Exam Postponement Policy

Policy Statement
Students must be present for scheduled examinations (including anatomy pin tests) except in the event of personal illness or personal/family emergencies. Permission must be granted for rescheduling an exam. The student must contact the Foundations Dean (In Seattle: Assistant Dean for Student Support and somtests@uw.edu) to reschedule an examination. Students must not schedule make-up exams during any scheduled curricular activity, and it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that exams are not in conflict with a scheduled activity. The block/course director and/or block/course site leader cannot provide permission for an exam reschedule.

Examinations cannot be rescheduled or moved to a different Foundations campus for personal events or research presentations.

Related Policies

Policy Statement

Students must be present for scheduled examinations, except in the event of personal illness or personal/family emergencies. Students who delay the clerkship exam must complete the Clerkship Exam Delay Attestation Form prior to the start of the exam (or as soon as possible if there are extenuating circumstances).

Once a student starts an exam, it will be scored, and no retake opportunity will be given unless a personal emergency or confirmed technical issue occurs during the exam that prevents the completion of said exam.

If a student fails to complete the Clerkship Exam Delay Attestation Form prior to the beginning of the exam and does not sit for the exam, they will be given a zero and no retake opportunity will be given unless a personal emergency or confirmed technical issue prevented the student from completing the form and/or attending the exam.

Make-up exams will be administered one week later (the Friday following the missed exam date) for those whose acute issue has resolved. Students who delay exams are responsible for contacting the Clerkship Administrator for the rotation during which the make-up exam will be administered (not the clerkship whose exam was missed) to request appropriate time away from that clerkship for the retake. For students unable to attend the make-up exam date, alternative plans will be made with the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) Testing Service on a case-by-case basis.

If a student needs to delay more than one exam in a given clinical year, they will be contacted by a Dean from Student Affairs to discuss additional needs.

Procedure
In the event a student is unable to sit for a clerkship exam due to an acute personal illness or personal/family emergency:

  1. The student must complete the Clerkship Exam Delay Attestation Form prior to the beginning of the exam.
    1. For issues arising early than the Wednesday (i.e., 48 hours or more) prior to the exam, students must reach out to the Clerkship Director and Clerkship Administrator to discuss.
  2. UWSOM Testing Service will provide the information from the Attestation Form to the student, Clerkship Director, and Clerkship Administrator for the rotation whose exam is being postponed.
  3. Students must contact the Clerkship Administrator for the rotation during which the make-up exam will be administered (not the clerkship whose exam was missed) to request appropriate time away from that clerkship to take the exam.
  4. The make-up exam will be administered one week later (the Friday following the missed exam date).

Related Policies

Related Student Information and Resources:

 

Effective: Current
Last updated: March 14, 2023
Policy Contact: UW School of Medicine, Curriculum Office, somgov@uw.edu; Education Quality Improvement Office, eqi@uw.edu