External Learning Opportunities during PAL block

It is the policy of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix that students may pursue formal learning opportunities between their first and second years of medical school. External educational opportunities which occur during the Personalized Active Learning (PAL) block will be used toward PAL course requirements.  If absences from adjacent courses occur, they must be approved in advance to ensure students are able to meet all course requirements.

Process

• External opportunity must meet all following criteria:  
  • Must not exceed eight weeks in duration. 
  • Must not exceed absence limits, listed in course* syllabi, for any impacted curriculum. 
  • Students are encouraged to utilize PAL block time (five weeks) and summer break (one week) for as much of the experience as possible. 
  • Note: opportunities which do not meet the criteria may still be considered for a leave of absence (LOA). Students should meet with their house advisor to discuss. See Leave of Absence and Withdrawal from Medical School Policy for additional information.
  • Students with block or course failures are not eligible to apply. 
• Approval Process: 
  • Approval requires input from the directors or designates of PAL, GIMDN, CCE, Doctoring, and the student’s house advisor. Students are responsible for scheduling meetings with each faculty member to obtain their recommendation.  
  • It is recommended that students initiate this process at least 30 days prior to the submission deadline to ensure adequate time to meet with required faculty. 
  • Students must submit a completed request form, along with faculty signatures, by the submission deadline of March 1st.
  • Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted or considered.
  • Students may submit their request prior to receiving confirmation of acceptance by the external institution.
  • If any concerns are noted by faculty, the student’s request will be forwarded to the Student Progress Committee for further review and final decision. 

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