Medical Education Program Policies and Handbook
Welcome to the University of Washington School of Medicine’s MD Program Policies and Handbook Website!
Policies, requirements, procedures and guidelines and other student information resources are updated regularly. Administrators, faculty, staff and students are expected to understand, stay continuously informed of and abide by the policies, requirements, procedures and guidelines that impact their programs and responsibilities.
* PLEASE NOTE: THE MD PROGRAM HANDBOOK PDF IS UPDATED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. VISIT THE POLICY WEBPAGE FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE VERSION.
- Vision, Mission and Values
- Learning Environment Values and Standards
- Teacher/Learner
- Policy for Promoting an Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive School of Medicine
- Student Mistreatment Policy
- UW Medicine Policy on Professional Conduct
- Standards of Conduct and Professional Behavior
- Fitness for Clinical Contact Policy
- UW Medicine Social Networking Policy
- Policy on Supervision of Medical Students in Clinical Settings
- UW Faculty Conduct
- Conflicts of Interest
- UW Personal/Familiar Relationships in the Educational Environment
- Student Healthcare and Physicians Relationships
- UW Employee-Student Romantic Relationships and Conflicts of Interest
- UW Non-Discrimination and Non-Retaliation Policy
- Technical Standards Policy (Standards for Admission, Retention, Promotion, and Graduation)
- Compliance Requirements
- Basic Life Support
- Criminal Background Check
- Universal Precautions
- Immunizations
- Data Stewardship and HIPAA
- Clerkship Site Compliance Requirements
- Needlestick, Blood, Tissue, and Body Fluid Exposure Protocol
- UW Medicine Safeguarding the Privacy and Security of Protected Health Information Policy
- UW Alcohol and Drug Abuse Policy
- Drug Use and Testing Policy
- Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Compliance Policy
- Malpractice Liability Insurance Policy
- Technology Requirements
- UW Student International Travel Policy
- Financial Responsibility Policy
- UWSOM Student Input Fee Policy
- Curriculum Governance and Structure
- Oversight and Management
- Curriculum Overview
- Faculty Appointments Policy
- Clerkship Site Approvals
- Curriculum Requirements
- Attendance and Participation
- Assessment, Evaluation, Exams and Grading
- Clerkships
- Visiting Medical Students
- Student Progress Committee Policies, Principles and Guidelines
- Section 1 – Operating Guidelines Overview
- Role of SPC
- Composition of SPC and Voting Process
- Decisions Made on Behalf of SPC
- Confidentiality
- Conflict of Interest
- Section 2 – Curricular Requirements and Expected Timeline
- School of Medicine Curricular Requirements
- Foundations Phase
- Patient Care Phase
- Explore & Focus Phase
- Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
- United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)
- Step 1
- Step 2-CK and Step 2-CS
- Voluntary Leave of Absence
- Expanded Curriculums (Expansions)
- Section 3 – Events that Result in Review by SPC
- Fail Grades
- Competency Not Achieved
- USMLE Step Fails
- Failure to Take Step 1
- Failure to Complete OSCE
- Evaluator Concerns
- Incompletes
- Registrar Drop
- Former Quarter Drop
- Failure to Complete UWSOM Compliance Requirements
- Violations of UWSOM’s Academic or Professional Standards
- Section 4 – Actions and Sanctions for Managing Students in Difficulty
- Allow Remediation
- Remediation of Courses and Clerkships
- Remediation of Step Exams: Step 1 Re-takes and Deadlines
- Remediation of Step Exams: Step 2-CK Re-takes and Deadlines
- Disciplinary Warning
- Requirement for Work to be Re-Done
- Academic Probation
- Disciplinary Probation
- Mandatory Leave of Absence
- Advance Information
- Fitness for Clinical Contact
- Referral to Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP)
- Suspension
- Dismissal
- Withdrawal from the MD Program
- Allow Remediation
- Section 5 – Review of SPC Decisions
- Review of Dismissal Recommendations
- Review of Other SPC Actions Other Than Dismissal
- Section 6 – Guidelines for Managing Alleged Violations of Academic and Professionalism Standards
- Reporting
- Preliminary Meeting with the Student
- Informal Hearing
- Formal Hearing
- SPC Actions Following Informal and Formal Hearings
- Section 1 – Operating Guidelines Overview