EA-3201 Phase 1 Student Work Hours

1.0       Purpose

The LCME sets standards for the time medical students spend in required activities and requires programs to provide adequate opportunities for self-directed learning to support the development of lifelong learning skills (LCME Element 8.8 – Monitoring Student Time). The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) seeks to promote learning environments that support varied instructional formats to enhance learning, limit student fatigue, and support student health and well-being. This policy encompasses the scheduled responsibilities, classroom instruction, independent learning, and time for personal wellness occurring in the Phase 1 curriculum. Phase 1 of the VTCSOM curriculum comprises five courses over three semesters. The Medical Curriculum Committee (MCC) reviews and approves weekly schedules and hours to ensure sufficient time for student preparation and independent learning.

2.0       Policy

• The academic workload hours (scheduled in-class learning activities plus required out-of-class learning activities) will not exceed seventy-two hours per week (averaged over each semester).
• The maximum number of hours a student will spend in scheduled in-class learning activities will not exceed 22 hours per week (averaged over each semester).
• The weekly academic workload hours (scheduled in-class learning activities plus required out-of-class learning activities) does not include recommended reading or independent study time.
• Students will have a minimum of at least two half-days a week free from scheduled activities (averaged over each semester).
• Students may participate in other non-curricular activities or electives, which would not count toward these workload limits.

3.0       Procedures

The Phase 1 weekly schedule is set by the Medical Curriculum Committee (MCC), with input from the MCC subcommittee, the Phase Integration Committee 1 (PIC 1). Curricular time is monitored by course directors, Phase 1 Director, Office of Educational Affairs, Associate Dean for Educational Affairs and Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, who all review each semester schedule before review by MCC during the course/syllabus approval process (before the semester) and review the hours following each semester.

Scheduled time in the curriculum shall not exceed the approved weekly hours without the approval from the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs (who will communicate with the MCC).  At the conclusion of each course, a time estimate for each course’s “out of class” activities is included in the end-of-semester report presented at PIC 1 and MCC.

The following formula is used to calculate academic workload (required scheduled in-class learning activities and out-of-class learning activities): the scheduled in-class learning activities will be counted by hour, and the required scheduled in-class learning activities will be multiplied by two, providing an estimate of the total maximum number of required out-of-class learning activities.

4.0       Definitions

Scheduled In-Class Learning Activities: Scheduled In-Class Learning Activities are required experiences, which include variable formats such as synchronous lectures, simulations, or small-group learning. 

Required Out-of-Class Learning Activities: Required Out-of-Class Learning Activities are required and occur outside of scheduled in-class learning activities (e.g., required readings, video recordings, modules).  These activities guide preparation for a specific session or learning experience. These activities complement the scheduled/structured curriculum. These activities count toward academic workload hours, but occur “outside of class” and are completed during the student’s own time. 

Unscheduled Time: Time that is not formally a scheduled learning activity that students use for independent learning.

Academic Workload:  Scheduled learning activity hours plus required out-of-class activity hours.

5.0       References

• Office of Educational Affairs
• Director, Foundational Science Curriculum (Phase 1)
• Associate Dean for Educational Affairs
• Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education

6.0       Approval and Revisions

Approved by the Medical Curriculum Committee on November 20, 2025