SA-4111 Attendance and Excusing Students from Educational Activities

1.0      Purpose

The Patient-Centered Curriculum at VTCSOM requires active student participation, which will be assessed by the faculty in course and/or clerkships on a continual basis. 

2.0      Policy

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) prioritizes educational activities that promote learning and professional identity formation aligned with VTCSOM learning goals.  Students are required to attend all educational sessions throughout the curriculum, as specified in the procedures below.

3.0      Procedures

The following guideline details the VTCSOM attendance expectations for all students. 

Excused Absences

For an absence to be considered excused, each student is expected to follow the guideline details in this document which defines personal health days and discretionary days which students may use in each phase of their medical education.

Unexcused Absences

An unexcused absence is any absence that extends beyond the approved number of personal health or discretionary days for each phase (detailed below). Failure to follow procedure for using a discretionary day is considered an unexcused absence. More than one unexcused absence during a phase of education (Phase 1 – pre-clerkship; Phase 2 – clerkship; Phase 3 – post-clerkship) will be reported to the Medical School Performance and Promotion Committee (MSPPC) for unprofessional behavior. Students who accumulate five consecutive unexcused absences are automatically referred to the MSPPC for a student status hearing.

Tardiness

Tardiness to a required activity/class will be logged by curriculum managers/directors and communicated to the medical education team for tracking purposes. When indicated, tardiness will result in a grade penalty or students not being permitted to join the educational activity (e.g., OSCEs). Excessive tardiness will inform the assessment of the individual student on harmonized milestones. 

Make-Up Work

Students shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up the material or activities covered during an excused absence. This will be determined by the appropriate course director/co-director or clerkship director in consultation with the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education. 

Observance of Religious Holidays

Students shall be excused from required academic activities to observe a religious holy day of their faith and should follow the notification process for planned absences. Students who ask to be excused from class or clinical responsibilities for religious reasons will not be required to provide verification. A student who believes that they have been unreasonably denied an educational benefit due to religious beliefs or practices may seek redress through the non-academic grievance procedure.  Observance of a religious holy day is not considered the use of a discretionary day.

Phase Specific Guidelines

Phase 1

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) Phase 1 Curriculum values and prioritizes educational activities that promote learning and professional identity formation aligned with VTCSOM learning goals. Attendance in all parts of the Phase 1 curriculum is strongly recommended for all students. Attendance is required for activities/classes that the VTCSOM Education Team identifies as experiences that provide learning opportunities and benefits that cannot be fully accessed through independent learning. These required experiences typically, although not always, occur in collaboration with students or faculty in a group/team-based context or contexts that include patients. Consistent and timely attendance and engaged participation allows learners to demonstrate the expected VTCSOM attributes and harmonized milestones of professionalism, accountability, and conscientious behavior.  Specifically, student attendance is required when educational activities include: 

• Patients or standardized patients  
• Community and Clinical experiences 
• Team- or group-based learning activities

Attendance expectations for each course will be noted on Canvas through the Syllabus tab. 

Permitted time away for Phase 1:

• Personal Health Days: 9 (3 per semester)
• Discretionary Days: 5 (request 7 days advance notice *)
  *Urgent requests for discretionary days will require a brief explanation.
• Vacation Time: (See class calendar for specific dates):
  • Fall long weekend (year 1) 
  • 1 week Thanksgiving break (year 1) 
  • 2-week Winter Break (year 1) 
  • 1 week Spring Break (year 1) 
  • 4-week Summer Break (year 1) 
  • 1 week Thanksgiving break (year 2) 
  • 2-week Winter Break (year 2) 

Phase 2 and 3

VTCSOM recognizes the importance of student involvement in all clinical care opportunities during Phase 2 and 3. Demonstrating reliability within a health care team is an important part of a student’s professional identity formation.  

