The policies outlined in this handbook apply to all students, staff, principal faculty, and the PA Program Director. PA students are expected to follow all policies of the university as delineated on the University of South Florida Student HandbookStudent Catalog webpage. Students are also expected to follow the guidelines set out in this handbook.
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Dress Code and Professional Demeanor
PA 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, PA 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 white lab jackets with their name and MCOM Physician Assistant Program designation embroidered on their coat, and ID badges during the clinical training years, and/or any time students have contact with patients, or are 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.
The PA Program expects all students to be professional in their dealings with patients, colleagues, faculty, and staff and to exhibit caring and compassionate attitudes. These and other qualities will be evaluated in the Professionalism Evaluation form by each preceptor during your clinical year rotations. Professional behavior is defined as behavior appropriate to the circumstances. Professional behavior reflects on a student’s qualification and potential to become a competent clinician. Attitudes or behaviors inconsistent with compassionate care; refusal by, or inability of, the student to participate constructively in learning or patient care; derogatory attitudes or inappropriate behaviors directed at patients, peers, faculty, preceptors, or staff; misuse of written or electronic patient records (i.e. accession of patient information without valid reason); substance abuse; failure to disclose pertinent information on a criminal background check; or other unprofessional conduct can be grounds for dismissal. Dismissal from the Master’s of Physician Assistant Studies Program for unprofessional behavior may, subsequently, jeopardize the student’s eligibility for admission to any other college in the university.
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The University of South Florida System (USF System) is committed to mutual respect among all constituents of the University community. This commitment includes students, faculty, staff, and administration alike. In all concerns about fair treatment, we seek to work together to understand and address those concerns in an informal setting. As there are several offices designated to address Grievances throughout the University, with specific processes applicable to USF Health, students should first identify the topic or substance of a Grievance and file the Grievance with the appropriate office. The USF Student Grievance Policy can be found here: http://regulationspolicies.usf.edu/policies-and-procedures/pdfs/policy-30-053.pdf.
Absences
Didactic Courses - Year 1
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Absences
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 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 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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Readmission may be denied if all available positions are filled even if a student meets all other qualifications for admission.
Withdrawal
Students withdrawing from the program must submit a withdrawal letter to both the PA program and the MCOM Registrar’s Office, as well as complete any paperwork needed by either office, and settle any university obligations. USF may refund some portion of the tuition. For details see Refund of Fees policy on the website and this handbook.
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The University of South Florida System (USF System) is committed to mutual respect among all constituents of the University community. This commitment includes students, faculty, staff, and administration alike. In all concerns about fair treatment, we seek to work together to understand and address those concerns in an informal setting. As there are several offices designated to address Grievances throughout the University, with specific processes applicable to USF Health, students should first identify the topic or substance of a Grievance and file the Grievance with the appropriate office. The USF Student Grievance Policy can be found here: http://regulationspolicies.usf.edu/policies-and-procedures/pdfs/policy-30-053.pdf. found here.
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
The faculty and director of each course/SCPE (for simplicity the term "course" will be inclusive of courses and SCPEs) define the criteria for acceptable academic performance in that course. Evaluation of academic performance may include (but is not necessarily limited to) measuring the student’s knowledge, measuring how the student applies such knowledge to specific problems, evaluating the judgment a student employs in solving problems and assessing the quality of the student’s psychomotor skills, professional conduct, ethical behavior and interpersonal relationships with medical colleagues, patients and patients’ families.
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Unsatisfactory academic performance (one or more deficient grades) by a student will be reviewed by the Physician Assistant Program Academic Performance and Professionalism Committee (APPC). Unsatisfactory academic performance may be subject to dismissal from PA Program.
Academic Honesty Guidelines
All students are required to abide by the USF Academic Dishonesty and Disruption of Academic Process Guidelines that have been accepted by the university and are displayed in detail in the USF Student Handbook.
The University of South Florida expects students to be honest in all of their university coursework. Therefore, students are required to commit themselves to academic honesty by signing the following statement as part of the admissions process.
"I understand that the University of South Florida expects its students to be honest in all of their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty, and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the University."
This statement serves to remind students of the obligations they assume as students at the University of South Florida. Matters of pure violations of academic honesty are adjudicated pursuant to University regulations by the Health Science Center Student Conduct Committee.
Consequences
Punishment for the violation of any of the academic honesty guidelines will depend on the seriousness of the disruption.
Appeal
Students have the right to appeal disciplinary actions to the appropriate committee through the Academic Performance and Professionalism Committee (APPC). Such appeals must be submitted in writing within ten (10) business days of notification of the decision.
Testing Policies
- Students are not permitted to talk once entering any testing facility. Do not communicate with other students in any way during exams or evaluation sessions.
- Students must turn off cell phones and place all personal belongings (including watches) in the designated areas in the room. No hooded coats or sweatshirts allowed
- Once the exam has begun, the proctor will not answer any questions. Students should remain in their seats at all times until they have finished the examination. Students may be excused during the examination one at a time in order to use the rest room.
- The duration of each exam will be determined by the Course Director.
- Testing areas are subject to video monitoring.
- Upon completing and submitting your exam, please leave the testing area.
