The policies outlined in this handbook apply to all PA Program students, staff, principal faculty, and the program director. Students are expected to follow all policies of the university as delineated on the University of South Florida Student Catalog webpage and the guidelines set out in this handbook.
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Dress Code and Professional Demeanor
PA Program students, at all levels of education and training, are expected to maintain a proper professional image in their behavior and personal appearance at all times. During the pre-clinical years, students are expected to wear clean, appropriate apparel (shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, etc.) and shoes to all academic functions and on the premises of USF (all campuses).
All students must wear a short, waist length lab coat embroidered with an MCOM patch, their name, and the PA Program designation. ID badges during the clinical training years, and/or any time students have contact with patients, are to be worn prominently in the patient care areas. Shorts are not to be worn at any time when there may be interaction with patients. Men should wear shirt and tie, and women should wear appropriate dresses or slacks and blouses, as well as closed toe shoes at times when there may be interaction with patients.
Business professional attire is required to be worn at all times. The following items are considered inappropriate:
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Didactic Courses - Year 1
Unplanned or Emergency absences for Personal Illness, Family Illness, etc.
The student must contact the academic director and course instructor by e-mail or telephone (see specific course syllabus) and the PA Program office by e-mail or telephone (paprogram@health.usf.edu or 813-974-8926) to report his/her absenteeism on the first day of being absent. He/she should indicate if the reason is an emergency or unexpected illness. The student must also complete and submit the Student Absence Report Form. Specifics on planned and unplanned absences, as well as unexcused absences, are listed below. The completed Student Absence Report Form will be kept as part of the student’s record.
If the student has an unanticipated unplanned absence on the day of an exam, he/she must contact PA Program office by e-mail or telephone (paprogram@health.usf.edu or 813-974-8926) by 8:30 a.m. on the day of the exam. When the student returns to school he/she must fill out and sign the Student Absence Report Form. Documentation for the absence to be excused (e.g. physician’s note, accident report, etc.) will be at the discretion of the program director.
Students who miss an examination for any reason are required to contact the PA Program office (974-8926) prior to returning to class to determine the date and time of the make-up examination. Dates and times of make-up examinations are determined by the course directors in consultation with the academic director.
In general, make-up examinations must be taken within 48 hours upon return from an unplanned absence. A second unexcused absence for a make-up exam will require referral to the Academic Performance and Professionalism Committee (APPC).
Planned Absence
Absence for attendance at a professional meeting or other educational or research related activity should be submitted via the Student Absence Report Form for approval to the academic director at least 3 weeks prior to the event. Each request for absence will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Personal travel plans should not be considered valid excuses for missing an exam.
To receive an excused planned absence for an exam, the student must submit a completed Student Absence Report from Exam Form to the academic director. The academic director or designee will make the final determination to grant or deny the request and will inform the student of the decision.
Supervised Clinical Patient Experiences - Year 2
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Course/instructor evaluations are mandated by the State and program and must be completed within the time limits set by the program. Course grades will not be released until these requirements are met. Grades will not be released until 80% of the class has completed the evaluation.
Note: Comments should be made in a constructive manner, focused on improving the quality of the course. Personal attacks are neither useful nor constructive for the educational goals of any section. Please make an appointment with the academic/clinical director for any concerns that may come up during a course rather than using the evaluation as a vehicle to express your frustrations.
Professionalism Guidelines
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In the clinical year, student performance in SCPEs will be evaluated by the clinical preceptor for the competencies of medical knowledge, patient care, interpersonal communication, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement and systems-based practice. Each rotation will also include a written examination.
Note: Students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. The PA Program's clinical director must coordinate clinical sites and preceptors for program required and elective rotations. Students may make suggestions to principal faculty for sites and preceptors, but are not required to do so. Student suggested sites and preceptors will be reviewed, evaluated, and approved for educational suitability by the program.
SCPE grading follows this rubric:
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Within one week after the receipt of the grade, the student may appeal in writing to the responsible faculty member any assigned grade that they dispute. The faculty member will review the course grading guidelines with the student to ensure that the process is understood and has been followed. If it is found that the assigned grade is incorrect in the judgment of the faculty member, he/she will initiate the appropriate change. If the change is made at this point, the matter is concluded. The faculty member will respond in writing to the student within ten (10) school days of the student’s request for review.
Note: All actions related to the appeals process are expected to be taken within two (2) weeks of receipt; however, in instances where holidays or vacation intervene, action must be taken within ten (10) weekdays on which classes are held.
If the faculty member is no longer with the University, the student shall confer with the course director or academic director who will then make every effort to receive written input concerning the matter from the former faculty member. If it is not possible to receive information from the former faculty member regarding the grade, then the student may appeal the grade as described below and the course director or academic director will represent the interests of the faculty member who issued the grade.
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In addition to being a violation of state and federal laws, behavior involving unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature is incompatible with faculty, staff, and student status in the University of South Florida - Master’s of Physician Assistant Studies Program.
Dating current teaching faculty (i.e. physicians, residents, teaching assistants, PA faculty, etc.) is highly discouraged. This can be viewed as a form of sexual harassment. See the USF policy regarding consensual relationships.
Further information regarding sexual harassment policies is outlined in the USF “Sexual Harassment” policy 0-008, Diversity and Equal Opportunity: Sexual Harassment
Students should contact the PA Program director immediately if they have felt as if they have been harassed.
