Permission-Only Clerkships

Some electives are Permission-Only. This means that it is necessary for you to obtain permission from the appropriate departmental Clerkship Administrator before you can register for the clerkship. Clerkships have this status for a variety of reasons, but most often it is because it is necessary to check with the preceptor to make sure they are available. Permission-Only status is listed in the Explore & Focus Catalog.; you can filter for permission-only clerkships and also review a summary list of Permission-Only clerkships on the 4th tab of the catalog (tabs are at the bottom of the catalog page). Some permission-only clerkships have availability pre-entered into eValue, others are only entered once a student is given permission to take the clerkship; if you do not see availability for a permission-only clerkship in eValue contact the administering department to see if clerkship is available and request permission. Please note that all permission-only clerkships must align with the time frames established by the SOM Clinical Calendar.

FAQ

A number of our Explore & Focus clerkships require permission for students to enroll. This means a student is unable to register for the clerkship until they have secured permission from the offering department. Since departments don’t have to provide permission-only availability in advance, availability for these clerkships may not be viewable in eValue. Students will need to contact the department of the clerkship to inquire about availability for a particular clerkship, time frame, and/or site.

A status of permission-only indicates that a rotation is only available based on preceptor availability or department review for student placement.

Permission-only clerkships allow the UW School of Medicine to offer a broader variety of rotations, particularly at smaller sites and within established residency programs.

Contact the clerkship administrator for the department offering the clerkship to request a permission for a clerkship rotation. Permission approval may require additional information, such as: statement of interest, multiple possible time frames, or a personal statement.

Requests for permission-only rotations can vary in response time and availability. The best resource for the expected wait time is the department clerkship administrator. Note that some rotations only grant permissions cyclically or very close to the start date, and will require the student to plan accordingly.

It is recommended to reach out at a minimum of two weeks in advance of a registration appointment to request permission for a particular clerkship.  Students granted permission for a clerkship should forward that permission onto the Registration Team in advance of any scheduling appointments. Registration will not be able to register students for a permission-only clerkship without that approval. 

Departments do not always know in advance the availability for permission-only clerkships. This means that often there is no availability listed in eValue. Contact the Department Clerkship Administrator to ask about availability for timeframes of interest if you do not see it listed in eValue.

  • Know prior to your registration appointments which clerkships you want to take during Explore & Focus and if any are permission-only, secure permission prior to your appointment(s). You will not be able to register for a permission-only clerkship if you do not have the permission at your appointment(s).
  • Getting permission from a department can take some time so make sure you are requesting permission as soon as you have decided you want to take that particular clerkship.
    • You should be working on getting permission for your clerkships at least two weeks in advance of your scheduling appointment(s) to ensure you have enough time to get that permission.
  • Department criteria for granting permission varies, they are the best resource for that information if there’s not detailed information in the clerkship catalog.  Once you have determined your interest in a clerkship, reach out to the department to make sure you have all of the information needed prior to requesting permission and registering for the clerkship at your appointment(s).
  • Some permission-only clerkships are first-come, first-serve so it is in your best interest to reach out as early as possible to secure permission for a clerkship.
  • Once you have been grated permission for a clerkship, forward your permission email from the department to somreg@uw.edu so they can have on hand during your appointment(s).