To be eligible to participate in clinical clerkships, students must have completed all required preclinical courses, have current health insurance, all required immunizations and antibody titers documented, be currently negative on TB testing or have followed current COM guidelines if a positive test is present, and completed any clinical site or COM-mandated related training and testing, including RVU-approved background screening and drug testing (MRO verified).
Documentation of this information must be on file with the Office of Clinical Education and the Office of the Registrar at least 60 days prior to the start of clinical clerkships.
All procedures, protocols, and other requirements for clinical clerkships are found in the MCOM Clinical Education Manual for OMS III and OMS IV students. Students will receive this document toward the end of the second year, prior to starting clinical clerkships. It is student’s responsibility to follow all the policies and procedures in the manual.
Notice of Health Records and Criminal Background Checks
Students who have a background check that indicates prior criminal behavior may have difficulty obtaining clinical clerkship sites. Complete disclosure of all criminal activities (including alcohol related, traffic violations, and all misdemeanors, etc.) is required, whether these activities occur prior to or during medical school training. This information must be disclosed to the Associate/Assistant Dean of Student Affairs even if expunged or dismissed. Failure to do so may lead to immediate dismissal from the medical school.
The school cannot be held responsible for the lack of availability of clinical clerkship sites, based upon the decision of another entity to exclude students due to a criminal background check. Hospitals reserve the right to exclude any medical student from clinical clerkships based upon perceived health risks. The University cannot guarantee clinical student clerkships if a student has a current infectious disease that could potentially pose a health risk to patients.
Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) & Basic Life Support (BLS)
Prior to and throughout clinical clerkships (OMS III and OMS IV), students are required to maintain current certifications in both Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS). On-campus training may be offered. For more information, contact the Office of Clinical Education.
Distribution of Clerkship Assignments
Clinical clerkship sites are located primarily in Montana, with a several clinical training sites in Wyoming, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, Washing, Arizona, and others as needed. Clerkship slots are determined by lottery during the second year. The clerkship site assignment list is issued to students prior to beginning clerkships each year. All regional assignments are considered final. A student may request to change his or her assigned clerkship 90 days prior to the start of the clerkship; however, there is no guarantee that the change will be possible. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Office of Clinical Education.