MD Program
Policies and procedures
Admissions
- The Statement on Transfer Students outlines the SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine’s policy regarding requests from students currently enrolled in other medical schools, both domestic and international.
- The Faculty Rule on Attempts by Applicants to Influence or Interfere with Admissions sets the expectation that all applicants to the MD program conduct themselves with honesty, professionalism and integrity throughout the admissions process. Attempts to falsify information or improperly influence decision-making—either directly or through others—are strictly prohibited.
- The Guideline for Admissions Deferral describes how requests from candidates to defer their admission to the MD program will be reviewed and actioned in the MD program.
- The Faculty Rule on Admissions Appeals outlines the process by which applicants to the MD program may request a review of an admissions decision under defined circumstances.
Academic Standards
- The Faculty Rule on MD Program Elective Learning Experiences outlines the expectations for choice, approval, assessment and evaluation of electives.
- The Guideline for Time Spent in Required Learning sets out the expectations for maximum learning hours in all scheduled required learning experiences, including after-hours on-call. It safeguards students against overwork or other forms of unfair treatment by limiting the number of hours they can participate in required learning experiences.
- The Faculty Rule on Expectations of Clinical Supervisors provides guidance for supervised teaching, learning and assessment in clinical settings.
- The Guideline for Expectations of Medical Students in Clinical Settings outlines the expectations and responsibilities of students in clinical learning settings.
Assessment and Progression
- The Faculty Rule on Core Competencies & Functional Abilities Required for the Study of Medicine describes the core competencies and functional abilities students must possess, with or without accommodation, upon entry to the program for progression and for graduation. The core competencies and functional abilities form the basis of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to achieve the MD program competencies.
- The Faculty Rule on MD Program Grading, Progression, and Academic Standing provides an overview of how students are assessed in the MD program; particularly, with respect to decisions pertaining to grades/grading, academic standing, progression and graduation.
- The Faculty Rule on Narrative Assessment outlines the expectations for how narrative assessment will be used to provide narrative feedback to inform student progression in the MD program.
- The Faculty Rule on Timely Formative Feedback to Students outlines the principles and processes for providing and documenting timely formative feedback to students in the MD program.
- Associated Procedure: Procedure for Appeals of Grading, Progression, and Academic Standing
Conduct and Professionalism
- The Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence Use in Medical Education outline the expectations for acceptable and responsible use of AI by faculty, MD students and residents in coursework, assessment and clinical settings, including requirements for accountability, disclosure, patient privacy and Indigenous data sovereignty.
- The Faculty Rule on Student Attendance and Time off (Short-Term Absence) describes the expectations for attendance in required learning experiences and assessments, requesting time-off either in advance or after an unanticipated absence of up to fourteen consecutive days, as well as when students can take personal days.
- The Faculty Rule on Student Leave of Absence (LOA) and Return to Study outlines the circumstances under which students may be granted or required to take leave from the program for fifteen or more consecutive days, as well as the steps for returning to study following a leave of absence.
- The Faculty Rule on Professionalism and Professional Attributes for MD Students outlines the professional attributes and ethical standards expected of students in the MD program and establishes the procedures for reporting and responding to professionalism lapses.
- The Faculty Rule on Provision of Health Services to Medical Students by Faculty prohibits faculty members from providing or being involved in academic assessments, decision-making regarding admission or progression in the MD program, or providing learning or remedial support services for a student to whom they are currently providing personal health care services. It also outlines the procedure for identifying and reconciling conflicts of interest that arise when a faculty member has provided or is currently providing significant health-care services to a student.
Health, Wellbeing and Educational Environment
- The Interim Guideline for Addressing Learner Mistreatment provides students with the information necessary to disclose and report instances where they experience mistreatment themselves or witness other students being mistreated.
- The Faculty Rule on Immunization and Testing outlines the testing and immunization requirements for students entering the MD program.
- The Guideline on Accommodations for MD Students describes how students can request academic accommodations, which are the individualized adjustments, supports, or arrangements intended to mitigate disability-related barriers and support equitable access to learning and participation.
Records
- The Faculty Rule on Access to Student Records in the MD Program outlines how students in the MD program may access their student records and the specific mechanisms through which they may challenge contents of their record, including the medical student performance record.
- The Guideline for Access to Information and Protection of Privacy for Student Health Records ensures that student health record information is collected, stored and disposed of in accordance with relevant legislation and central SFU policies.
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