Medical Student Policies
Below please find the Guidelines and Policies for medical students at UCSF. The Policies section features the regulatory mandates that students need to follow for institutional and/or compliance reasons. Unless otherwise indicated, all UCSF Medical Student Policies also apply to UCSF medical students who are conducting their learning at regional campuses. The Guidelines represent the Deans' recommended approaches to the items below based on their years of experience. Each Guideline also includes instructions for how to request a different approach based on individual circumstances.
Please also refer to our Institutional Policies, Admissions Policies, Faculty Policies, and Student Technology Policies.
For the latest COVID-19 campus updates, please visit the UCSF COVID-19 Resources Webpage. If you have an exposure to COVID-19 or a recent COVID-19 infection, use the UCSF Digital Screener.
Policies
All students must comply with the School of Medicine's policy for Technical Standards for Admission, Promotion, Retention, and Graduation.
UCSF Protected Health Information (PHI) Policy and Guidelines
UCSF medical students are personally responsible for ensuring the privacy of patient data and are expected to use safeguards to protect verbal and written electronic health information. Instances of lost PHI must be reported to UCSF Police or the HIPAA Privacy Office.
Affiliations with Certain Health Care Organizations
UC’s academic health centers and health professional schools have affiliations with other health care organizations to improve quality and access for the people of the state of California, particularly those in medically underserved communities, and to support UC’s research and public service mission.
Some of these organizations restrict certain evidence-based health care services. We affiliate with health systems that may restrict care only after we consider the implications for our patients, providers, and the diverse educational experiences for our students, residents and other trainees.
UC and UCSF expect that UC employees and trainees will deliver evidence-based health care services and, in those locations where a required service cannot be delivered, appropriate referrals or transfers must be made. If at any time a UC employee or trainee is asked to do otherwise, or a patient has a complaint, the University should be immediately informed as described in this December 15, 2023 announcement.
Policies and Resources Relevant to Expressive Activities at UCSF - This UCSF Campus policy outlines restrictions on the conduct of expressive activities on UCSF property in compliance with the California State Senate Bill 108, SEC.219, 34.
I. Learning Environment
II. Curriculum Policies: General (including assessment)
III. Curriculum Policies: Foundations 1 Bridges
IV. Curriculum Policies: Clinical Studies and Foundations 2 (Years 3 and 4)
V. Research & Scholarship Policies
VI. Student Life
VII. Other Guidelines
I. Learning Environment Policies
- Antidiscrimination
- Clinical Supervision of Medical Students
- Diversity and Institutional Inclusion
- Equity in Learning and Assessment in the Medical School Learning Environment
- Medical Student Mistreatment
- Needlestick Injuries and Other Blood-borne and/or Body Fluid Pathogen Exposures
- Physicianship
- Professional Student Immunization Requirements
- Professional Behavior Expectations of Medical Students
- Student Statement of Principles
- Work Policy
II. Curriculum Policies: General (including assessment)
- Appeal for Summary Evaluation or Course Grade
- Continuous Quality Review
- Access to Student Records (see also Disclosure of Information from Student Records)
- Duality of Interest: Health Provider and Education Roles for Faculty Supervising Students
- Equity in Learning and Assessment in the Medical School Learning Environment
- Evaluation and Assessment in Medical Student Education
- Evaluation Release Regulations of the Faculty of the School of Medicine, UCSF (regarding admissions, registration, degree requirements, classification of courses, grades and credit, disqualification, and withdrawal)
- Evaluations Standardization
- Graduation Requirements
- Mandatory Evaluations of Didactic Educators
- Program Evaluation
- Readiness for Learning
- Readmissions Policy
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
- Student Assignment to Learning Experiences
- Student Grievance Procedure
- Student Selection Admissions Policy
- Supervision of Medical Students
- Survey Policy for Medical Student Programs
- Technical Standards
- Time to Graduation
- USMLE Board Exams During Medical School
- Withdrawal, Dismissal, Leave of Absence Regulations (Please see section VIII. Temporary or Permanent Separation of Students from the School of Medicine)
III. Curriculum Policies: Foundations 1 Bridges
- Attendance and Participation
- Foundations 1 Grading and Assessment
- Foundations 1 Policy on Assessment, Absence and Rescheduling
- Foundations 1 Pre-clerkship Workload Policy
- Student Participation in Curriculum Evaluation
IV. Curriculum Policies: Clinical Studies and Foundations 2 (Years 3 and 4)
- Attendance: Career Launch
- Attendance: Foundations 2
- Clerkship Add/Drop
- Clinical Work Hours
- Clinical Supervision of Medical Students
- Core Clerkship Examinations
- Core Clinical Experience and Midpoint Feedback
- CPX Program Attendance and Professionalism
- CPX Grade Clarification and Appeal Process
- Electives and Clinical Studies Policy
- Evaluations Release Policy for Student Evaluation of Educators
- Foundations 2 and Career Launch Grading and Assessment
- Medical Student Documentation Policy
- Needlestick Injuries
- Protected Health Information (PHI) Policy and Guidelines
- Student Participation in Bridges Curriculum Evaluation
V. Research & Scholarship Policies
VI. Student Life
- Alcohol at Medical Student Events
- Computing and Technology
- Disability Insurance
- Identification Cards
- International Travel Guidelines
- Photos of Students
- Registration
- Religious Observation Scheduling Needs
- Security and Fire Safety
- Social Media Policy
- Substance Abuse
- Tobacco Free Policy
VII. Other Guidelines