Policy on

Attendance and Punctuality in the FOW

The Zucker School of Medicine highly values engagement through active participation in all educational and patient care activities. Attendance and punctuality are essential ingredients to building a collaborative learning environment. Engagement in both large and small group sessions enhances personal edification and provides opportunities to learn collaboratively with peers and faculty and contribute to the education of the entire community. Attendance and punctuality are therefore expected at all curricular sessions.

Students must notify the school in advance of an absence by completing the Absence Reporting Form for any sessions that will be missed.

The student is responsible for notifying their faculty facilitator of an absence or lateness in advance of any course component small group sessions (PEARLS, PPS, Structure, Physical Diagnosis, Clinical Learning, etc.) and notifying their ICE preceptor, if the absence or lateness will affect a scheduled ICE session. Failure to notify faculty and/or ICE preceptors may be noted in the student’s conscientiousness professionalism tracker. 

Students are responsible for all work and assignments associated with missed sessions.  

Students will be required to meet with facilitators after missing, or being late to, a critical percentage of sessions in which attendance and punctuality are tracked during a course component. Students with continued absences or lateness after an initial meeting with facilitators, and/or in serial courses, will be referred to the Professionalism Committee.

The school may require a doctor’s note for absences in certain situations.

During Reflection, Integration and Assessment weeks (RIA), the student should notify the Office of Student Affairs as soon as possible through the on-call phone, and also complete the Absence Reporting Form.

In accordance with New York State Law, each student who is absent because of his or her religious beliefs will be given an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination, study or work requirements which the student may have missed because of that absence on any particular day or days. No student shall be expelled or refused admission to the School of Medicine because the student is unable to participate in any examination, study or work requirement because of his or her religious obligations and practices.

References to Regulations and/or Other Related Policies:
Guidelines Related to Absences for Religious Observances
Policy on Academic Advancement and Graduation
Policy on Leaves of Absence
Policy on Withdrawal


Last Updated: June 2022