Will We Fail??

[drbon]

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OK, I had to put this up, I need the opinions of some more experienced people out there! So my fiance and I are starting our 3rd year clinical clerkships on May 22nd. However, we are getting married the first weekend of June clear on the other side of the country (think 6 hour plane ride and then a 5 hour drive). When we planned our wedding a year and a half ago, our school told us that they couldn't possibly tell us when we would be starting third year, they couldn't even tell us if it was May, June, or July. So we took a gamble, scheduled it, and now are stuck in the position of having to somehow get time off to go to our own wedding. The school is telling us that if we ask for, say a Thurs and Fri off with full intent of making it up somehow on the weekend or something, that we run a very high risk of "failing the rotation because of lack of attendance" Is this true? Can your attending or whoever really fail you for wanting two days off to travel to your own wedding that's been planned for over a year and will take a day to get to (thus creating a situation where you can't just take the weekend off)????? Please tell me what you think, I'm kind of starting to freak out a little......

 

[Bevo]

guess it depends on school policy really.

check to see what the exact attendance policy is and what rotation you'll be on.

if its 90% attendance or somehing like that.

Find out what rotations you'll be in, will you have call that weekend. inform the attending and/or residents. Tell them the situation. If do have call, look to see if someone can switch their call with you.

congrats

 

[pillowhead]

OK, I had to put this up, I need the opinions of some more experienced people out there! So my fiance and I are starting our 3rd year clinical clerkships on May 22nd. However, we are getting married the first weekend of June clear on the other side of the country (think 6 hour plane ride and then a 5 hour drive). When we planned our wedding a year and a half ago, our school told us that they couldn't possibly tell us when we would be starting third year, they couldn't even tell us if it was May, June, or July. So we took a gamble, scheduled it, and now are stuck in the position of having to somehow get time off to go to our own wedding. The school is telling us that if we ask for, say a Thurs and Fri off with full intent of making it up somehow on the weekend or something, that we run a very high risk of "failing the rotation because of lack of attendance" Is this true? Can your attending or whoever really fail you for wanting two days off to travel to your own wedding that's been planned for over a year and will take a day to get to (thus creating a situation where you can't just take the weekend off)????? Please tell me what you think, I'm kind of starting to freak out a little......

You need to ask your school to schedule you for a rotation that does not have much or even any weekend required work. At my school, these rotations include neurology, family medicine, radiology, and psychiatry. While I don't think many people would begrudge you that weekend to get married, there are definitely crazy enough people in some specialties that would. Make sure you do not start on Surgery or Ob/Gyn. Good luck and congrats!

 

[Dr JPH]

Passing or failing a clerkship is largely up to the attending who grades you.

At my school we have the attending fill out an evaluation form where they get a chance to recommend a final grade. There is also a box that states the number of days missed on that particular clerkship.

If you know where you are going to be scheduled that month you can perhaps contact the attending in advance and explain to them the situation.

I know of cases where people make up missed days by going to the hospital on saturday morning to write notes for the attending (although not likely as as third year) or staying and helping with late hours in the office.

Good luck and congratulations.

 

[bigfrank]

OK, I had to put this up, I need the opinions of some more experienced people out there! So my fiance and I are starting our 3rd year clinical clerkships on May 22nd. However, we are getting married the first weekend of June clear on the other side of the country (think 6 hour plane ride and then a 5 hour drive). When we planned our wedding a year and a half ago, our school told us that they couldn't possibly tell us when we would be starting third year, they couldn't even tell us if it was May, June, or July. So we took a gamble, scheduled it, and now are stuck in the position of having to somehow get time off to go to our own wedding. The school is telling us that if we ask for, say a Thurs and Fri off with full intent of making it up somehow on the weekend or something, that we run a very high risk of "failing the rotation because of lack of attendance" Is this true? Can your attending or whoever really fail you for wanting two days off to travel to your own wedding that's been planned for over a year and will take a day to get to (thus creating a situation where you can't just take the weekend off)????? Please tell me what you think, I'm kind of starting to freak out a little......

You need to go over the head of your local dean's office and just go talk to your attending/course director directly. Explain the situation, apologize shamelessly, schmooze him/her, and of course offer to make up the time.

I think you'll be fine.

Enjoy your wedding!

 

[lattimer13]

wow! pretty sad your school couldn't tell you when you'd be starting your 3rd year clerkships...and then they try to pull this crap on you.

for each 6 week rotation we were allowed, i believe 5 days total of excused workday absences w/o having to be made up. hopefully your attending sacks up and lets you have 2 days off...if your school officials don't pull their heads out of their asses you need to talk to your attending on day 1 and explain the situation to them.

honestly if it were me and the school allowed it and things don't end up working out the way you'd like them too....i'd just dump your first rotation if you can and reschedule it for sometime during fourth year if you can make it work. that way you got a few weeks to enjoy a time in your life w/ friends and family (that hopefully) only happens once. some things are more important than med school. best of luck.

 

[DW3843]

That really is crap that your school couldn't give you the heads up with the schedule. They should be a little more forgiving I would hope.

I could go on my school website right now and pull up the academic calendar for the next two years.

Good luck though. Don't let it come anywhere close to ruining a weekend that, in the long run, should mean a heck of a lot more than the headache of working out your rotation schedule and getting permission to miss some days.

 

[drbon]

thanks for all the good advice guys....i feel a little better. the dept of clinical studies at my school really are a bunch of @sses, so we prob are going to wind up just dealing straight with the attendings....hopefully we'll be able to deal with much more responsive people that way

 

[fourthyearmed]

Just tell your residents and attending. They won't mind and probably won't tell anyone.

 

[StudentDoc327]

Just tell your residents and attending. They won't mind and probably won't tell anyone.

Exactly. Forget about the damn office they suck. Its all about your attending... and i think every attending that I have ever worked with would have granted me 2 days off to get MARRIED for gods sake... its not like they really need us around or anything