Northwest University School of PA Medicine Policy and Procedures

Northwest University's PA Program consistently applies the following policies and procedures to all students, faculty, staff, medical director, and program director, regardless of location.

Only a signed clinical affiliation agreement may specify that certain program policies are superseded by the policies of the clinical site.

Further details of the following policies and procedures can be found in the School of PA Medicine Student Handbook.

Prospective and current students should review the policies and procedures below.

Program Policies

Current NU PA Program policies are published each year and can be found in the Student Handbook. (Specific Policies Referenced below in Parentheses)

• Student Employment
• Student Identification
• Infectious and Environmental Hazards
• Program Faculty as Healthcare Providers
• Access and Referral to Student Services
• Soliciting Clinical Sites
• Health Screening and Immunization Requirements
• Academic Standards
• Timeline of Completion
• Remediation
• Deceleration
• Withdrawal
• Dismissal
• Student Grievances
• Student Appeals
• Mistreatment
• Required Travel to Rotation Sites

Student Employment

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The NU PA Program strongly discourages any form of employment during the duration of the program. The 28 months of the program are intensive and require full-time attendance in both didactic and clinical components. Outside work obligations will not be considered an acceptable excuse for poor performance or absence from any program-related activities.

To avoid practices that might conflict with the professional and educational objectives of the PA program, students are not required to work for the program and may not substitute for clinical or administrative staff. Students with specific prior knowledge, experiences, and skills may assist faculty in demonstration and laboratory sessions to share their knowledge and skills. However, students are not instructional faculty or instructor of record for any component of the curriculum.

(Program Policy 007/PP007)

Student Identification

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A NU issued student identification badge bearing the student's photograph is created for each student upon matriculation into the PA program. The student ID badge must be worn to every clinical experience and the picture, name, and title of Physician Assistant Student are to be clearly visible. Some clinical sites/agencies/institutions may issue temporary student identification cards to be worn in accordance with their policy. The student will be responsible for adhering to each site/agency/institution policy.

(Program Policy 005/PP005, Clinical Policy 017/CP017)

Infectious and Environmental Hazards

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Enrollment in PA and medical educational programs often yields unintentional exposure to diseases such as viruses that are unavoidable. It is the student’s responsibility to pursue healthcare and treatment advice, including a timeframe for safe return to SCPE site, from their medical provider, should the need arise. It is the policy of the NU School of PA Medicine to follow the guidelines made by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding the use of Standard/Universal Precautions to prevent the spread of infection and reduce occupational exposure to blood and body fluid pathogens. Usually before matriculation, but always before patient care or laboratory experiences, including on-campus learning activities, students MUST undergo training focused on potential hazards, standard precautions, and safety procedures related to chemical and bloodborne pathogens exposure.

In all exposure instances, medical evaluation, treatment of injuries, and evaluation focused on risk limits should be conducted immediately at any local occupational medicine clinic, urgent care clinic, or if warranted, the emergency room. If an emergency, call 911 for rapid treatment and transport to the nearest emergency room.

When hazardous exposure to chemical agents or blood or body fluids occurs, the incident must be immediately reported. After initial first aid and safety procedures (limiting exposure and risk) have been completed – e.g., thorough hand washing, flushing of mucous membranes, etc., THE STUDENT MUST BE EVALUATED IMMEDIATELY BY A MEDICAL PROVIDER for treatment and evaluation for prophylaxis. If the facility in which the student is assigned has a protocol for testing students, the School of PA Medicine encourages the student to utilize those services. Following an exposure event occurring at a clinical site, exposures are reported to the Clinical Education Manager (CEM), and an Incident Report Form (Appendix G in Student Handbook or Eagle) is completed within 48 hours of the incident.

Please note, neither the clinical agency nor NU is responsible for the cost of the care involved in the treatment, maintenance, or surveillance of exposure to blood or body fluids. Detailed guide to student responsibilities and protocol can be found in the Student Handbook.

(Clinical Policy 022/CP022, Program Policy 003/PP003)

Program Faculty as Healthcare Providers

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Principal faculty, the dean, and the medical director may not provide health care for students except in cases of an emergency.

(Program Policy 001/PP001)

Access and Referral to Student Services

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The PA program will assign a faculty advisor to each student admitted into the program. The faculty advisor assists with academic and non-academic problems and acts as a liaison between the advisee and other faculty members. The program recommends students meet with their advisors a minimum of once a semester, but it is the student who determines the full amount of interaction between him/her and their advisor. The assigned advisor will serve as support for any student related matters that require additional discussion of a student's concern.

