Policy Number: EC.08.03.220104
Applies to: Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine MD program
Date: 5/16/2025
1.0 Policy Statement
It is the WSU College of Medicine policy that physician trainees (e.g., residents, fellows) who teach and contribute to the assessment of medical students in clinical rotations complete training in “teaching medical students on clinical services” or similar College of Medicine-approved curricula prior to engagement with students. This requirement that physician trainees who work with university medical students receive and complete prior curricular training should be clearly articulated in related College of Medicine program materials and institutional affiliation agreements.
2.0 Definitions
Medical Student
A student currently enrolled in the College of Medicine as a candidate for an MD degree.
Physician Trainee
A physician designated as an intern, resident, fellow, or other trainee, who is enrolled in an accredited graduate medical education program and does not hold a faculty appointment in the College of Medicine.
3.0 Responsibilities
- Office for Faculty Affairs and Continuing Professional Development
- Office of Educational Affairs (Regional Medical Campuses)
4.0 Procedures
All medical students engaged in the clinical phase of the curriculum must have opportunities to work with physician trainees. Prior to engaging with university medical students, the physician trainee must complete teaching medical students in clinical services curricula. It will be the responsibility of each supervising faculty clinician (i.e., attending) to determine which learning experiences may be appropriately delegated to physician trainees on their healthcare team. It is the responsibility of the residency program directors to ensure that these physician trainees providing such supervision are working within their scope of practice. It is the responsibility of the Regional Deans, in collaboration with graduate medical education program directors, to ensure that the physician trainees have completed the required curricula, which will be provided and tracked by the Office for
Faculty Affairs and Continuing Professional Development, in collaboration with other units and offices.
The Office for Faculty Affairs and Continuing Professional Development ensures that development opportunities are available to all physician trainees to prepare them for their clinical supervision activities. Any required development sessions may be completed in person (one-on-one with a qualified College of Medicine faculty or staff member or in groups, such as workshops), via teleconference or online via web-based training modules. Required sessions must prepare physician trainees who teach medical students to know:
- The students’ expected learning outcomes for the rotation or learning activity where the physician trainee has delegated supervisory responsibilities,
- How to align learning expectations with the student’s developmental level and explain these expectations,
- How to give formative feedback to support learning,
- How to complete required college assessments, and the specific requirements for supervision of all medical students to ensure student and patient safety.
The Regional Deans, as a subset of the Office of Educational Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Clinical Affairs, are responsible for managing clinical training affiliation agreements and their requirements for the adequacy and availability of supervision in the learning environment.
5.0 Related Policies
- Student Mistreatment EC.03.01.170808
- Clinical Supervision of Medical Students CU.09.02.170808
- WSU Business Policies and Procedures Manual 60.13: Consensual Romantic or Sexual Relationships Between Faculty, Staff, and/or Students
- WSU Executive Policy 15: Policy Prohibiting Discrimination and Harassment
6.0 Key Search Words
Medical residents, physician trainees, healthcare professional, student mistreatment.
7.0 Revision History
Original Approval: 01/04/2022
Policy Number: EC.08.03.220104
Review/Revision: 5/16/2025