Faculty Supervision of Medical Students in Clinical Learning Situations Policy

It is the policy of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix (COM-P) to recognize and support the importance of graded and progressive responsibility in medical student education.

This policy outlines the requirements to be followed when supervising medical students. The college’s goal is to promote safe patient care and maximize students’ development of skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to practice medicine.

Supervising Physician Definition

An attending physician with a faculty appointment by COM-P, a resident or fellow physician training in a graduate medical education program at or associated with COM-P.

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of the supervising faculty member and/or site director to assure that the specifications of this policy are followed for all medical students of COM-P.

Advanced Practice Providers

When a medical student is participating in a private practice setting and advanced practice providers are present, it is the responsibility of the supervising faculty physician to assure that the advanced practice providers are credentialed and capable of medical student supervision within the scope of their practice.

When a medical student is participating in a hospital-based practice, it is assumed that all advanced practice providers employed are credentialed by the hospital and capable of medical student supervision within the scope of their practice.

Supervision Levels

Direct Supervision with Supervising Physician Present: The supervising physician is physically present with the medical student and the patient and is prepared to assume the provision of patient care if/as needed.
Direct Supervision with Supervising Physician Available: The supervising physician is on site and is available to provide direct supervision.

Clinical Supervision 

In the clinical setting (inpatient or outpatient), MS 1–4 students will be directly supervised with the supervising physician present or with the supervising physician available based on the supervising physician’s discretion. 

Faculty physicians will identify those patients for whom medical student supervision may be provided by fellows, residents, and/or appropriately credentialed allied health care providers.

During the course of their educational curriculum, medical students may take patient histories and perform complete physical examinations. Refer to the Faculty Supervision of Sensitive Physical Examination Policy.

Medical students may only enter findings in the medical record of the patient with the approval of the patient’s supervising physician, based on the clinical sites policies.

The supervising physician will review medical student documentation and provide feedback for educational purposes.

Clinical decisions and orders are never formulated or enacted by medical students without a supervising physician’s input and approval.

All on-call experiences in which medical students participate are subject to the supervision rules described above.

Procedure Supervision

A supervising physician is required to directly supervise (physician present or available) all procedures (clinical, inpatient bedside, emergency department, and/or operating room) in which a medical student is involved.

The degree of direct supervision (physician present or available) will take into account the complexity of the procedure, potential for adverse effects, and the demonstrated competence, maturity, and responsibility of each student in order to ensure the safety and comfort of the patient. This will be determined at the discretion of the supervising physician.

The supervising physician must have privileges or authorization to perform the procedure being supervised.