Conflict of Interest - Physician-Student Health Services Relationship Policy

It is the policy of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix that faculty and residents (hereafter for purposes of this policy referred to as “faculty”) providing any health services, including psychiatric/psychological counseling, to a medical student must not be involved in their academic assessment or promotion. Importantly, faculty must recuse themselves from completing any assessments on said student and must remove themselves from committee meetings where that specific student is discussed. Additionally, faculty may not serve as a primary preceptor for that student in any course*. In the event of an emergency, faculty should perform services to stabilize a student until the appropriate transfer of care can occur.

Faculty are responsible to disclose any potential conflict of interest that may impact the teacher/learner paradigm by following the process below.

Process

1. At the beginning of any course* where an academic assessment of a medical student may occur, faculty will review their assigned students. If a conflict of interest exists, faculty will notify the course* director. Reassignment will occur to avoid the conflict.

2. Faculty assessing College of Medicine – Phoenix students must acknowledge whether a conflict of interest with the student being assessed exists or does not exist on the assessment form. If a conflict of interest exists, the assessment will not be used for the student. The Office of Student Affairs will alert either the dean, foundational curriculum (for years 1 and 2 courses*) or the dean, clinical curriculum (for years 3 and 4 courses*), or respective designees who will ensure the student is paired with the appropriate faculty where a conflict does not exist.

3. When faculty are assessing students and identify a conflict of interest that was undiscovered through other processes, the individual shall contact the dean, student affairs, or respective designee informing them of the conflict of interest. The dean, student affairs, or respective designee will inform the dean, foundational curriculum (for years 1 and 2 courses*) or the dean, clinical curriculum (for years 3 and 4 courses*), or respective designees so that arrangements can be made to pair the student with an alternate faculty member (e.g. case-based instruction facilitator, Doctoring mentor, clerkship faculty member).

Course*= Any component of the curriculum where a grade is earned.