Credit Requirement - Years 3 and 4 Policy

It is the policy of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix (COM – P) that students in Years 3 and 4 meet the credit requirements listed below.

Year 3

Regular Curriculum

1. Students must complete all Year 3 clerkships. Clerkships may not be taken at non-University of Arizona COM – P affiliated sites.
2. Students must complete a four-week ambulatory patient care selective in Year 3 or Year 4. This selective should be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor(s). The selective will prioritize patient care through an ambulatory care experience.
   1. A four-week patient care elective may be pursued in Year 3 instead of the ambulatory selective at the student’s discretion in consultation with the student’s advisor(s), provided there is sufficient clinical capacity in the student’s desired elective. If a patient care elective is taken in Year 3, the ambulatory patient care selective will be completed in Year 4.
   2. A four-week structured research elective (that differs from the student’s Scholarly Project) may be pursued in Year 3 instead of the ambulatory patient care selective with approval of the Director of Scholarly Projects, Associate Dean, Student Affairs and Associate Dean, Clinical and Competency Based Education. If a structured research elective is taken in Year 3, the ambulatory patient care selective will be completed in Year 4.*
   3. Requests for a non-patient care elective or discretionary time in Year 3 must be approved by both the Associate Dean, Student Affairs and the Associate Dean, Clinical and Competency Based Education. If a non-patient care elective or discretionary time is taken in Year 3, the ambulatory patient care selective will be completed in Year 4.*
   4. In legitimate circumstances, a two week patient or non-patient care elective may be pursued with approval of both the Associate Dean, Student Affairs and the Associate Dean, Clinical and Competency Based Education.*

*If a non-patient care elective or discretionary time is taken during Year 3, this will count towards total allowable non-patient care and discretionary time.

Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) Curriculum

1. Students must complete all Year 3 LIC requirements.
2. Exceptions or re-entry into the regular curriculum track must be approved by the Associate Dean, Clinical and Competency Based Education and Associate Dean, Student Affairs, in consultation with the LIC Director and Student Progress Committee, to ensure all graduation requirements are met.

Year 4

1. Students must complete a total of 43 credits during Year 4. In addition to credits earned for Intersessions (five) and Scholarly Projects (two), these credits must include:
   1. Four credits of a core sub-internship (see Core Sub-Internship Rotation Policy for details).
   2. Four credits of a designated critical care rotation.
   3. Four credits of Emergency Medicine clerkship in regular curriculum or four credits Neurology clerkship in LIC curriculum (the Neurology clerkship for LIC students is considered a Year 4 course).
   4. 24 credits of electives, with a maximum of eight credits of non-patient care. Included in the non-patient care maximum are research courses (both Scholarly Project courses and non-Scholarly Project) and independent study courses (including reading electives).

One credit equates to one week of instructional time in clerkships, electives and selectives.

2. A maximum of two Year 4 electives may be two credits each. No electives may be one, three or greater than four credits. Exceptions can be made in consultation with Director, Electives, Associate Dean, CCBE and Associate Dean, Student Affairs.
3. The maximum number of credits allotted during Year 4 in one specialty field is 16.
   1. The Emergency Medicine clerkship, core sub-internships, critical care rotations, ambulatory selective, independent study electives, bootcamp electives, and research electives do not contribute to the 16 credit maximum in one specialty field.
4. The maximum number of credits allotted for courses completed at institutions and sites not directly supervised by University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix faculty or directly affiliated with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix during Year 4 electives is 16.
   1. Core Sub-I and Critical Care Selectives must be completed at a UArizona College of Medicine - Phoenix site.
5. The same course may not be repeated for additional credit, with the following exceptions:
   1. Electives with the same course title and number may be repeated as long as the site/location is different for each elective.
   2. LIC courses may be repeated as part of the LIC curriculum.
   3. Research electives and independent study electives may be repeated once, up to a maximum of eight non-clinical course credits as stated above; the repeated independent study course must have a different set of learning objectives from the first.
   4. Global Health electives may be repeated once, up to a maximum of eight credits, if a different site/location is chosen for the second elective.
6. Any exceptions to the above limitations must be approved by the Director, Electives, Associate Dean, Clinical and Competency Based Education and the Associate Dean, Student Affairs.