initiated Elective approval form should be submitted it to the Y4 elective director with the student's proposal, a written confirmation of arrangements, an elective description and an acceptance signature by the sponsor. The completed proposal with signatures must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs at least 60 days prior to the start of the elective. Proposals for international electives are due 90 days prior to the start of the elective.

The Office of Student Affairs and Admissions will submit the student's proposal package to the B-II Curriculum Subcommittee for approval and will notify the student and the department of approval/non-approval. If approved, an updated copy of the schedule will be e-mailed to the student. If not approved, the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions will contact the student. Off-campus electives in which the preceptor/evaluator is a relative of the student will not be approved. Students must notify the elective preceptor of any withdrawal or alteration of arrangements previously confirmed.

If a Student-Initiated Elective is dropped after it has been added to the schedule, the student must request a Drop/Add form, have it signed by his or her advisor and the appropriate department chair, and return the form to the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions at least 30 days before the elective is to begin.

Electives will be offered in two-and four-week periods. Eight credit hours will be assigned to each of the monthly elective experiences and four credit hours will be assigned to each two-week elective.

If students are planning a Student-Initiated Elective (SIE) they must have approval from their advisor, the sponsoring School department and the members of the B2 committee in order to receive credit for the elective. The process is as follows:

1. Students prepare the SIE proposal. The format for a research proposal differs from a clinical SIE proposal. Students submit the SIE proposal at the following link: http://www.med.wright.edu/apps/sie
2. Students must have the email address of their advisor and of the student coordinator of the department from which they are seeking approval. A School department must sponsor (approve) the student-initiated elective.
3. After Dr. Sloas has received the approval from the advisor and the sponsoring WSU department, she will forward the proposal to members of the B2 committee for approval. Upon their approval, the SIE will be added to the students' schedule. Students will receive credit for the SIE upon receipt of the preceptor's evaluation with a grade of Pass or Honors.
4. SIE proposals are due 60 days prior to the start of the elective. International SIE proposals are due 90 days prior to the start of the elective. The School's website will not accept the students' proposal if not submitted according to the deadlines required.

International Electives

International electives are subject to the policy governing student-initiated electives. Schedules may be changed at any time throughout the academic year with an advisor's approval and sufficient notice. If a desired elective is not available, students may ask to be put on a waiting list to be notified if a vacancy occurs.

Residency Interviewing and Boards

Students have two months in Year 4 plus the month of June off. Students are expected to do most of their residency interviews during this time. Residency interviewing begins in mid-September and ends in January. During electives and clerkships, students may take time off for interviewing only if approved in advance by the elective/clerkship director. Students may not request more than two days off within a one-month period.

Absences

Biennium 1

An essential element of a medical student's professional development is the consistent demonstration of a mature sense of dependability and accountability. Therefore, students are expected to be present and on time for all scheduled examinations, clinical assignments, and mandatory academic activities (e.g. Ethics class, Introduction to Clinical Medicine, etc) or student assemblies unless the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions grants an excused absence.

Excused Absences

Circumstances where an excused absence may be granted are as follows:

• A medical illness
• An authorized presentation of scholarly work at an academic conference
• Serving in an official capacity as a representative of the School of Medicine
• An anticipated significant family ceremony that requires your attendance
• A family crisis that requires your presence
• An anticipated religious ceremony or observation (see student policy guide)
• Inclement weather
• Unforeseen extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control

Unanticipated Absences

Absences or tardiness for a scheduled academic assignment (examination, mandatory class/student assembly, Ethics class/Introduction to Clinical Medicine, or clinical assignment) due to a personal illness, or an unanticipated crisis are to be immediately reported to the Office of Student Affairs. Every effort should be made to leave notification of an absence or tardiness by calling the Office of Student Affairs at 775-2929 and leaving a verbal message with the Administrative Assistant of the Associate Dean of Student Affairs (Ms. Chris DeWitt) and/or by leaving a detailed e-mail for the Associate Dean of Student Affairs (Gary LeRoy, M.D. at gary.leroy@wright.edu) that includes a phone number where you can be contacted. Verification of receipt of your message and the granting or denial of your request for an excused absence will be communicated to you as soon as possible (before the end of the next business day).

If an excused absence is granted due to a medical illness prior to an examination the student will be given 48 hours (during regular days of school operations) from the original time of the scheduled examination to take the test or make up the assigned work. If for medical reasons the student cannot take the test or make up the work within the above mentioned 48 hour timeframe, then a written physician's excuse must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs in order reschedule the examination/work. In the event the student misses multiple graded exams or exercises (e.g. due to an extended illness) the student must contact Academic Affairs within 48 hours of his or her return to develop a schedule to complete the missed tests or assigned work.

Anticipated Absences

Requests for all anticipated absences must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs within Thirty (30) DAYS of the event if an excused absence is to be authorized. Verification of receipt of your message and the granting or denial of your request for an excused absence will be communicated to you within one week of your request.

It is the responsibility of the student to arrange for the completion of any missed academic assignments in an appropriate mutually agreed upon timeframe by contacting the administrative assistant to the associate dean of academic affairs (Nancy Harker at 775-2675 or nancy.harker@wright.edu) as soon as notification that an excused absence has been granted. Failure to do so within one week of notification will result in the withdrawal of the granted request.

Unexcused Absences

Any student who is absent from an academic assignment and has not been granted an excused absence from the Office of Student Affairs will be classified as an unexcused absence and the student will receive a ZERO for any scheduled academic activity that they miss.

