Excused Absences

Do not make travel or conference plans until you have determined whether or not an absence will be excused. An excused absence may be granted for the following reasons:

• Illness:  An excused absence may be granted if you are ill.  For your own sake and the sake of others, you should not attend classes or take exams if you are ill.  An excused absence due to illness requires a note from Health Services or your primary care provider.

• Presentation at a meeting/conference:  An excused absence may be granted for students presenting at a conference.  Conference attendance, without presentation responsibilities, does not meet the requirements for an excused absence.

• Leadership activity: An excused absence may be granted if you are representing Brown in a leadership capacity at a conference or meeting (for example, as the president of our SNMA chapter, or as an elected representative from Brown on an AMSA committee). Conference attendance, without leadership responsibilities, does not meet the requirements for an excused absence.

• Major life event: An excused absence may granted in light of a major life event such as a death in your immediate family, the wedding of an immediate family member, or other major event. The granting of an excused absence in these instances will be considered on a case by case basis.

How to Obtain an Excused Absence

All Courses, Clerkships and Clinical Rotations

In order to obtain an excused absence, request a make-up exam, or request an exam extension (including IMS exams, OSCEs and Shelf exams), please first contact your Academy Director (Alex Morang, Emily Green or Kelly Kochis) via email. When possible, please request approval at least two weeks in advance. In the case of illness, an absence will be approved retroactively with appropriate documentation. Please make sure to provide the required note from Health Services or your healthcare provider to your Academy Director within two days of your return.

In order to reschedule a Doctoring mentor session, please contact the Assistant Director of the Doctoring course (Julia Noguchi).

Absences from clinical electives (vs. required clerkships) need to be arranged with the course leader.  If a student misses more than a few days, the student may ask for the elective to be shortened and only receive credit for the weeks attended (for example, 3 weeks instead of 4).

A pattern of repeated absences may be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean for Medical Education.

Preclinical Years I & II

During a student’s preclinical years you are permitted to request a single exemption to our policy on unexcused absences.  Known as the “Golden Ticket” policy, students may have a single unexcused absence across the two preclinical years without incurring the usual penalty for an unexcused absence (i.e. ineligibility for Honors for that course).  “Golden Tickets” are applicable to IMS requirements only (not Doctoring), and the policy does not apply to exams or exam extension requests (you cannot cash in your Ticket in order to miss a scheduled exam, or as a means to request an exam extension).  Any additional unexcused absence within an IMS course will result in ineligibility for Honors.  Students who wish to “cash in” their exemption must follow the procedures outlined above in How to Obtain an Excused Absence.

Requirements

Integrated Medical Sciences (IMS) I-IV

Lectures: Attendance at medical school lectures is strongly encouraged but not required.

Small Group Sessions and Laboratory Sessions (Anatomy, Histology, Pathology, Brain Sciences, ID, Epidemiology and Pathophysiology problem-based learning sessions): Attendance and participation are mandatory. All absences must be excused and more than one absence per course is strongly discouraged. Unexcused absences (other than one covered above by the "Golden Ticket" policy) will result in ineligibility for Honors and be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean for Medical Education. 

Doctoring I-IV

Lectures, Small Group Sessions, and OSCEs: Attendance and participation are mandatory. All absences must be excused and more than one absence per course is strongly discouraged. Unexcused absences will result in ineligibility for Honors and be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean for Medical Education. 

Mentor Sessions: Attendance and participation are mandatory. Any missed session must be made up in a timely fashion.  Students cannot complete more than two mentor sessions on any given day (maximum of an eight-hour shift).  Please note that there is a make-up mentor session scheduled at the end of each semester for those students with an absence during the semester.

Clinical Rotations

Individual clerkships (required rotations) have clearly defined standards for lecture attendance and daily participation in clinical activities. Unexcused absences can result in a grade of ED or NC.

Make Up Work

IMS: Students missing a required IMS small-group or laboratory session will complete a written make-up assignment, the content of which will be determined by Dr. Luba Dumenco (Year 1) or Dr. Paul George (Year 2) in conjunction with their small group faculty leader.

Doctoring: Students missing a required Doctoring session are responsible for any material covered in their absence and must work with Dr. Sarita Warrier (Year 1) and Dr. Michelle Daniel (Year 2) and their two small group faculty to make up the missed work.

Clinical Rotations: In general, excused absences exceeding two days will require make up activities to be determined by the Clerkship Director.

Holiday Schedules for Clerkships and Other Clinical Rotations

The University and clinical affiliates do not adhere to the same holiday schedules. This may complicate holiday scheduling for clinical rotations. The policy agreed to by the Office and Student Affairs and the Clerkship Directors regarding holiday scheduling is as follows:

1. It may not be possible for you to predict your holiday work schedule far in advance. Students' clinical assignments and/or call schedules are generally not finalized until a rotation is about to begin.

2. For all Monday holidays, you should make plans as though you will have to work. If you are on a rotation at an institution that observes a Monday holiday, and you are not scheduled to work, then you will be off. If the institution does not observe the Monday holiday you will be expected to work.

3. You will be expected to work on July 4 if you are working on a service that has a call rotation and your team/service is working.

4. All students are off for Thanksgiving and the following Fri/Sat/Sun.

5. Rotations are not scheduled for the December break. However, clerkships typically start before New Year’s Day and depending on your schedule, you may work on the holiday.