(Student Handbook Intro, Faculty Advisors)

Students also have access to various counseling services are available to support a student’s progress in the PA program. NUhope is a community counseling program offered by the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. PA students may utilize these services at a minimal cost. More information can be found at the NUhope website: NUhope Community Counseling Center. Additionally, students are encouraged to enroll in the Early Alert designed to identify students facing academic or wellness challenges, promoting proactive support to prevent crises and foster success.

(Student Handbook Intro, Main Campus Resources)

Soliciting Clinical Sites

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Students are not to be engaged in solicitation of SCPE preceptors or preceptor locations. Students may suggest potential SCPE preceptors or sites by submitting their request on CORE under the Site Prospector link. This form is an internal form only. Preceptors may sign up through the Become a Preceptor page. Please note that completion of the request form does not guarantee student placement in the requested site.

(Program Policy 007/PP007, Clinical Policy 002/CP002)

Health Screening and Immunization Requirements

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The program requires that all students maintain documentation of immunizations as recommended by the CDC for healthcare providers. Therefore, all PA students must provide records of CDC-recommended immunizations to the program prior to contact with any patient in the didactic year, updated verification before starting the clinical year of the program, and yearly thereafter for any student extending enrollment in the program. The student must notify Northwest University School of PA Medicine of a need for a vaccine medical exemption or religious accommodation immediately to determine eligibility for clinical rotation placement. Due to clinical site constraints, the only religious exemptions considered will be for the COVID-19 vaccine.

All costs incurred in complying with this policy are the responsibility of the student. Students will be required to sign a release of liability that releases NU from any liability related to illness contracted, adverse reactions from vaccinations, and inability to complete clinical rotation secondary to vaccine status. Hospitals, clinics, or other facilities used by the PA program as clinical education sites may require students to undergo a drug screen prior to the start date of the clinical rotation or randomly, as requested. The cost of the drug screening will be the responsibility of the student. If a student is unable to provide a negative drug screen to the satisfaction of the clinical sites, the student will be referred to the Student Progress Committee for consideration of dismissal. Additionally, criminal background checks are mandatory to enhance the health and safety of patients, students, faculty, and staff in the academic and clinical environments, and to adhere to applicable healthcare regulations. Please see the Student Handbook for additional information.

The pursuit of a global SCPE opportunity is voluntary and encouraged but not required of every NU PA student. Each NU PA student must complete a cross-cultural elective experience, so if they decide not to pursue an international elective, they will be assigned a cross-cultural elective in the United States.

(Program Policy 002/PP002, Clinical Policy 006/CP006)

Academic Standards

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Physician assistant education is competency-based, which means that students must achieve an acceptable final grade in each course. Every student is expected to meet the following standards each semester to be considered “in good standing” and continue academic progress.

• To remain in good academic standing, students must maintain a minimum semester grade point average of 3.0. A semester GPA of less than 3.0 will prompt a review by the Student Progress Committee.
• Any final course grade below a “C” will be considered a failure of that course or SCPE.
• Every student must achieve a “Pass” or “Satisfactory” evaluation on all non-letter graded assignments and projects designated as required.
• Any exam or assignment grade a student receives below a “C” will constitute a failing grade and is subject to remediation as defined in the remediation policy.
• A course grade of less than 70% or “F” cannot be remediated but must be corrected by retaking the course at the discretion of the Student Progress Committee.

In order to graduate from the PA program, each student must satisfactorily complete all of the following:

• All didactic coursework
• All Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (required and elective)
• Patient logging rubric
• All assignments required by the program including any remediation.
• A summative evaluation of medical knowledge, interpersonal skills, clinical and technical skills, professional behaviors, and clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities. The summative evaluation will consist of a comprehensive objective examination and OSCE skill performance exercises. “Satisfactorily complete” means completing all didactic courses, SCPEs, and summative evaluation with a letter grade of “C” or higher and maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

(Academic Policy 007/AP007, Academic Policy 009/AP009)

Timeline of Completion

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The didactic phase is designed to be completed in four semesters. A student required to remediate components of the didactic phase may delay entry into the clinical phase by one or more rotations. All didactic courses must be completed prior to starting supervised clinical experiences.

The clinical phase consists of seven core SCPEs and two elective SCPEs. Each SCPE is five weeks in duration. A Senior Seminar course will be taken during the final four months of the curriculum and will serve as a summative examination process.

All curricular components must be completed within three months of the university graduation date in order to participate in the December graduation ceremony with the current cohort. Delays beyond three months will require the student to participate in the graduation ceremony for the next cohort.

The program must be completed within 5 years of a student’s initial date of matriculation.