Permitted time away for Phase 2:

• Personal Health Days: 5
• Discretionary Days: 5 (request notice 4 weeks prior to start of the clerkship or intersession*)
  *Urgent requests for discretionary days will require a brief explanation.
• Vacation Time for Phase 2: (See class calendar for specific dates):
  • 2-week Summer Break (end of M2 year)
  • 2-week Winter Break 
  • 2-week Summer Break (end of M3 year)

Permitted time away for Phase 3:

• Personal Health Days: 9 (3 per semester)
• Discretionary Days: 5 (request 7 days advance notice *)
  *Urgent requests for discretionary days will require a brief explanation.
• Interview Days: 3 (to use for interviews outside vacation block)
• Vacation Time: (See class calendar for specific dates)
  • 8 weeks (student selected vacation for resident interviews) 
  • 2 weeks (if longitudinal elective completed in Phase 1) 
  • 2-week Winter Break 

Research Days

VTCSOM students are permitted 3 days (one time over all three phases) to present the outcome of a VTCSOM primary student project at a conference. These days are approved directly by the research team.  Contact the Research Domain coordinator to start the approval process. Once approved, you will need to complete the “Student Time Away” form on the Student Affairs Central Course in Canvas for record-keeping purposes. Please refer to “Student Travel for Professional Conferences” in the student handbook for more details. Students can also use discretionary days to attend conferences that do not meet these parameters.

Personal Health Days

A personal health day may be used for an acute illness, a mental health day or a medical appointment/procedure.

Phase 1 students who need to use an unanticipated personal health day should report their absence via the “Student Time Away” form, which notifies all relevant faculty and staff (curricular directors and the Student Affairs team). This form can be found on the Student Affairs Central Course in Canvas and on the VTCSOM website.

Phase 2 students should report the need to take a personal health day via the “Student Time Away” form on the Student Affairs Central Course in Canvas, each clerkship and intersession Canvas site, and on the VTCSOM website. Completion of the form notifies all relevant clerkship or intersession faculty and staff.

Phase 3 students should communicate the need to take a personal health day with their elective director and complete the “Student Time Away” form available on the Student Affairs Central Course in Canvas and on the VTCSOM website.

Missing any portion of the day will be logged as an absence for the entire day (use of one personal health day).

It is the responsibility of the student to communicate directly with the curricular or clinical teams impacted by the absence (e.g., course director, facilitator, clerkship director, elective director, etc.) to raise awareness of the upcoming excused absence and address missed assignments/work.

If a faculty member has a concern that a student might be a health risk to other students and/or patients and this is not recognized/acknowledged by the student, the faculty member may suggest that the student attend to their illness, using a personal health day.  The student would complete the “Student Time Away” form found on the Student Affairs Central Course in Canvas and on the VTCSOM website.

Phase 1 students should schedule non-urgent healthcare visits outside of required class time.

Phase 2 and 3 students must get approval from their clerkship, intersession, or elective director to miss part of a clinical day. If the director feels the absence qualifies as a personal health day, the student must complete the “Student Time Away” form found on the Student Affairs Central Course in Canvas and on the VTCSOM website.

For multiple consecutive absences, students must follow the notification process each day. They should consult Student Health or their personal healthcare provider. By the third consecutive day of a health-related absence, students must email the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and provide a healthcare provider's note outlining a return-to-class or clinical plan. Personal health days do not accrue beyond the third day if continued absence is recommended by a provider.

Students with a potentially contagious respiratory, gastrointestinal, or other pathogen should not return to the classroom or clinical setting until acute symptoms have resolved, and the student is afebrile (temperature below 100.4 F) for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and no diarrhea or vomiting for 48 hours without the use of anti-diarrheal medication. Please refer to Carilion’s employee health policy for more details.

Students who have a chronic illness are encouraged to reach out to the Virginia Tech Office of Services for Students with Disabilities to apply for accommodation.

Students with extenuating circumstances and/or who are unsure how to proceed are encouraged to contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (or designee) for support.

Students who use all the allotted personal health days are expected to use discretionary days for future absences related to their personal health. 

Students who use all of their personal health and discretionary days should meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Discretionary Days

Discretionary days may be used by students for personal matters including family and friend events/emergencies, professional conferences, medical appointment/procedures, parental leave, and travel. Students need to complete the “Student Time Away” form to use a discretionary day. This form can be found on the Student Affairs Central Course in Canvas and on the VTCSOM website.

Discretionary days are requested with advance notice (see expected lead time, which differs by phase in Table 1). Clinical schedules require substantial coordination and are typically made at least four weeks prior to the start of each clerkship or rotation. 

