Elective Application Sequence

1. MUSM-Sponsored Electives

A. Contact the Medical Student Coordinator’s Office and determine if the elective is available.

B. Secure application form, complete form, meet with advisor, and obtain advisor’s signature

C. Submit the form to the Medical Student Coordinator

D. The Coordinator will obtain permission from the Year IV Program Director, notify Department Chairman, course preceptors, and confirm elective with student.

E. Eight weeks of electives must be scheduled within the MUSM system.

2. Non-MUSM Electives

A. Contact academic centers where the elective is offered to apply for the elective.

B. Submit to the Medical Student Coordinator: a course description from the host institution, letter of acceptance from the host institution, and a completed Non-MUSM Clinical Elective Request Form (see forms)

C. Students who are not proceeding satisfactorily in other clerkships or electives will not be permitted to take clerkships away from the MUSM system. Students must be in good academic standing both at the time of application for an away elective and at the time the rotation begins.

D. Requests for foreign electives must be submitted at least six months prior to the start of the elective experience.

E. Any student denied approval will be provided with the reasons for the decision upon request. He/she may then request a meeting with the Year IV Program Director for the purpose of reconsidering the decision.

F. Further appeals may be directed to the Curriculum Committee and ultimately to the Dean of the School of Medicine.

3. Student-generated electives (SGE)

A. Student-generated electives are ones designed by the student to meet specific educational needs for which there are not suitable existing alternatives.

B.  Student must submit to the Medical Student Coordinator a complete description of the experience including: preceptor, objectives of the course, course description, and method of evaluation; a letter from the preceptor accepting responsibility for the experience and offering the experience to the student; if the preceptor is not a MUSM faculty member, the student must identify a local MUSM faculty member who will endorse the elective and verify appropriateness of the experience and evaluation.   A request form is available in the Student Coordinators office that should be completed and submitted for elective review by the CIC.

C. The Year IV Program Committee must approve all information; therefore all information must be received at least eight weeks prior to the start date of the elective experience.

D. Any student denied approval will be provided with the reasons for the decision.  He/she may then request a meeting with the Year 4 Program Director for the purpose of reconsidering the decision.

E.  Further appeals may be directed to the Year 4 Subcommittee, the CIC and ultimately to the Dean of the School of Medicine.
 

 ~Important Notice~

In order for you to receive credit for an elective, MUSM must receive a completed evaluation form from the preceptor.  It is the student’s responsibility to provide an elective form to the preceptor for all electives. Students are also requested to remind the preceptor, near or at the end of the elective, to complete and mail the evaluation form.