Medical School Attendance Policies

Attendance at all lectures is expected. The new curriculum of the first two years is arranged so that all lectures are integrative between the courses offered during each block. The integration provides an essential framework that students should use to organize and facilitate the development of an integrated knowledge base essential to the practice of medicine.

Most basic science courses have small group activities. Attendance is mandatory and any absence from small group activity must be excused by the department in question if medical students wish to have an opportunity to make up what might have been missed. It is wise to check with your instructor on the first day that groups meet to insure that you understand his/her process for an excused absence.

Attendance is expected at all scheduled examinations across all four years of the educational program. Absences must be excused if medical students wish to make up missed examinations. There are two basic reasons for which an absence from an examination will be excused. The first is illness. When a medical student becomes ill before or during a test block, he/she must be seen at the Student Health Service and return documentation of the visit to the Office of Student Affairs. It is preferable that the student be seen by Student Health prior to requesting an excused absence. However, that may not always be possible. A student must present documentation to the Office of Student Affairs as soon as possible. The second reason for which an excused absence from examination may be given is a family emergency such as birth, illness, accident, or death of a close family member. Again, documentation must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs.

The process to be used for notifying the School and for receiving an excused absence is as follows: 1.) The department chair, course or clerkship director, instructor or educational coordinator should be called first when the telephone number is known. The telephone numbers of all department chairs and course directors are given at the beginning of this handbook. 2.) The Office of Student Affairs should then be called and a staff member will take down information for your file. The staff will remind you that documentation of illness or emergency must be sent to the Office of Student Affairs. 3.) The Office of Student Affairs should be called first when you are facing an emergency that occurs when the School is closed for weekends and holidays. The Office of Student Affairs should also be called first when an emergency presents when school is in sessions and all offices are open. Call 913-588-5290 or 5289. Voice mail will be available if staff members are away from their desks. Please include in your message the nature of the emergency and where we can reach you.

Attendance at all scheduled clinical clerkship activities is mandatory unless arrangements are made with the clerkship director or educational coordinator prior to the time of expected absence.