1.7 Fitness for Clinical Contact Policy

Fitness for Clinical Contact Policy Statement
The opportunity to participate in direct patient care carries a responsibility to ensure that patients are not placed at risk due to a student’s mental illness, physical illness, impairment from drugs or alcohol. It is the responsibility of faculty, residents, medical students, and School of Medicine staff members who know of, or observe, student behavior that could place a patient at risk or compromise effective functioning of the healthcare team, to immediately report the concern to the course or clerkship director and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs or the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs. The School of Medicine reserves the right to prohibit a student’s continuation in the clinical curriculum if there are concerns related to fitness for clinical contact.

It is the responsibility of faculty, residents, medical students, and School of Medicine staff members who know of, or observe, student behavior that could place a patient at risk, or compromise effective functioning of the healthcare team, to immediately report the concern to the course or clerkship director and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs or the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs or the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs will contact the medical director of the institution or practice site and all other parties where the student is or will be rotating to discuss and assess the student’s situation. All faculty and staff who observed the student’s behavior, or might have pertinent information, will be asked to provide a written statement detailing their observations.

If a student is believed to have a condition that may affect their ability to interact safely with patients, and work effectively with the healthcare team, the student will be withdrawn from the course, clinical setting, and/or extracurricular program in which they are enrolled and may be placed on a leave of absence until referral and evaluation by the Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP) for assessment, treatment, and continued monitoring as appropriate. The WPHP may find the student poses no risk to patients or others in the educational community and can return to the curriculum and medical school setting. If the WPHP finds the that the student poses a risk to patient care or safety, they will recommend and oversee a course of evaluation and treatment.  When appropriate, WPHP will make a decision to endorse a student if they are found fit to resume their participation in the medical education program.

In the event that a student wishes to challenge the appropriateness of being removed from patient contact, the course, clinical setting, and/or the appropriateness of the WPHP referral, the student will be advised of their right to due process. The student’s request for a review will be presented to the Student Progress Committee according the committee’s guidelines for managing student reviews.

Existing statutes require physicians to report other physicians who have a condition, either physical or mental, that may affect their ability to practice with reasonable skill and safety. Under WAC 246-16-200, all individuals licensed by the Department of Health in the State of Washington are required to report any other individual licensed by the Department of Health, who commits an act of unprofessional conduct or who has a condition, physical or mental, that may affect their ability to practice with reasonable skill and safety. Even though WAC 246-16-200 does not specifically apply directly to medical students, given that medical students will be licensed physicians after completing their training, it is reasonable to assume that the School of Medicine take similar measures to ensure patient safety where medical students are involved.

Effective: Current and Under Review
Last updated: August 11, 2020
Policy Contact: UW School of Medicine, Student Affairs Office, adminSA@uw.edu, Education Quality Improvement Office, eqi@uw.edu