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, students may not elect to take more than 3 discretionary days during a 4-week elective (Phase 3), 4-week or longer clerkship (Phase 2) or single week of class (Phase 1). No more than 2 discretionary days may be taken during a 2-week clerkship, elective, or intersession. Students with extenuating circumstances should contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Discretionary days are only for weekday classes/shifts.  Students should work directly with their clerkship or elective director at least 4 weeks prior to the start of a clerkship or elective if they need arrange to be off during a specific weekend with the expectation that this time is made up on another weekend during the rotation. 

Discretionary days are to be used as full days.

Students are responsible for reviewing the course syllabus and consulting with the course, clerkship or elective directors about making up any missed assignments or shifts.

Absences that exceed the allowable number of discretionary days will be considered an unexcused absence(s). 

Failure to follow procedure for using a discretionary day is considered an unexcused absence and will be addressed by the Phase Director and Associate Dean for Student Affairs and may result in a report to the MSPPC for unprofessional behavior. More than one unexcused absence will be reported to the MSPPC for unprofessional behavior. 

Discretionary days may not be used on certain “blackout” days for each phase.

Blackout Days

Days that cannot be taken as discretionary days are referred to as “blackout days.” If a Personal Health day is needed on one of the dates below, the procedure for reporting a personal health day (described above) still applies, and students are encouraged additionally to reach out to the relevant course, clerkship, or phase director.

Blackout Days for Phase 1

• Semester 1 orientation
• Semester 1 POMI immersion (weeks 2 and 3 of semester 1)
• Exam days – refer to course syllabus in Canvas for specific exam dates

Blackout Days for Phase 2

• Intersessions: see syllabus in Canvas for specific blackout dates during intersessions
• 1st day of each clerkship (orientation to clerkship) *
• End of clerkship exams * (chart below for class of 2028 and beyond)
• Assessment week (June)

Blackout Days for Phase 3

• Intersession 5: see syllabus in Canvas for specific blackout dates during intersessions
• Emergency Medicine – 1st day of clerkship and end of clerkship exams
• Transition to Residency 1 and 2: see syllabus in Canvas for specific blackout dates
• Research Symposium
• Match Day (encouraged to be in town all match week)

*Extenuating circumstances can be discussed with and approved by the clerkship director. Students must make up absences exceeding three days on rotations of four weeks or longer, and absences exceeding two days on shorter rotations.

Interview Days

Each student in Phase 3 will have 3 interview days that can be used for interviews or second look visits to a residency program when these days fall outside of the allotted vacation time for interview season. 

Parental Leave

Students can use discretionary days toward parental leave.  For Phase 1 students, the Phase 1 director will meet with the student in advance to develop an individualized learning plan that extends for an additional two weeks (beyond discretionary days) to allow flexibility during this time.  Phase 2 and 3 students should work directly with the Phase 2 and 3 directors to optimize their schedule.  Students also have the option to take a personal leave of absence.  Contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs to discuss a leave of absence.

Students Representing VTCSOM

Students who are asked to represent the medical school at a meeting or conference by VTCSOM Associate Dean for Educational Affairs or Associate Dean for Student Affairs will be excused from classroom or clinical responsibilities without using a discretionary day. Students must complete the “Student Time Away” form found on Canvas and will need to provide details regarding the event.

Below are the meetings in which a student formally represents the school:

• AAMC Organization of Student Representatives (OSR Reps)
• AAMC RISE Nominees
• American Medical Association/Medical Society of Virginia Delegate
• Student National Medical Association Delegate

4.0      References

• Student Time Away Form
• Forms and Information - VTCSOM Student Affairs
• Virginia Tech Office of Services for Students with Disabilities
• Office of Educational Affairs
• Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education
• Associate Dean for Educational Affairs
• Research Domain Coordinator
• Director, Foundational Science Curriculum (Phase 1)
• Director of Clinical Clerkships (Phase 2)
• Director of UME-GME Transition and Electives Curriculum (Phase 3)
• Office of Student Affairs
• Associate Dean for Student Affairs

5.0      Approval and Revisions

Approved by the Medical Curriculum Committee on February 19, 2026