The student is encouraged to directly contact the USF Center for Victim Advocacy & Violence Prevention with any concerns.
Sexual Battery
Sexual battery is a crime under the laws of the State of Florida and will not be tolerated at the USF MCOM as defined in USF Policy 0-014, Sexual Battery. As an integral part of academic performance, medical students are expected to maintain the high standards of professional and personal conduct traditionally associated with the practice of medicine. Any act such as sexual battery is a violation of University Policy, which in the case of PA students, is viewed as professional misconduct and is a violation of academic standards. As such, any professional misconduct is subject to disciplinary action by the APPC.
PA Program students who are victims of actual or threatened violence can obtain assistance from the /wiki/spaces/MCOM/pages/19396592255. Additionally, PA students should refer to the USF Policy concerning Sexual Battery.
Center for Victim Advocacy & Violence Prevention
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As in all institutions, student health is the ultimate responsibility of the individual student. All students are required to have health insurance throughout their enrollment in the PA Program. During the orientation process students are counseled about appropriate avenues for receiving medical care. Available options include continued care by the student’s personal physician, the University Student Health Center or the USF Physicians Group.
Note: Student health records are confidential and are not accessible to or reviewed by any faculty, staff or student. Only immunization and tuberculosis screening results that are maintained in the Medical Health Administration office can be obtained upon receipt signed release from the student. PA Program principle faculty, the program director and the medical director must not participate a health care providers for students in the program, except in an emergency situation.
Prior to matriculation all students are required to provide the following to the Medical Health Administration Office for review:
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- TUBERCULOSIS (TB) Screening: To meet the USF requirement, you must submit documentation of ONE of the following: 1. Results of NEGATIVE “Two-Step” TB Skin Testing (TST/PPD). This screening requires 2 separate TB skin tests administered at least one week apart but within 12 months of each other. The last TST must be within 6 months of your start date. 2. Lab Copy showing a “NEGATIVE” Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) blood test (QFT or T-Spot) within 6 months of start date (accepted in lieu of the “Two-Step” TST). 3. Individuals with a history of a POSITIVE TB skin test or IGRA blood test must submit both of the following: a. Verification of a NEGATIVE Chest X-ray within 12 months of start date to the USF MCOM and b. A current NEGATIVE Screening Questionnaire. A Questionnaire can be found and downloaded from the USF Medical Health Administration website at: http://hsc.usf.edu/medicine/internalmedicine/infectious/medicalhealthadmin/Forms.htm
- RUBELLA (German Measles): Serologic documentation of a positive Rubella immune titer OR immunization with at least one dose of live Rubella or MMR vaccine after 12 months of age.
- MEASLES (RUBEOLA): Serologic documentation of a positive Rubeola immune titer OR immunization with two doses of live Rubeola or MMR vaccine administered after 12 months of age and separated by 28 days or more
- MUMPS: Serologic documentation of a positive Mumps immune titer OR immunization with at least two doses of live Mumps or MMR vaccine after 12 month of age.
- VARICELLA (Chicken Pox): Serologic documentation of a positive Varicella titer OR two Varicella immunizations (given 4 to 8 weeks apart). This requirement is satisfied only by a positive titer or the vaccine series.
- HEPATITIS B “POSITIVE” QUANTITATIVE SURFACE ANTIBODY TITER (Blood Test): Serologic documentation of a Positive (QUANTITATIVE) Hepatitis B surface antibody titer that verifies IMMUNITY to the Hepatitis B Virus. The TITER is required in addition to completion of the vaccination series. The results should be reported as “POSITIVE” or as a number. “REACTIVE” results will NOT be accepted.
- Adacel™or BOOSTRIX® Vaccine Booster: Documentation of an Adult TETANUS/diphtheria/acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine booster is required. Tdap was licensed in June, 2005 for use as a single dose booster vaccination (ie. not for subsequent booster doses). The current CDC recommendation states “Healthcare personnel, regardless of age, should receive a single dose of Tdap as soon as feasible if they have not previously received Tdap and regardless of the time since last Td dose”.
- MENINGOCOCCAL Vaccination: Documentation of immunization with one dose of Meningococcal vaccine after 16th birthday OR a completed and signed USF Student Health Services Immunization Health History Form (Block 3, checkbox, signature) declining receipt of the Meningitis vaccine. The form is available at: http://www.usf.edu/student-affairs/student-health-services/documents/mandatory-imm-form-122014.pdf
** ANNUAL TB Screening will be required during your entire program. This Screening will be provided at no cost to you through the Medical Health Administration (MHA) office.
** INFLUENZA VACCINATION will be required each year. This vaccine will be provided for you at no cost beginning in October of each year through the USF Medical Clinic/Medical Health Administration (MHA) office.
Note: Several affiliated hospitals require drug and alcohol screening with and without advanced notice.
Student Health Services
As a student, one of the university base fees that you pay for is a "health fee." This fee health fee covers primary care services offered at the Student Health Center; third party insurance information is collected and is used to cover the cost of any additional charges such as procedures, treatments, medications or labs that take place during the course of the visit. Subspecialty services such as dermatology, nutrition, PT, etc are associated with small charges for students with no insurance and those with insurance will have their insurance processed for these services.
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