Policy Number: CU.06.05.181204
Applies to: All WSU Elson S Floyd College of Medicine students in the MD Program
Date: 12/3/2024
1.0 Policy Statement
It is the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine policy to provide opportunities for medical students to complete clinical and non-clinical elective rotations in fulfillment of the MD degree requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to work with their Regional Dean in consultation with the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education (ADUME) or designee to develop their elective program in compliance with graduation requirements.
2.0 Definitions and Parameters
Clinical Elective
A clinical elective is an elective rotation in which students are directly engaged with clinical patient care for the majority of credit hours
Non-Clinical Elective
A non-clinical elective is an elective rotation in which students are not directly engaged with clinical patient care for the majority of credit hours
Elective Rotation
Rotations a medical student can choose, either clinical, non-clinical or research, that when added to required courses make up the total body of study required to complete the MD degree program requirements.
Elective Grading and Evaluation
Unless noted in the elective description, electives are graded according to the official grading system used at the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. If different, the extramural electives site will be asked to translate their institution’s grade into the College of Medicine’s rubrics as part of the agreement.
Eligibility
A medical student must have fulfilled the prerequisite course work specified in the elective description to be considered for the elective. Failure to make satisfactory progress toward the MD degree may result in administrative modification of a student’s course schedule, which may result in a change in the timing, or location of the student’s elective program or a cancellation of an elective. If a student is on academic probation or has failed a required clinical rotation, they may not be eligible for completion of either extramural domestic away or extramural international electives. Students who have not passed Step 1 are not eligible for curricular approval of extramural domestic away or international electives.
Intramural Elective
An elective rotation approved by the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Curriculum Office offered at one of the College of Medicine’s campuses or a College of Medicine clinical teaching affiliate site.
Extramural Domestic Away Elective
An elective offered by an LCME-accredited medical school, ACGME-affiliated residency program, or approved clinical site outside of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. These electives must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Curriculum. Up to twelve weeks of Extramural Away Electives (inclusive of Extramural International Electives) will be permitted unless there are extenuating circumstances that require an exemption to the 12-week maximum. In the case of extenuating circumstances, a student may take a maximum of 16 weeks of away electives, but this must be approved by the Curriculum Office, who will convene an ad hoc panel of faculty members to determine the necessity of the exemption to the 12-week limit.
Extramural International Elective
An elective conducted outside of the United States and Canada is subject to the approval of the appropriate WSU offices for study abroad. These electives must be reviewed and approved by the International Elective Course Director and the Office of Curriculum. Up to eight weeks total of international electives will be permitted.
LCME
Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the Association of American Medical Colleges
Required Rotation
A mandatory rotation that a medical student must complete to satisfy MD degree program requirements that when added to required elective rotations, selective rotations and longitudinal courses make up the total body of study required to complete the MD degree.
Research Elective
An elective with a focus on a research project with a faculty mentor. Project proposals, including supervision plan, are reviewed and approved by the Course Director and the Office of Curriculum. Four weeks of research activity will be counted toward the 24-week total elective requirement.
Selective Rotation
A selective rotation is a mandatory clinical rotation that provides students with the opportunity to select from a range of specialty or clinical setting options (e.g. Sub-Internship, Undeserved Medicine). This is designed to enable students to customize their clinical experiences to align with their prospective career interests and goals.
3.0 Responsibility
Responsible Office: Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education (ADUME).
Oversight Committee: Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UMEC).
4.0 Procedures
Students must complete 12 weeks of mandatory rotations (Emergency Medicine, a rural underserved or urban underserved rotation, and a sub-internship in one of the following core disciplines: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Obstetrics/Gynecology, or Surgery) and 24 weeks of clinical and non-clinical elective rotations prior to graduation. Of the required 36 weeks of rotations, at least 24 weeks must be completed in clinical rotations.
Elective Rotations in Year 4 Are Subject to The Following:
- Successful completion of the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship is required prior to clinical electives.
- Electives may be scheduled for 2 to 4 weeks.
- Students are not to remain tentatively scheduled in multiple electives for the same period. Students are required to manage confirmations of away rotations. This means once they have been accepted in their desired program they should cancel, in writing, the other pending applications for the same period.
- All extramural domestic away electives must be approved by the Curriculum Office at least 60 days in advance of the start date.
- All extramural international electives must be vetted and approved by the International Away Elective course director and the Curriculum Office at least 90 days in advance of the start date.
- Electives are chosen at the discretion of the student under the guidance of the student’s Regional Dean and career advisor based on needs and interests.
- After the individual Year 4 schedules are published, any changes requested by the student must be in writing as outlined in the Year 4 Schedule Change Request Procedure document. Schedule change approval is at the discretion of the Regional Campus Dean with oversight from the Office of Curriculum
- All decisions regarding the approval of individual student rotations are made by the Curriculum Office in consultation with other appropriate offices and committees as necessary.
- Students may choose from available intramural Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine electives or arrange extramural domestic away or extramural international away electives (clinical or non-clinical). Students wishing to develop a new elective must be in good standing and have a faculty sponsor who supports the proposed elective, which must be reviewed and approved by the ADUME or a designee.
5.0 Related Policies
N/A
6.0 Key Search Words
Elective, intramural, extramural.
7.0 Revision History
Original Approval: 12/04/2018
Policy Number: CU.06.05.181204
Review/Revision: 05/11/2020, 12/03/24