PA Program Policy

Program Policy Application

Program policies apply to all full-time program faculty, instructional faculty, and students regardless of location.

 Work Policy

 The program strongly discourages any type of outside employment during the course of studies in the program. Program responsibilities are not negotiable and will not be altered due to student work obligations. Furthermore, working has been the chief cause of academic difficulty in past years.

 Students who choose to volunteer or be paid employees during the course of their physician assistant  training cannot use their affiliation with the program in any aspect of that employment. Any activity undertaken by the student, independent of the program, is not covered by the liability insurance offered for clinical work associated with physician assistant training.

Furthermore, students may not be required to perform clerical or administrative work for the program.

Students may not substitute for regular clinical or administrative staff during the clinical year. Should such a request be made of a student, it should be reported to the program director immediately.

Additionally, as per the ARC-PA standard A3.04, the PA students must not be required to work for the program. E-mail

E-mail is the preferred mode of communication between the program faculty/staff and students.

All students must use their City College e-mail account and must check this account daily. Students should empty mailboxes to allow for regular e-mail from program staff and faculty. Failure to check an e-mail account is not an allowable excuse for missing a program event or notification.

 Dress Code and Identification

 All CUNY SoM students should dress professionally both on-campus and in the clinical setting. Students in the didactic phase of the CUNY SoM PA Program will be learning in both the academic (City College academic spaces) and clinical(Harlem Hospital) environments; professional dress will be required in both environments.

 Always bring your white coat. Your coat must be clean, pressed, and worn at all times.

 Students must also wear the university issued name tag that clearly identifies them as a CUNY Medicine PA Program student, and, when supplied by clinical sites, wearing their facility issued identification badge. Students are not permitted to identify themselves as CUNY School of Medicine PA students in activities not approved by the program.

Clothing Guidelines:

 • Button-down shirts (with or without ties), polos, professional tops, or blouses, pants, slacks, khakis, skirts, or dresses are appropriate.

• Dress shoes, low heels, or flats are appropriate. Sneakers or other athletic shoes are permissible when clean.

• Jewelry should be minimal and understated.

• During the didactic phase, scrubs are permissible only when laboratory activities (e.g., physical diagnosis laboratory, technical skills laboratory) are on the academic schedule

 Students should avoid:

 • Bare-back tops, halter tops, midriff tops, spandex or other form fitting material tops and low- cut necklines.

• T-shirts, jeans, sweatshirts, sweat pants, shorts, mini-skirts (skirts that are shorter than finger-tip length) and spaghetti-strap dresses.

• Clothing or accessories bearing pictures or writing that states or implies unprofessional, illegal, distasteful or suggestive language/activities.

• Sunglasses inside (without medical reason).

• Head coverings, except for professional, medical or religious reasons or for reasons related to practice or Board of Health regulations.

• Slippers and/or open-toe shoes, such as flip flops or sandals.

• Excessively worn, ripped, frayed or wrinkled items.

• Any attire that would be worn for sports activity, except for athletic shoes worn by students involved in providing patient care services.

• Artificial fingernails of any type are forbidden. Muted colors of nail polish are preferred. Nails must be neat.

 Shoes and Footwear:

Acceptable: Shoes with closed toes. Walking shoes, loafers, clogs, boots, flats, and dress shoes are acceptable. All shoes should be kept clean.

 Unacceptable: Sneakers/gym-type footwear (except when permitted to wear scrubs), slippers or sandals

 General Guidelines:

 ·         Students should dress and accessorize in a manner that projects a professional image. Clothes and work shoes must be clean, neat, and in good repair.

·         Men may wear mustaches and beards that are neatly trimmed.

·         Nails must be kept trimmed.

·         Students must wear their hospital I.D. card and the Program I.D. at all times

·         If a more specific dress code is mandated by a clinical rotation site, please adhere to that dress code.

·         Repeated documented violations of this dress code will be subject to action by the Committee on Course and Standing.

 The dress code policy reflects the expected dress code for students at the CUNY School of Medicine: https://med.catalog.cuny.edu/studenthandbook/bsmdpolicies/attire

Student Teaching in Program Curriculum

 Some students may be particularly knowledgeable in an area of medicine or possess advanced clinical skills because of prior health care related experience. Although such expertise is commendable, PA students are not permitted to participate in the teaching of any component of the curriculum.

Program Faculty and Student Healthcare

 No faculty member, including the Program Director and the Medical Director, are permitted to provide health care for CUNY School of Medicine PA Students. Provision of health care includes giving medical advice. Program faculty can refer students for medical and mental health care, if needed.

