University of California San Francisco
UCSF School of Medicine UCSF Medical Center

Student Assignment to Learning Experiences

Purpose

To outline responsibility of and the process of assignment of students to learning experiences and responding to requests for change.

Overview

The School of Medicine assumes responsibility for managing students’ selection of and assignment to learning experiences. The Student Experience Team fulfills this responsibility. There is a process for a medical student with an appropriate rationale to request an alternative assignment when circumstances allow for it. This can be granted when circumstances allow.

Related LCME Standards

10.9: Student Assignment

5.10: Transfer/Visiting Students
 

Principles

  1. Assignment to learning experiences will be done in a consistent and fair way, allowing students to express preferences in the order they will complete their clerkships and at which sites.
  2. UCSF medical students are given priority over visiting students requests.

Policy

Regional Campus/Curricular Tracks

  1. Enrollment in educational programs (e.g. PRIME-US, the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, etc.) occur prior to matriculation to medical school. Enrolled students who would like to withdraw from such programs need to contact the Associate Dean for Curriculum and respective director of the program.
  2. Ultimately, the decision of the associate dean responsible will be final.

Clerkship Experiences

  1. All student change requests related to the clerkship learning experience follow the processes outlined below. Each change request will be evaluated on the nature of the request, impact on other students, and available options. Requests based on conflicts of interest, accommodations, compliance issues,  and mistreatment will be given priority. These requests for changes will be overseen by the Associate Dean for Students and implemented by the Student Experience Team.
  2. Students are informed by the Deans and medical education staff of the clerkship programs (block and longitudinal), of the process to request programs, and process to request the order of clerkships (EVOS).
  3. Preferences and requests are submitted to the Student Experience Team (SET) who distribute assignments.
  4. All requests to change learning experiences will be processed by the Student Experience Team.
  5. Students are not provided the opportunity to negotiate with their peers to switch assignments. Students must contact SET for all changes, not other students.
  6. Ultimately, the decision of the associate dean responsible will be final.

Clerkship Site Assignments

  1. Clerkship site assignments will be made by the individual clerkships.
  2. Clerkship site change requests will be processed by the individual clerkship.
  3. Students are not provided the opportunity to negotiate with their peers to switch assignments. Students must contact individual clerkship administration and leadership for all changes, not other students.

Visiting Students

12. UCSF medical students choose the elective courses of their fourth-year curriculum before visiting students are permitted to enroll.

13. Medical students are given priority over visiting students should there be an unexpected change in schedules during electives.

 

Accountable Dean or Director: 
Associate Dean for Students (Clerkship assignments)

Associate Dean for Curriculum (Curriculum tracks and Regional Campus)

Approval Date and Governing Body: February 22, 2018, CCEP

Last Updated: October 17, 2018