University of Mississippi Medical Center
School of Medicine
Policy on Professional Behavior
Students enrolled in the School of Medicine must develop the professional behaviors expected of a physician. Students will be evaluated in the areas of attentiveness, maturity, cooperation, responsibility, personal appearance, respect (for authority, peers, patients and other members of the health care team), communication, judgment, ethics, honesty, morality, as well as other characteristics of professionalism important for a career in medicine.
Each day, a medical student will encounter a number of people who will observe professional or unprofessional behaviors. These people may report compliments or concerns related to the professional behavior of a student through verbal, written, or other reporting mechanisms. Examples of report sources include: faculty members, residents, nurses, other health care providers, other medical center employees, medical school peers, patients, or patient’s family members. Reports of exemplary professional or unprofessional behaviors or concerns should be made to the Assistant or Associate Dean for Student Affairs or for Academic Affairs.
When a student receives a report of a concern related to unprofessional behavior, the Assistant or Associate Dean for Student Affairs or for Academic Affairs shall meet with the student to discuss the incident.
Following the initial meeting with the Assistant or Associate Dean for Student Affairs or for Academic Affairs, the following actions will be taken:
1) If the incident is felt to be minor:
- The initial interview and counseling session, as well as further monitoring of a student’s performance in the area of concern may suffice. Other Assistant or Associate Deans in the School of Medicine (Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs) may be asked to participate in counseling and meeting with the students. The counseling session will be documented in the student’s file in the office of the Assistant or Associate Dean for Student Affairs or for Academic Affairs, but the report will not carry forth to future evaluations if the behavior does not recur and if there are no other reports of unprofessional behavior.
- If the reported incident, upon investigation, is found to be frivolous and not valid, this fact will be clearly documented in the student’s file. 2) If the incident is of serious concern or if there has been a pattern (greater than two) of minor incidents, the Assistant or Associate Dean for Student Affairs or for Academic Affairs, or other Assistant or Associate Deans in the School of Medicine (Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs) will interview and counsel the student as above and may: Discuss the incident with the Senior Associate Dean or designee, and recommend that the student be placed on leave of absence.
- Discuss the incident with the Senior Associate Dean or designee, and recommend that the student be placed on probation for unprofessional behavior.
- Discuss the incident with the Senior Associate Dean or designee, and recommend that the student repeat the course.
- Discuss the incident with the Senior Associate Dean or designee, and recommend the student repeat the academic year.
- Discuss the incident with the Senior Associate Dean or designee, and recommend the student be dismissed from the School of Medicine.
These recommendations will be presented to the appropriate Promotions Committee. The Promotions Committee will recommend actions to the Executive Faculty and the Dean of the School of Medicine for approval.
The Mechanism for Appeal is outlined in the Student Handbook.
A student who returns after a suspension, dismissal, or withdrawal for unprofessional behavior will automatically be on academic probation for at least one academic quarter.
A student dismissed from the School of Medicine for unprofessional behavior may appeal for re-admission to advanced standing.
Approved by SOM Executive Faculty February 22, 2005