Employee/Student Dating and Relationships

 Because of the commitment to maintaining an environment that supports our education goals, CUNY Med PA program prohibits romantic, sexual, and exploitative relationships between employees (faculty and staff) and students. This includes, but is not limited to, dating students, asking students for dates, engaging in romantic or sexual activities with students, asking students to engage in romantic or sexual activities, or engaging in any activities designed to encourage or which does encourage a romantic or sexual relationship. In principle, such relationships call into question the professional integrity of the faculty member and staff, create an appearance of impropriety, and raise potential conflicts of interest. In addition, such relationships jeopardize the academic freedom of the University community insofar as academic freedom demands an environment in which no person is intimidated, exploited, or coerced. The claim of mutual consent to such relationship will not prevent the faculty or staff member from being subject to disciplinary actions. This policy does not apply if the spouse or partner of an employee is a student at the University. Additionally, some circumstances in which faculty members, administrators, staff members work with students can have the potential for the exploitation of students. For example, a work-study student might be asked to perform services that go beyond the terms and conditions of the work-study assignment (e.g., child care, personal business transactions). In such cases, it must be clear that the student may decline such personal invitations without any adverse consequences. It may be that a work-study student will respond to an invitation to provide personal assistance, but this relationship must be one in which the student volunteers, is offered and accepts a fair wage for services, and one which bears no relationship to the continuation of or the evaluation of the work-study assignment. CUNY Med PA program reserves the right to take whatever action is appropriate, in its discretion, to protect the University's interests in the event of employee/student relationships or violation of this policy. This may include sanctions up to and including dismissal of the employee involved.

Policy on Drug and Alcohol Use

The CUNY School of Medicine Policy on Drug and Alcohol states that the consumption of alcoholic beverages is not permitted on campus property except in areas or at functions approved by the Dean of Students or designee. For more information, please see: Policy on Drugs and alcohol at https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/CUNY%20Policy%20Drugs%20%26%20Alcohol%20and%2 0Information%20on%20risks%20and%20consequences%20of%20drug%20and%20alcohol.pdf

This policy applies to students on clinical rotations as well. Therefore, students are absolutely forbidden from using any type of recreational drug or alcohol while on clinical rotations. Being under the influence of recreational drugs or alcohol while on rotation is grounds for immediate dismissal from the PA Program.

Students are also subject to CUNY School of Medicine penalties such as suspension or expulsion from the College.

 Sexual Harassment, Misconduct, and Mistreatment Policies

Sexual Harassment

The policies of both CUNY School of Medicine and the PA Program promote an environment where respect for all students, faculty and staff exists. Sexual harassment is inconsistent with this objective and illegal under federal, state and city laws. Any member of the college community engaging in sexual harassment or retaliating against anyone raising an allegation of sexual harassment, filing a complaint alleging sexual harassment, or participating in any proceeding to determine if sexual harassment has occurred will not be tolerated. This policy extends to all aspects of the program, including clinical rotations. For more information, please see:

CCNY policy on Sexual Assault: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/safety/title-ix-sexual-assault-policy CCNY policy on Sexual Misconduct: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/affirmativeaction/assault

 Definition

 For purposes of this policy, sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other oral or written communications or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

 ·         Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of any individual’s employment or academic standing;

·         Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment or academic decisions affecting such individual;

·         Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or abusive work or academic environment.

 Examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to the following:

·         Requesting or demanding favors in exchange for employment or academic opportunities (such as hiring, promotions, grades or recommendations);

·         Submitting unfair or inaccurate job or academic evaluations or grades, or denying training, or academic opportunity, because sexual advances have been rejected;

·         Sexual comments, teasing or jokes;

·         Sexual slurs, demeaning epithets, derogatory statements, or other verbal abuse;

·         Graphic or sexually suggestive comments about an individual’s attire or body;

·         Inquiries or discussions about sexual activities;

·         Pressure to accept social invitations, to meet privately, to date, or to have sexual relations;

·         Sexually suggestive letters or other written materials;

·         Sexual touching, brushing up against another in a sexual manner, graphic or sexually suggestive gestures, cornering, pinching, grabbing, kissing or fondling;

·         Coerced sexual intercourse or sexual assault.

 Sexual Misconduct

Sexual relations between a PA student and a patient are unethical, regardless of who initiated the relationship. Reasonable proof of a sexual relationship between a student and patient will result in dismissal from the program. Sexual relations between a PA student and clinical staff at a site are similarly unacceptable. Sexual harassment of a physician assistant student by a preceptor or other rotation site employee is a serious matter and must be reported to the Clinical Coordinator immediately. All good faith reports of inappropriate behavior will be supported. Students should not attempt to handle this problem alone, as sexual harassment involves issues of unequal power. Should a student feel s/he has been sexually harassed; assistance from the program faculty must be sought immediately.

 Mistreatment Policy

 The CUNY Medicine PA Program follows the mistreatment policy of CUNY Medicine; this policy can be found here: https://medicine.cuny.edu/mistreatment-reporting/ .