Student Policies and Guidelines | Fort Worth School of Medicine

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Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Policy

The school of medicine complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities. For more information, please refer to the Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Policy.

Assessment and Promotion Conflicts of Interest Policy

The school of medicine supports a fair approach to assessment and evaluation. Any students or faculty are expected to disclose any conflicts of interest that may impact the teacher/learner paradigm. For more information, please refer to the Assessment & Promotion Conflicts of Interest Policy.

Attendance Policy

All school of medicine students are expected to attend all mandatory sessions and clinical experiences as outlined in the course syllabi. Students may request an absence in specific situations and must report all late arrivals and absences from any required activity. For more information, please refer to the Attendance Policy.

View Phase 1 Absence/Tardy Form

Building and Maintaining Healthy Professional Relationships in Our Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum

The school of medicine has provided guidance for contact and communication practices between medical students and preceptors for the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship curriculum. For more information, please refer to the Guideline for Building and Maintaining Healthy Professional Relationships in Our Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum.

Classroom Visitor Policy

The school of medicine prohibits visitors in the classroom unless arranged and approved by the course director. For more information, please refer to the Classroom Visitor Policy.

Clinical and Educational Work Hours Policy

The school of medicine ensures that students are given the appropriate amount of time away from clinical and educational responsibilities. For more information, please refer to the Clinical and Educational Work Hours Policy.

Clinical Responsibilities

All school of medicine students are expected to complete their required clinical encounters and skills. Students must use the curriculum management system to log the completion of required clinical encounters and skills, their level of participation, and document the use of alternative experiences.

Communication Policy

Email is the preferred means of communication of the school of medicine. Each faculty member, staff member, and student is issued a TCU (tcu.edu) email address. This address is the only official means of communication from and with the school of medicine for communications, and to inform the school of medicine in a timely manner of any changes. For more information, please refer to the Communication Policy.

Competency Assessment Policy

Student progress toward meeting the Educational Program Objectives (EPO) will be assessed on a regular basis. Relevant objectives may be assessed in any course and clerkship and may be included as part of any individual course or clerkship rubric, requirement, and grade. Objectives will also be assessed to determine achievement of minimum competency expectations prior to progression to the next phase. For more information, please refer to the Competency Assessment Policy.

Credit Hour Policy

The school of medicine will use the credit hour as a measure of progress toward the M.D. degree. The school converts the weeks of instruction to credit hours. For more information, please refer to the Credit Hour Policy.

Criminal Background Check Policy

The school of medicine adopts the Association of American Medical College’s (AAMC) recommendation to ascertain the ability of students to eventually become licensed physicians in the future, enhance the safety and well-being of patients, and to ensure the public’s continuing trust in the medical profession through criminal background checks. For more information, please refer to the Criminal Background Check Policy.

Curricular Hours in Phase 1 Policy

The amount of scheduled time during Phase I of the curriculum will be defined. For more information, please refer to the Curricular Hours in Phase 1 Policy.

Disability Insurance Policy

The School of Medicine will procure disability insurance coverage for all students. A formal arrangement will be made with an insurance partner to provide student disability coverage through an AMA endorsed plan. Students will be informed of the plan during pre-matriculation onboarding and yearly thereafter. For more information, please refer to the Disability Insurance Policy.

Dress Code

Dress should be appropriate to the setting and demonstrate respect for other learners, patients, and other persons. When on campus, students must wear TCU and UNTHSC ID badges above the waist visibly, at all times. In addition, other identification may be required by clinical sites. For more information, please refer to the Dress Code.

Drug Testing Policy

The school of medicine adopts the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) recommendation to ascertain the ability of student to eventually become licensed physicians in the future, enhance the safety and well-being of patients, and to ensure the public’s continuing trust in the medical profession through substance abuse reviews and/or treatment. For more information, please refer to the Drug Testing Policy.

Electives Policy

The school of medicine has designed multiple opportunities for students to explore and experience various electives to develop their interests and strengthen their clinical skill set. For more information, please refer to the Electives Policy.

Grade Appeal Policy

Students have the right to appeal final course grades if they can demonstrate that the grade assigned is not an accurate reflection of their work. For more information, please refer to the Grade Appeal Policy.