(Academic Policy 007/AP007)

Remediation

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Remediation refers to any additional training, supervision, or educative assistance beyond the required instruction and training already provided to the cohort. The remediation process is designed to improve a student’s knowledge, skills, and professional attributes needed to successfully meet or exceed the graduation requirements.

Remediation of a failed didactic assessment:
A grade of less than 70% on assignments/exams or less than 80% on practical or skills-related testing demonstrates concern about the mastery of content for the assessment, and the student will be required to participate in a formal remediation plan. The maximum reassessment attempts per assignment/exam is two attempts during the didactic phase courses. If a student is unable to successfully remediate the assessment after two attempts, the student will be referred to the SPC for consideration of dismissal. A student must pass reassessment with 70% for written exam or 80% for practical assessment to successfully remediate the assignment or assessment. The final grade for the remediated assessment will be an average of the successful reassessment attempt with the original assessment grade. If the average of those assessments is lower than 70% for written (80% for practical), then 70% will automatically be entered in the grade book (or 80% for practical).

Remediation of a failed clinical assessment:
During the clinical year, the following circumstances will require a formal remediation plan:

• Any EOR Exam score or EOCTM Exam score less than 70%.
• Any Mid-SCPE or End of SCPE Preceptor Evaluation of Student less than 70% overall
• Any Skills or OSCE Testing score less than 70% overall.

Any overall clinical course failure will result in the student having to repeat the entire clinical course and therefore will result in delayed graduation. If the student fails two or more clinical year courses, they will be referred to the SPC for consideration of dismissal.

Any student who scores less than 70% on one or more of the above assessments will meet with the Clinical Education Manager for a formal remediation plan. Deficiencies will be discussed and documented in writing, and the student and the CEM will mutually work to design a personalized remediation plan to address the deficiencies outlined by the keyword feedback from the EOR exam or the feedback from the preceptor evaluation or skills exam.

Remediation of summative assessment:
Any component of the summative evaluation with a score of less than 70% will require a formal remediation plan. The student must successfully remediate any failed component of the summative evaluation before graduating from the program. Therefore, graduation may be delayed while the student remediates. If the entire PAMA 5923 course average falls below 70%, the student will have to remediate the entire course according to the clinical year remediation process (see Student Handbook) and graduation will be delayed. A student must successfully remediate the PAMA 5923 course to graduate from the program.

(Academic Policy 008/AP008, Clinical Policy 024/CP024, Clinical Policy 025/CP025)

Deceleration

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Deceleration is the process of a student leaving their original cohort while remaining matriculated in the School of PA Medicine and restarting with the next cohort. Students being decelerated ARE required to retake ALL courses within the curriculum, even if the course was successfully completed during its first attempt. The SPC will determine if a student who has taken a leave of absence or who needs to repeat a course(s) is eligible for deceleration as part of their review of student performance. Students are not permitted to decide independently to engage in a delayed or decelerated plan of study. Tuition will not be discounted for deceleration; students who decelerate will pay for each repeated course at the regular price.

A student who wishes to voluntarily request deceleration must submit a written request before withdrawing from the program and must be approved by the SPC to qualify for deceleration. To be considered for deceleration, a student must include the following: 1) A detailed explanation of the reason for deceleration, 2) A plan for successful re-entry into the program.

If a student does not obtain approval from the SPC and dean before withdrawing from the program, the student will not be allowed to re-enter the program. A written notification of this denial will be sent out to the student from the dean of the program. A student unable to progress forward in the program due to academic failure of a course may decelerate with approval from the SPC and may be allowed to restart the program with the next cohort. The student who has decelerated for a failed course does not have to reapply for admission and may be allowed re-entry into the first year of the program, contingent upon all other program requirements being met. Upon re-entry to the academic program, the student is placed on academic probation until the course is passed. A student will be given only one opportunity to restart or decelerate in the program.

(Academic Policy 008/AP008)

Withdrawal

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A student who voluntarily withdraws from the program for any reason must submit a request to the dean for approval. For all leave of absences granted, students must notify the course coordinators of all classes in which they are enrolled of their withdrawal from course work, or the clinical preceptors of any SCPEs in which they are enrolled of their withdrawal from clinical activities. A student who has been granted a leave of absence is responsible for notifying the dean in writing of his or her intention to return to class on the appointed date no later than two months before the start of classes. Without this notification, the student’s place in the class will be forfeited. Re-entry into the program will then require re-application through the usual admissions process of the program.

