Medical Education
Dear Faculty, Medical Students, and Medical Education Staff,

As we continue the new academic year, we want to thank you for all that you collectively do to make UCSF a positive, inclusive, and safe environment for all. We would like to remind you where you can find the Medical Student Policies and Guidelines that the School of Medicine uses to oversee its operations. These policies help guide our education mission to graduate learners who will improve the health of our patients and communities.  

New Policies  

Over the past year, the following policies impacting medical student education were passed at the Committee on Curriculum and Educational Policy (CCEP) or the University of California Regent level:  
  

  • Readiness for Learning Policy: This new policy supports students, the School, and the Institution in situations where there are questions about a student’s readiness to return to the curriculum or where there may be questions about the student's capacity to either meet our technical standards with or without accommodations or the student’s ability to abide by the student code of conduct policy. 

Providing our Students an Inclusive, Positive, and Healthy Environment 
 
The UCSF Anti-Discrimination Policy and School of Medicine Diversity Recruitment and Institutional Inclusion Policies ensure UCSF meets its obligation to achieve mission-appropriate diversity outcomes among its students, faculty, and senior administrative staff. As educators, UCSF faculty abide by the values of professional conduct as described in UCSF’s Campus Code of Conduct. 

As an institution, we are committed to preventing and quickly addressing Medical Student Mistreatment or violations of the Pre-clerkship Student Workload Policy or Clinical Work Hours Policy. These policies protect students’ well-being against discrimination and provide a balanced workload in the pre-clerkship and clinical environments.  

The Equity in Learning and Assessment Policy mitigates the risk of discriminatory and racialized assessment practices by requiring DEI training for education leaders and promoting the use of the Equity in Assessment Checklist for assessing learners.  

Reporting Violations of Student Well-Being (mistreatment and work hours) 
 
Students can utilize the Supporting a Fair and Equitable Environment (SAFE) reporting form to report both student mistreatment and work hours violations. The SAFE form ensures that students have the option to report confidentially and without fear of retaliation.  

 
Students in Distress: Nothing is more important than protecting our students’ well-being. If you suspect a student is in distress, please call the School of Medicine hotline at (415) 476-1216, option 1. If you are concerned about a student’s immediate welfare, please call (415) 476-HEAL.
  
Below is a list of campus resources to assist students in need:  

Medical Education Graduation Competencies and Milestones
 
Upon graduation, we expect UCSF medical students to demonstrate competence in key milestones, as outlined in our Program Objectives. Professionalism is a graduation competency for UCSF medical students and students are expected to demonstrate our PRIDE Values and professional behavior both within and outside the boundaries of a course or clerkship.  

Ensuring Delivery of a High-quality Curriculum with Equitable and Adequate Supervision and Assessment 

All students should be appropriately supervised when participating in required or elective clinical activities.  

Faculty cannot supervise/evaluate someone for whom they have provided clinical care, serve as a medical school coach, or have another family or personal/social relationship. Please notify the course/clerkship director, Associate Dean for Students, Associate Dean for Curriculum, or Associate Dean for Assessment if you are assigned to a student with a conflict. This is outlined in the Duality of Interest Policy.
  
Faculty should submit evaluations of their students on the final day they work with the students or as soon thereafter as practical so that all students can improve from this feedback and so that clerkship directors can assign grades within 30 days of clerkship completion, in accordance with the Foundations 1 Assessment and Grading Policy and the Foundations 2 Assessment and Grading Policy.  

UCSF uses pass/fail grading in core clerkships to promote student learning, equity, fairness, and well-being.  

Ensuring Transparent, Confidential Operations that Protect Students’ Rights  

UCSF has a single standard for advancement. All students can appeal any adverse decision related to advancement, graduation, or dismissal as outlined in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. The School of Medicine also provides the opportunity to Appeal Summary Evaluations or Course/Clerkship Grades, and facilitates the fair and timely determination and resolution of student academic dismissals via the Student Grievance Policy.  

The Technical Standards: Withdrawal, Dismissal, Leave of Absence, and Readmission Policy delineates the technical standards required for medical school accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). 
 
Our Curriculum Governance  
 
All education policies are reviewed and approved by the Committee on Curriculum and Educational Policy (CCEP) and its subcommittees. CCEP is chaired by Shelley R. Adler, PhD, Director, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, and Professor of Family and Community Medicine.  
 
If you have any questions about the policies that guide our medical education, please email bridges@ucsf.edu.  
 
We wish you health during this 2023-24 academic year!  

Sincerely,

Medical Education Deans
UCSF School of Medicine

Michelle A. Albert, MD, MPH
Associate Dean for Admissions
 
Peter V. Chin-Hong, MD
Associate Dean for Regional Campuses

Christina Cicoletti, MNA
Associate Dean for Medical Education
 
John A. Davis, PhD, MD
Associate Dean for Curriculum
Interim Vice Dean for Education: Undergraduate Medical Education
 
Karen E. Hauer, MD, PhD
Associate Dean for Competency Assessment and Professional Standards
Interim Vice Dean for Education: Faculty Development, Research, and Accreditation
 
Erick K. Hung, MD
Associate Dean for Students