Grade Reporting Policy

All students must receive summative feedback and grades from faculty within the appropriate and required timeframe. For more information, please refer to the Grade Reporting Policy.

Grading Policy

Course and clerkship directors award a final grade for each student at the conclusion of each course or clerkship. The final grade is based on the successful completion of individual components as outlined in the course or clerkship syllabus. For more information, see the Grading Policy.

Graduation Policy

The school of medicine has required standards for the graduation of medical students. All students who have successfully completed the requirements for the M.D. degree will be recommended for graduation by the Student Progression and Promotion Committee. For more information, please refer to the Graduation Policy.

Health Insurance Policy

The school of medicine requires all students to carry health insurance. For more information, please refer to the Health Insurance Policy.

Immunization and Credentialing Policy

The school of medicine requires proof of immunity or inoculation to certain diseases for the safety of patients and others. This proof is required at admission and through graduation and must remain up-to-date and compliant in order to be cleared for medical education training.

For more information, please refer to the Immunization and Credentialing Policy.

Incomplete Coursework Policy

An Incomplete, or “I” grade, may be awarded when a student has not completed all of the academic requirements at the conclusion of an academic course of study (course, clerkship, elective). The “I” grade is temporary grade designation, and will be replaced with a final grade. A student shall not progress to the next academic phase with an “I” in place of a final grade. For more information, please refer to the Incomplete Coursework Policy.

Interactions with Industry and TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine Policy

Interactions with industry occur in a variety of contexts, including marketing of new pharmaceutical products, medical devices, and hospital and research equipment and supplies on-site, on-site training of newly purchased devices, the development of new devices, educational support of medical students and trainees, and continuing medical education. Faculty and trainees also participate in interactions with industry off campus and in scholarly publications in a variety of circumstances including consulting activities of various sorts. Many aspects of these interactions are very positive and important for promoting the educational, clinical and research missions of the TCU AND UNTHSC Medical School of Medicine and for translating knowledge and expertise from the faculty to society. However, these interactions must be ethical and cannot create conflicts of interest (COI) that could endanger patient safety, data integrity, the integrity of our education and training programs, or the reputation of either the faculty member or the institution. For more information, please refer to the Interactions with Industry and TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine Policy.

Laptop Requirements

For information on laptops, please refer to Laptop Requirements.

Learning Environment & Student Mistreatment Policy

The school of medicine is committed to ensuring that the learning environment promotes the development of respectful and appropriate professional attitudes, behaviors, and values in medical students, and that these behaviors are consistently demonstrated by all faculty, students and staff. The school of medicine has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for any form of mistreatment, discrimination, or harassment against students within the learning environment. For more information, please refer to the Learning Environment & Student Mistreatment Policy.

Leave of Absence and Withdrawal Policy

Medical students are expected to proceed through the medical school curriculum in a continuous, uninterrupted fashion. In the event of extenuating circumstances, students may request a leave of absence or withdraw from the school of medicine. For more information, please refer to the Leave of Absence and Withdrawal Policy.

Narrative Assessment Policy

All students will receive narrative feedback including on written, formative and summative assessments. For more information, please refer to the Narrative Assessment Policy.

Needlestick and Bodily Fluid Exposure Policy

The school of medicine requires annual training for students in the prevention of needlestick and bodily fluid exposures, as well as training in required follow up for student needlestick or other bodily fluid exposures. Students are expected to follow the School of Medicine exposure and treatment protocols. For more information, please refer to the Needlestick and Bodily Fluid Exposure Policy.

Network and Computer Usage

The school of medicine complies with TCU Policies regarding network and computer usage. For more information, see TCU Network & Computer Usage Policy.

Obligation for Payment

TCU has a monthly billing cycle. Payment of a minimum 20% of total basic charges (tuition, fees, and student health insurance, less approved financial aid) is required by the 1st day of the month that classes begin. The remaining net basic charges must be paid in full by the 1st of the following month to avoid TCU’s payment plan and the associated fee. View TCU Payment Options.

Professional Liability Insurance Policy

The school of medicine requires and provides all students with professional liability insurance coverage. For more information, please refer to the Professional Liability Insurance Policy.

