The college is founded on a commitment to learning on the part of both faculty and students. When students accept membership in this college's educational community, they also accept responsibility and accountability for all required teaching/learning activities.
Clinical experience is defined as time scheduled in a designated patient care area, clinical post-conference, interprofessional education, or alternative clinical or lab experience.
AHS and Pre-DMS students will attend clinical (practicum/preceptor) experiences as scheduled. Good work habits must be formulated early and practiced often. Proper attendance in the Program will allow student allied health professionals the opportunity to learn the required skills for specific certifications and reinforce good work habits for accountability to patients and future employers. AHS and Pre-DMS students demonstrate enthusiasm in their education by being ready and available when scheduled.
Students are scheduled for a specific number of educational hours per semester as part of their clinical practicums/preceptorships. Clinical competencies are assigned during designated semesters as outlined in the AHS and Pre-DMS curriculum plan. Students must complete the clinical competencies during the semester assigned.
Students will record the time in which they arrive and begin their clinical preceptorship and the time in which they end their clinical preceptorship. All recorded times will be approved by the clinical preceptor by signing their name to the document showing start and end times. It is the expectation that when the students are signed into their clinical preceptorship, they are in the clinical area and ready for their clinical assignment. Please see more specific information below under Health Sciences Clinical Absence section.
Didactic Classes
Students are expected to attend all lecture/didactic course meetings and attendance will be tracked. Students who miss a didactic meeting are responsible for learning all the content assigned for the missed class. Instructors are under no obligation to meet with students to review the missed material. Students are obliged to notify instructors when an absence is expected. Each course has its own attendance policy. Be certain to familiarize yourself with these as in some courses, missing more than one class constitutes a failing grade.
Laboratory Classes
Students are expected to attend all laboratory/clinical class meetings. Students who miss a laboratory/clinical meeting will be placed on an Absence Notification Warning List submitted to the Dean of Health Sciences. Students placed on Absence Warning and must make up the missed lab/clinical meeting with their instructor. Failure to make up the lab/clinical meeting with their instructor by the due date set will result in an incomplete in the course. In addition, the student cannot register for future courses until the lab/clinical time is made up. Students who fail to make up their lab/clinical time within the time frame set for the incomplete will receive a failing grade for the course. Students who are on Absence Warning and are absent a second time during the course will fail the course. See Absence Warning below.
Practicums and Preceptorships
Students are expected to attend their preceptorships/practicums. In the event an unavoidable absence occurs students are responsible for notifying their dean or clinical coordinator of their absence at least one week prior to the absence, and they must contact their preceptor prior to the start of their scheduled session, to reschedule their preceptorship session. All student preceptorship absences must be made up. Scheduled and Unscheduled absences must be made up during the semester in which the preceptorship is assigned or the student will receive an incomplete. Students missing more than one preceptorship/practicum session will receive a failing grade for the course regardless of whether they are made up.
If the preceptor cannot meet with the student at a scheduled preceptorship/practicum session, they are responsible for rescheduling the session within the semester in which the preceptorship/practicum is assigned.
Students unable to complete semester requirements of preceptorship/practicum attendance by the end of the semester will be given an incomplete in clinical practicum and will follow the "Incomplete Grade" policy in the College-Wide Student Handbook. Please see more specific information about Scheduled Clinical Absences, Unscheduled Clinical Absences, Late Absences in Clinical, and Unauthorized Clinical Absences below under Health Sciences Clinical Absences section.