(Academic Policy 008/AP008,Program Policy 004/PP004)

Dismissal

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Dismissal is an action whereby a student is dismissed from the NU PA Program due to failure to adhere to program standards, including but not limited to academic, clinical, and/or professional standards. Dismissal will occur after the SPC reviews the student’s academic and/or professional deficiency and decides on a dismissal action. Then, the dean will receive a dismissal recommendation from the SPC. Any student subject to dismissal by the SPC will receive a formal letter from the dean notifying the student of the SPC’s decision.

Receiving a failing grade in any PA course may result in deceleration or dismissal from the program. At a minimum, if a student fails a course in the program, they will be placed on academic probation regardless of GPA. In addition, failure of a course will prevent advancement within the program. Continued enrollment will be determined by the SPC, who will review the student’s overall academic performance and make a recommendation to the dean. Possible recommendations could include requiring the student to re-enroll in the next academic year and retake all the curricular courses for which a failing grade was received. The SPC will handle each student’s performance on an individual basis and the committee will formulate a recommendation for appropriate remediation, which will be forwarded to the dean for final approval.

Any student who is dismissed from the program for academic reasons may file an appeal with the University. Refer to the Student Handbook for detailed instructions on the requirements to file an appeal.

(Academic Policy 008/AP008)

Student Grievances

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The PA program follows the university’s policy regarding student grievances or harassment. These policies are consistent with Title IX in the Education Amendment of 1972, and are provided to students on NU website:

• Discrimination and Grievance procedures
• Sexual Harassment Grievance procedures

(Northwest University Policy)

Student Appeals

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The Provost’s Office receives complaints and petitions for unresolved issues. The Academic Appeals process applies to the following types of items: changes to registration (adding or dropping a course after the deadline), requesting a refund for tuition and/or fees, and appeals related to academic policies. Students can complete the Academic Petition form to initiate the appeals process.

Students wishing to appeal a course grade should follow the NU grade appeals process. An exception to the NU grade appeals process is that the dean must be consulted prior to taking the issue to the level of the Provost.

If a student has a complaint against a professor with regard to a grade received, a discipline received for academic dishonesty, or other action affecting the student’s standing, the student shall first respectfully speak to the professor about it (as Jesus instructed in Matthew 18:15: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you”). If an acceptable resolution is not reached between the student and the professor, or if the student finds the professor unapproachable the student should speak to the dean/director of the college or center in which the professor teaches.

If an acceptable resolution is not reached, or if the professor is the dean, the student may appeal to the Provost using the Academic Petition form. The decision of the Provost resolves the matter.

However, if the student believes that an error of fact has occurred, or a policy has been violated, the student will have seven days to request (in writing to the Provost) a hearing by the Academic Affairs Committee. A request for a hearing may not be based only on the desire for a different decision/outcome. The action of the Academic Affairs Committee shall be final.

(Academic Policy 002/AP002)

Mistreatment

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The Northwest University School of PA Medicine program does not tolerate any mistreatment of students by the dean, medical director, faculty, staff, clinical preceptors, or other students. This can include, but is not limited to, personal criticism of students, any discrimination, not consistently enforcing policies among students, exploiting power differential to control the student or have them do personal tasks, hazing, or making remarks or decisions that stereotype learners. If the student perceives any mistreatment, they should first attempt to discuss it with the offender. If the student does not feel safe approaching the offender, they should discuss the concern with their academic advisor. If there is no resolution with their advisor or the advisor is the offender, they should discuss their concerns with the Didactic Education Manager (if in didactic phase) or Clinical Education Manager (if in clinical phase). If there is still no resolution the student should ask to meet with the dean.

(Student Handbook, Student Mistreatment)

Required Travel to Rotation Sites

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While attending SCPEs, the student must be prepared to travel throughout Washington State, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California, and occasionally to other states. Therefore, the student must have reliable transportation. Failure to attend an SCPE due to lack of transport is not an excused absence and will require the student to make up the missed time and may contribute to significant delays in completing the program.

The student bears all responsibility for transportation expenses related to SCPE location and mandatory Callback Day on-campus activities.

Designated international sites may only be utilized for non-core SCPEs (Electives I and II), provided the site meets the SCPE requirements, university/program policies, and accreditation standards. Within the student fees, the NU School of PA Medicine has allowed for costs of travel, food, and housing for the international electives, including mandatory traveler’s insurance with evacuation coverage covering all dates of travel from departure to return. Liability and medical malpractice insurance covering the international SCPE will also be provided for the PA student as part of the program-budgeted fees.

The pursuit of a global SCPE opportunity is voluntary and encouraged but not required of every NU PA student. Each NU PA student must complete a cross-cultural elective experience, so if they decide not to pursue an international elective, they will be assigned a cross-cultural elective in the United States.

(Clinical Policy 009/CP009, Clinical Policy 006/CP006)