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

Foundations 1 Pre-clerkship Workload Policy

Purpose

To outline expectations about the amount of time appropriate to schedule for students’ in-class activities and out-of-class activities during the pre-clerkship phase of the curriculum, with the goal of ensuring time for independent study, and an overall manageable workload. 

Overview

Faculty aim to design a curriculum and a learning environment that supports student learning and wellbeing. The curriculum promotes students’ learning of content and development of self-directed learning skills through a combination of in-class and out-of-class activities, along with time for independent study. Faculty follow guidelines for developing a schedule of learning for each week, based on student input, data, feedback and discussion across courses and elements. This policy provides these guidelines, which should be reviewed regularly along with faculty adherence to them, in order to address their efficacy. 

Related LCME Standards

Standard 6.3: Self-Directed and Life-Long Learning
Standard 8.8: Monitoring Student Time

Principles

  1. The overall workload per week should be reasonable, providing time for students to fully engage in a challenging curriculum and to manage personal health and wellbeing needs. 
  2. Because students are expected to fully engage with the curriculum, required educational activities, assessments, and time for learning should take precedence over social, supplemental, and service activities.  
  3. The overall workload per week, including all activities across all elements, should be calculable based on a tally of scheduled in-class activities, required out-of-class activities, and an estimate of the independent preparation/study time necessary to master learning requirements. 
  4. In-class scheduled activities include but are not limited to lectures, large group sessions, patient interviews, small group discussions, review sessions, labs, clinical skills development, health systems improvement projects, preceptorships, workplace learning, and exams.
  5. Out-of-class required activities include but are not limited to assigned reading to prepare for in-class sessions, online lessons, independent modules, and Weekly Checkpoints. 
  6. Curricular planning must account for the fact that fatigue impairs learning, and that time for self-directed learning and study is critical for learning. 
  7. Course leaders are responsible for monitoring workload and alignment with the policy.  

Policy

  1. Estimated total workload for each course block in the pre-clerkship curriculum will not exceed 60 hours per week, averaged across the length of the course. 
  2. Total workload hours include scheduled in-class activities, required out-of-class activities, and an estimate of the time needed to achieve learning goals each week and on exams. Total workload hours are calculated using the formula specified in the procedures below. 
  3. The School monitors student-reported workload to ensure accuracy of total workload calculations.
  4. Curricular elements in each course work together to develop weekly schedules that adhere to workload guidelines.

Procedure

  1. The following formula is used for calculating total workload: all activities (in- and out-of-class) should be multiplied by 2 to provide an estimate of total time needed to invest in mastering the material. Weekly Checkpoints contribute 2 hours per week. Exam weeks include study time (3x length of exam). Workload calculations do not include activities related to special tracks (e.g., PRIME, MSTP). 
    1. For example, a 1-hour scheduled in-class session is accompanied by a 1-hour independent learning time. Assessments are accompanied by 2+ hours of independent learning time. 
  2. For each block, course leadership is responsible for tracking weekly workload estimates across all elements and adjusting so as not to exceed 60 hours, averaged over the duration of the course. 
  3. Students report workload through end-of-course evaluations and are encouraged to report workload violations in an ad hoc manner via real time confidential evaluations (e.g., the Supporting a Fair and Equitable Environment evaluation system)
  4. Summary workload hours will be reported during the Course and Clerkship Review (CCR) process and discussed at the Foundations 1 Operations curricular governance committee. 
  5. In cases of workload overages, course directors will make adjustments to ensure compliance with policy. Data collection will repeat with the following iteration of the course to allow for central monitoring to close the loop and confirm that the interventions have had the intended effect. 

Accountable Dean or Director: Associate Dean for Curriculum and Foundations 1 Director

Approval Date and Governing Body: October 13, 2026, CCEP