- Students are not permitted to disseminate exam content after completion of the exam.
- Any questions or discrepancies regarding an exam during the academic year should be addressed in writing, citing the discrepancy and listing references, to the Course Director.
- Any concerns with test integrity should be raised within 72 hours of the examination.
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The faculty member will consider the student’s challenge and will respond in writing (email is acceptable) within 3 days as to their decision regarding the question being challenged.
Evaluation of Courses
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 section rather than using the evaluation as a vehicle to express your frustrations.
Requirement to Report Criminal Incident
Students are required to report any interaction with the police resulting in an arrest or being brought before the criminal justice system within fifteen (15) days of the incident. This requirement is independent of whether or not there is a conviction involved. Failure to report any incident will result in action by the APPC for unprofessional behavior. APPC action may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the PA Program.
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ADVANCEMENT, REMEDIATION, APPEALS, DECELERATION, DISMISSAL and DUE PROCESS/APPEALS
The following sections define the composition, purpose, rules, and guidelines under which the Academic Performance and Professionalism Committee (APPC) carries out its responsibilities.
Purpose
The APPC shall review the academic and clinical performance of each PA student at least once during each program year. This Committee shall recommend the appropriate action to be taken for each student, including the promotion to the clinical year, remediation, deceleration and dismissal from the program and readmission to the program. Specific students to be discussed are those who have failed a course(s), those who are performing at less than satisfactory levels after an interim evaluation, and those who have received a near or failing grade. Any other student will be discussed at the request of the Academic/Clinical Director or Instructional Faculty member. An attempt will be made to identify students in minor as well as major difficulty (academic or professional) in concert with the goal of providing help for those in need.
The remediation process is designed to help faculty identify and assist students who may experience academic or professional difficulty. The process is proactive, with the goal of identifying at risk students as early as possible. The Program will use the following processes to identify and remediate students deemed at risk.
Identification
The student is expected to be proactive and notify the instructor, course director or faculty if there are knowledge deficits
The instructor, course director, small group leader, preceptor, faculty advisor or other faculty identifies the at-risk student through weekly faculty reports, exam grades, and advisory sessions.
Evaluation and Assessment
Identified students will be referred to their Faculty Advisor for assessment of root causes. Referrals to campus assistance programs may be instituted (Student Health, the Office of Student Affairs or other practitioners).
Plan Development
The APPC, faculty advisor, student and any other parties will design a remediation plan. Clear expectations will be documented and a contract for remediation developed. The Program Director will then review the contract with the Faculty Advisor and student, placing the contract in the student’s program file. Depending on the action needed, a time line will be initiated for review of student progress.
Plan Implementation
The Faculty Advisor and student will receive a copy of the contract and begin remediation.
The student will be informed of all available resources for remediation.
Plan Evaluation
Depending upon the remediation needed, an evaluation instrument may be prepared to assess the student’s progress. The Academic Director and the Faculty Advisor may collaborate to design an appropriate tool to assess progress. Evidence of compliance of mastery of remediated knowledge deficit will be placed in the student file with the contract.
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The Committee will recommend:
Promotion of a student from one year’s study to the next.
Certification of a student as qualified to graduate.
Placement of a student, when necessary, on a leave of absence.
Disciplinary action for unethical and/or non-professional behavior or other misconduct when required.
Remediation as might arise during the course of the educational program.
Deceleration or dismissal of a student from the MCOM PA Program for academic reasons and/or readmission.
The Committee has the authority to take action in the following areas:
The formulation of a remediation program (the recommendations of the respective Academic/Clinical Director and Course Director concerning remediation will be the primary consideration for requirements, subject to review by the Committee).
These programs may include, but are not limited to:
Requiring a student to be re-examined or re-evaluated in a course, with or without a period of remediation.
Requiring a student to receive academic tutoring.
Requiring a student to repeat all or part of a year’s work or longer if necessary.
Placing a student on academic warning and probation.
Reviewing all petitions for readmission following a Committee recommended leave of absence, and recommending whether or not the student may resume medical studies. This must be documented in a letter to the student from the Chair of the PA-APRC.
Reviewing and making recommendations concerning a suitable course of study following a Committee recommended leave of absence.
Other actions referred to the Committee for an individual student.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Physician Assistants must demonstrate the knowledge and skills in order to provide high quality patient care in a variety of clinical settings. In order to achieve this goal, the faculty and director of each course/SCPE (for simplicity the term course will be inclusive of courses and SCPEs) define the criteria for acceptable academic performance in that course. Evaluation of academic performance may include (but is not necessarily limited to) measuring the student’s knowledge, measuring how the student applies such knowledge to specific problems, evaluating the judgment a student employs in solving problems and assessing the quality of the student’s psychomotor skills, professional conduct, ethical behavior and interpersonal relationships with medical colleagues, patients and patients’ families.
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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 policy regarding consensual relationships: http://regulationspolicies.usf.edu/policies-and-procedures/pdfs/policy-1-022.pdf
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 medical students, is viewed as professional misconduct and is a violation of academic standards. As such, any professional misconduct is subject to disciplinary action under the PA Student Advancement Policies, Procedures and Due Process.
MCOM PA 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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