Progression, Dismissal and Appeal Policy

The school of medicine requires students to meet academic and behavioral standards in order to progress through and graduate from the medical education program. Students who fail to meet the expectations for progress may be dismissed from the program. Students have the right to appeal a dismissal decision. For more information, please refer to the Progression, Dismissal and Appeal Policy.

Remediation Policy

In certain circumstances, students may be permitted to complete an approved remediation plan in order to obtain a passing grade in a course or clerkship. For more information, please refer to the Remediation Policy.

Required Clinical Experiences Policy

All school of medicine students are expected to complete and document their required clinical encounters and skills. Students must use the curriculum management system to input the completion of required clinical encounters and skills, their level of participation, and whether or not it was completed using an alternative experience. For more information, please refer to the Required Clinical Experiences Policy.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Federal Financial Aid Policy

All students must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) requirements to receive federal financial aid. For more information, please refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress for Federal Financial Aid Policy.

Security, Safety and Emergency Preparedness Policy

Education on security, safety, and emergency preparedness protocols will be provided to school of medicine students, faculty and staff. For more information, please refer to the Security, Safety and Emergency Preparedness Policy.

Social Media Policy

All members of the school of medicine (including students, staff and faculty) must be aware of how their digital interactions represent the organization. For more information, please refer to the Social Media Policy.

Student Feedback

Students are required to evaluate all courses and clerkships and the individual faculty, residents and others who teach and supervise them at the school of medicine. Students must complete all assigned evaluations by the Office of Assessment and Evaluation about themselves, faculty, residents, sites, and overall course or clerkship performance.

Student Records Policy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, is a federal law that states (a) that a written institutional policy must be established and (b) that a statement of adopted procedures covering the privacy rights of medical students be made available. The law provides that the institution will maintain the confidentiality of medical student education records. Texas Christian University (TCU) accords all the rights under the law to students who are declared independent. For more information, please refer to the Student Records Policy and FERPA.

Supervision of Medical Students Policy

The school of medicine shall ensure that medical students caring for patients are appropriately supervised at all times in order to ensure patient and student safety, that the level of responsibility delegated to the student is appropriate to his or her level of training, and that supervised activities are within the scope of practice of the supervising health professional during the entirety of a student’s undergraduate medical education training. For more information, please refer to the Supervision of Medical Students Policy.

TCU Student Code of Conduct

Students are required to adhere to the expectations of both TCU and UNTHSC as well as the school of medicine professional standards. For more information, please refer to the TCU Code of Conduct.

Teacher Learner Compact

As physicians and educators, we are dedicated to creating an environment safe for learning for all participants. The school of medicine values mutual respect, compassion, professionalism and integrity. Faculty and staff have a duty to teach others in an environment that fosters learning and collaboration. Students have a duty to be receptive to learning and share responsibility for their education. For more information, please refer to the Teacher Learner Compact.

Technical Standards Policy

Abilities and characteristics, defined as technical standards, in conjunction with the educational program objectives (EPOs) established by the faculty, are requirements for admission, promotion and graduation. Requests for University-provided accommodations will be provided if the requests are reasonable, do not cause a fundamental alteration of the medical education program, do not cause an undue hardship on the University, are consistent with the standards of the medical profession, and are recommended by the Texas Christian University’s (TCU) Center for Academic Services. For more information, please refer to the Technical Standards Policy.

Time Limit for Degree Completion

The University requirements for graduation specified in the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine Student Handbook in effect at the time the student first enrolls at TCU as a degree seeking student will be those required for graduation for a period of time not to exceed six years. A year is defined as the 12-month period following the date of initial enrollment.

Title IX

TCU is committed to providing a positive learning and working environment free from discrimination. In support of this commitment, TCU prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ethnic origin, disability, genetic information, covered veteran status, and any other basis protected by law.

Discrimination and harassment are incompatible with TCU’s mission to educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community, and can threaten the educational experience, careers and well-being of members of the TCU community, including employees, students, and visitors. View Title IX.

United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Policy

All students are required to take and pass USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 2 CS in order to graduate from the school of medicine. For more information, please refer to the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Policy.

View our School of Medicine response to USMLE Step 1 Exam Change.