Supervised Clinical Practice Experience (SCPE) Attendance and Contingency Policy

Policy:

I. Attendance Requirements

1. Mandatory Attendance
   Students are required to attend all assigned clinical rotations for their full scheduled duration. Attendance is required even if the minimum clinical hour requirement is achieved prior to the end of the scheduled rotation period.

2. Minimum Hour Requirement
   To successfully complete each clinical rotation, students must complete a minimum of 150 supervised clinical hours on-site.

3. Time Logs
   Students must submit accurate and complete time logs at the conclusion of each rotation documenting all supervised clinical practice time. Logs are reviewed and verified by clinical faculty.

4. Failure to Meet Hour Requirements
   Students who fail to meet the minimum 150-hour requirement must make up missed hours during the next available break period (e.g., weekends, holiday breaks, or pre-summative assessment weeks) with prior approval from the Clinical Director and the assigned clinical preceptor.

5. Alternative Placement for Makeup Time
   If the original clinical site is unable to accommodate additional clinical hours, the program will make every reasonable effort to place the student at:

   • Another site within the same hub, or

   • A geographically appropriate alternate site, or

   • A different hub consistent with the Student Relocation Policy

6. Incomplete Grade
   Any student who has not completed the required 150 clinical hours will receive an Incomplete (I) for the rotation. The incomplete will remain until all required clinical time is completed, not to exceed 60 days following the semester end date, unless otherwise approved by the Program Director.

II. Absence Policy

1. Maximum Allowable Absences
   Students may not miss more than five (5) scheduled clinical days per rotation.

2. Exceeding Five Days
   Students who miss more than five (5) days must make up the full missed time following the procedures outlined in Section II. Students anticipating extended absences should consult the Clinical Director and Program Director regarding the possibility of a leave of absence.

3. Excused Absences
   Students may be granted one (1) excused absence per semester, as outlined in the Program Attendance Policy.

4. Absences of 2–5 Days
   Missing more than one (1) but no more than five (5) days in a rotation will activate the Clinical Contingency Plan, as outlined below.

III. Contingency Plan for Missed Clinical Time

1. Purpose
   The contingency plan provides structured, supervised academic activities designed to supplement clinical learning when students are unable to attend clinical sites due to:

   • Inclement weather

   • Natural disasters

   • Credentialing delays

   • Acute illness

   • Other unforeseen circumstances

   These activities do not replace required clinical hours and do not count toward the minimum 150-hour on-site requirement.

2. Assignment Completion
   Students must complete daily contingency assignments as assigned by the clinical department within 48 hours of the missed clinical day unless otherwise approved. This may include a combination of contingency learning activities outlined below in Section IV.

   • Assignments must be submitted via email to clinical faculty.

   • Students must submit time logs documenting time spent completing contingency activities.

   • Failure to submit assignments by the stated deadline may result in a failing grade for the rotation.

3. Time Equivalency
   Assignments are structured to approximate 7–8 hours of academic engagement per missed day.

IV. Contingency Learning Activities

1. Virtual Patient Case Assignment
   One (1) completed case = Two (2) missed hours
   Students must complete virtual patient case modules assigned by the Clinical Director based on the rotation discipline.

   • Required Components in case write-up using SOAP note format:

   • Chief Complaint

   • History of Present Illness

   • Review of Systems

   • Vital Signs

   • Physical Examination

   • Diagnostic Testing

   • Differential Diagnosis (minimum of six)

   • Diagnostic Rationale

   • Treatment Plan

   • Patient Education

   • Follow-up Plan

   • Consultations

   Assessment Tool: SOAP Note Rubric (Appendix A)

2. Rosh Review Examination and Self-Assessment
   60-question exam block + Two (2) learning notes = Two (2) missed hours
   Students must:

   • Complete 60 Rosh Review questions in exam mode aligned with the PAEA EOR blueprint.

   • Submit performance score and detailed topic analysis.

   • Create two (2) high-impact learning notes on missed concepts.
     Assessment Tool: High Impact Learning Rubric (Appendix B)

3. Pathophysiology Case-Based Teaching Presentation
   One (1) completed presentation = Eight (8) missed hours
   Students will select a disease process relevant to their current rotation and prepare an 8–10-minute recorded presentation including:

   • Case study

   • Pathophysiology

   • Clinical manifestations

   • Diagnostic approach

   • Evidence-based discussion (minimum of five (5) scholarly sources)
     Assessment Tool: Presentation Rubric (Appendix C)

4. Laboratory & Diagnostic Interpretation Assignment
   One (1) completed assignment = Three (3) Missed hours
   Students will complete a case-based lab interpretation exercise including:

   • Selection of appropriate labs and imaging

   • Interpretation of results

   • Risk assessment

   • Diagnostic reasoning

   • Cost and clinical value analysis

V. Learning Objectives Alignment

All contingency activities align with ARC-PA learning domains:

• Medical Knowledge

• Patient Care

• Society and Population Health

• Professionalism

VI. Compliance Statement

This policy complies with ARC-PA Standards, 6th Edition, specifically standards governing:

• Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences

• Clinical Hour Tracking

• Student Assessment

• Remediation

• Program Accountability