The course directors should not be asked for an excused absence. The Office of Student Affairs and Admissions will notify Nancy Harker in Academic Affairs if an excused absence has been granted. Ms. Harker will then notify course directors of the excused absence. Course directors are not able to grant excused absences or override decisions made by the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions.

Leaves of Absence (LOA)

A leave of absence may be granted for academic, personal, or health reasons. Requests for a leave of absence must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admisions. In most cases, leaves do not exceed one year.

The academic leave of absence are available is granted to students in good academic standing pursuing research or related scholarly activity. A leave of absence in excess of one year requires the approval of the Student Promotions Committee.

The medical leave of absence is granted to enable a student to seek treatment for a health-related condition that interferes with the student's ability to participate in the educational program. If you anticipate an absence of 10 days or more, you must request a medical leave of absence and submit a letter from your physician. Students will be required to provide documentation from a health care provider indicating that the condition has been successfully treated and/or managed before returning to school. The School may require an independent clinical evaluation to determine a student's physical or mental health status before returning.

The personal leave of absence is granted to enable students to take time off, in special circumstances, for reasons unrelated to health or academics.

Students with academic problems requesting a medical or personal leave of absence will be reviewed by the Student Promotions Committee at the next scheduled meeting to determine the student's academic status at the time of re-entry.

Biennium II Absence Policy

Year 3 Clerkships

Clerkships provide both education and supervised experiences in a variety of medical specialties. For this to occur, students must attend all scheduled activities during each clerkship. Because students are professionals in training, they are expected to conduct themselves professionally at all times.

Absences from a scheduled clerkship activity due to personal illness or a family crisis will be handled individually by the clerkship director or his/her designee. Students are responsible for notifying their preceptor and the specific clerkship office immediately of the reason for an absence. If the absence exceeds two days, the student must

1. submit a statement from one's physician and
2. speak directly to the clerkship director (or designee) to arrange to make up the lost time.

Absences for any other reason (e.g., a conference or to attend a family function) will be considered unexcused, unless written approval is received from the clerkship director at least 30 days prior to the event causing the absence. In any case, the student must make up all time lost. An unexcused absence will be reflected unfavorably on one's written record and may adversely affect one's clerkship grade. Until the time missed is made up, one's grade will be recorded as an Incomplete.

For official holidays, students must follow the holiday schedule of the hospital, clinic, or practitioner's office to which they are assigned unless specifically instructed otherwise by the clerkship director.

Year 4 Clerkships & Electives

Absences from scheduled elective rotations occur occasionally. When those absences happen, students must inform the elective director or their designee at least one month in advance for scheduled absences, or at the time of unanticipated absences. If the absence is health-related and exceeds two days, students should obtain a written statement from their physician.

The School recommends that students miss no more than 10 percent of their scheduled rotation time. However, the School leaves the final decision regarding the number of allowable absences to the elective director. Students are allotted two months of during Year 4 for residency interviewing and Step 2 preparation. Interviewing for residency positions should occur during this time off.

If the elective director feels that too much time has been missed to successfully complete the rotation, students will receive an Incomplete for their grade. Makeup time will be arranged with the elective director.

Students must follow the holiday schedule as instructed by the elective director when those days arise during the elective period.

Inclement Weather

Since faculty, staff, and medical students all provide health care services, all may need to work in an emergency weather situation. The School conforms to the university policy on emergency school closings and inclement weather. Students, faculty, and staff should pay particular attention to public announcements (radio and television) which will attempt to clearly differentiate between the School and other parts of the university. The University may close for a specified period of time if travel is so hazardous that it jeopardizes safety.

If ever the procedure to be followed cannot be communicated by a public announcement, the School will activate its own internal network. Note the following:

• If opening of the University is delayed, first- and second-year classes — both on-campus and off campus — will be canceled until the announced opening time. At that point the remaining academic schedule for the day will be followed at the normally designated locations and times.
• Third- and fourth-year students normally will be assigned to a hospital and will be directly involved in health care delivery. Each student must make his or her own decision in a weather emergency.
• If the University is closed, first- and second-year classes will be canceled. However, students involved in providing health services normally will be expected to report to their assigned location depending upon their personal circumstances.

Religious Observances

Since many religious observances occur on days not designated as university holidays, the faculty and administration shall be flexible in accommodating the religious observances of students, faculty and staff. Any student who wishes to observe religious holidays that are not designated as university holidays, shall be excused from any examination, study or other academic requirement for that day.

It is the responsibility of those students who wish to be absent to make arrangements in advance by contacting the Associate Dean for Student Affairs in Years 1 and 2 and the clerkship director in Years 3 and 4. Faculty members who will be absent from class because of religious observance will inform the students and department chair/dean in advance. Staff members will notify their immediate supervisor.

The faculty and staff should be sensitive to the religious observances of students, so that students who absent themselves from class on these days are not disadvantaged. It is the responsibility of the faculty and administration to make available to each student who is absent from school, because of his or her religious beliefs, an equitable opportunity to make up examinations, or other academic requirements.

The faculty and administration will make every effort to not schedule examinations on days of religious observance which have commonly created conflict for students, faculty and staff such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Eid-al-fitr, and Good Friday.

Dress Code for Clinical Activities

A neat, clean personal appearance is required at all clinical sites. Students are expected to wear the school's white coats.