2.8 Malpractice Liability Insurance Policy

Policy Statement
The University of Washington School of Medicine provides Individual Professional Liability (“malpractice”) coverage to all medical students who are acting at the direction or specific request of the School in the course of responsibilities imposed by approved programs, from the time they are enrolled until graduation. Students on a leave of absence are not considered enrolled and are not provided malpractice liability insurance.

Malpractice liability coverage begins at the time an admitted applicant submits the registration deposit and completes the essential compliance requirements. Non-compliance with these requirements at any time during enrollment may jeopardize a student’s liability protection. Malpractice liability insurance is provided to students under the following circumstances:

Students are covered by the School’s malpractice liability insurance when they have paid tuition and are registered for credited coursework, including registration for credit in approved coursework away from the University of Washington at another approved educational institution when credit is granted by, and tuition is paid to, the University of Washington. Students are not covered by the School’s malpractice liability insurance for coursework taken to complete another degree at another educational institution for which credit is granted and tuition paid to that institution.
Students are covered by the School’s malpractice liability insurance when participating in School approved non-credit medical educational programs such as the pre-matriculation rural component of the TRUST program and volunteer or service learning activities endorsed by the UW School of Medicine, its departments, or WWAMI partner institutions.
Students are covered by the School’s malpractice liability insurance when enrolled and involved in a research project with University of Washington or WWAMI regional faculty. Examples include summer research projects with stipends such as MSRTP and R/UOP-III, and extended research projects with stipends such as those done through NIDDK, HHMI, and Magnuson Scholarship.
Students are covered by the School’s malpractice liability insurance when participating in career exploration with College mentors or other approved School of Medicine clinical faculty members, clinical skills remediation, or other remediation programs for students who need additional clinical experience or for students during the transition period after completing another degree (Ph.D., M.P.H., etc.) or after being approved to return from a leave of absence prior to reentering the medical school curriculum.
Students who are enrolled and expanding the medical education program in which approved educational activities, such as in-depth research or international health opportunities that do not require registration for credit are provided malpractice liability coverage.