The goal of the PA student is to develop clinical and professional competency leading to successful entry to the profession. Students are required to attend class and take examinations at scheduled times. Exceptions can be made for emergencies at the discretion of the Course Director. Unexcused absences may result in the inability for students to make up assignments or examinations.
Course Schedules
Typically, required classes and events for students are scheduled by the RVU PA Program between 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday. Additional time may be needed to reschedule guest speakers or presentations that were previously cancelled or to incorporate topics that may enhance the didactic or clinical curriculum. In the event of a schedule change, the students will be notified as quickly as possible via email. During Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs), students are expected to follow the schedule set by the Preceptor, which may include holiday, night or weekend shifts, or call.
Didactic Attendance
Students are required to attend class and take examinations at scheduled times. Exceptions can be made for emergencies at the discretion of the Course Director. Unexcused absences may result in the inability for students to make up assignments or examinations.
Clinical Attendance
Students are required to attend clinic at scheduled times and work the hours set forth by the Preceptor. In general, this equates to >/=32 hours per week. If a student is in a clinical experience that does not meet >/=32 hours per week, the student must notify the Clinical Team immediately as this may impact the ability for the clinical experience to meet Program requirements. The student’s clinic rotations can be found in the clinical tracking system (Exxat). This schedule does not specify holiday, night, or weekend shifts, or call.
If the minimum weekly hour requirement of at least 32 hours/week is not met for any reason, the Director of Clinical Education will work with the Clinical Team to determine need for additional rotation exposure.
Requests for changes in clinical placements (including the days of the week) will not be approved unless the Preceptor is requesting the change or in extenuating circumstances. Personal preferences or attending extracurricular activities do not constitute extenuating circumstances. Approval of changes in a clinical placement is at the sole discretion of the Director of Clinical Education and may not be appealed. All requests for absences and change of clinical days must be submitted to the Director of Clinical Education prior to discussing this with the Preceptor(s).
- Exceptions to this rule are acute illnesses or emergency situations for which the Preceptor should be contacted first, followed by the Director of Clinical Education.
- Requests for changes in clinical schedules due to religious observations must be arranged in advance with the Clinical Team.
Any days or weeks that students are not in clinical rotations, they will be required to use their time studying for End- of-Rotation Exams, completing Clinical Seminar and SCPE course requirements, and working on their Capstone research projects. Gap weeks may be utilized by the Director of Clinical Education to assign clinical experiences for students who need to make up absences. Gap weeks are not considered vacation time and should be utilized for completion of program requirements and travel between rotation sites.