Behavioral Expectations

Behavioral expectations are considered an academic expectation. They include interactions with faculty, fellow students, preceptors, patients, members of the health care team and the UT community. These expectations also include adhering to the UT Student Code of Conduct policy, UT and UTPA social media policies, UTPA HIPAA policy and the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) Code of Ethics.

Examples of unprofessional behavior include but are not limited to:

• Rudeness, disruptive, disrespectful behaviors (profanity, swearing, screaming, etc.) to faculty and staff including video techs or peers
• Inflammatory emails
• Harassment of other students
• Chronic tardiness
• Recurrent violations of dress code
• Failure to check emails or monitor email account size
• Leaving cell phones on (must be turned off during lectures and away from classroom/labs)
• Failure to maintain a well-functioning computer
• Prohibited online testing behavior
• Wearing headphones or ear plugs during lectures
• Not paying attention during class by emailing, reading emails, text messaging, reading text messages, cell phone use, listening to music, sleeping in class, use of Facebook, Twitter or other social media and surfing the internet while an instructor or professor is lecturing
• Disrupting other students by talking, laughing, and excessive movement in and out of classroom or making excessive noise in any fashion during lectures originating in one’s own or opposite campus
• Leaving classroom after signing attendance sheet or signing in any other student, whether they are present or not
• Giving feedback on peers or teacher evaluations that is not tactful or constitutes a personal insult

Professional Concern Report

Behavioral expectations are considered an academic expectation. The program uses a professional concern report (PCR) to document events that are considered unprofessional. These events may occur individually or between two students or may be observed by a faculty member. (For incidents that involved faculty mistreatment of student(s), refer to the student mistreatment policy.) The PCR report is used to notify the program of the concern. The report is located on the student Canvas home page for students or faculty to report a concern. The concern must be reported within seven days of the event or within seven days of notification of discovery of the event.

• The first PCR will trigger a meeting with the faculty advisor to discuss the issue and develop a professional remediation action plan.
• A second PCR may result in a meeting with the Progression, Promotion and Professionalism committee. The student may be placed on academic warning or probation and will be required to complete professional remediation.
• Continued lapses in professionalism or an egregious lapse of professionalism may result in dismissal from the program.

UT Student Code of Conduct Policy:

PA students are expected to adhere to all UT policies, including the  UT Student Code of Conduct policy. This policy addresses multiple areas of conduct, including respectful interactions with the UT community.

PA Social Media Policy:

PA students are expected to be mindful while using social networking websites and applications, as they are held to the highest standard keeping with the ideals of the institution and the profession of medicine. Each student is responsible for their own posting on the internet and social media. Therefore, they should be aware of the risks associated with such use. Violation of the social media policy may result in dismissal from the program.

HIPAA:

Students are expected to follow HIPAA privacy standards at all times.

Additionally, the following actions are strictly forbidden:

• In the professional role of a caregiver, one may not present the personal health information of other individuals. Removal of an individual’s name does not constitute proper de-identification of protected health information. Inclusion of data such as age, gender, race, diagnosis, date of evaluation, type of treatment or the use of a highly specific medical photograph (such as a before/after photograph of a patient having surgery or a photograph of a patient from a medical outreach trip) may still allow the reader to recognize the identity of a specific individual.
• Students may not report private (protected) academic information of another student or trainee. Such information might include, but is not limited to, course or clerkship grades, narrative evaluations, examination scores or adverse academic actions.
• In posting information on social networking sites, students may not present themselves as official representatives or spokespersons for UT.

AAPA Code of Ethics:

PA students are expected to adhere to the AAPA Code of Ethics.

Academic Professional Behavioral Expectations and Student Assessment

As health care practitioners, PAs are required to understand and conform to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct, following the AAPA  Guidelines for Ethical Conduct for the Physician Assistant Profession and the professional expectations of UT's PAM program.

Professional behavior encompasses the principles of honesty, integrity, empathy, respect, advocacy, self-awareness, personal accountability, teamwork, responsibility for learning, courtesy, compassion, moral and ethical interaction and avoidance of conflicts of interest.

PA students must be aware that they are viewed by both patients and medical providers as part of the medical community and are required to conduct themselves in a manner that complies with these principles.

Examples of professional behavior:

Ethical Conduct

• Respect Patient Modesty and Privacy: Always maintain the dignity and privacy of patients. Always respect patients’ modesty and privacy regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, or background.
• Identify Yourself as a Learner: Clearly state your role as a student or trainee. Strive to build college and patient understanding of your role as a PA student
• Maintain Confidentiality: Protect the confidentiality of patient information and fellow students. Abide by HIPAA guidelines at all times.
• Set Appropriate Interpersonal Boundaries: Establish and maintain professional boundaries with faculty, staff and your peers/colleagues. If you feel any professional boundaries are crossed or breached, please speak to your academic advisor or PAM faculty immediately.
• Perform Authorized Procedures Only: Only undertake procedures authorized by the program, clinical site, supervisor, and/or preceptor.

Honesty and Integrity

• Accurate Attribution: Accurately attribute sources in all written and oral presentations. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.
• Truthfulness: Do not intentionally mislead others. This includes providing falsified information to faculty, staff, and preceptors.
• Admit Mistakes: Acknowledge and learn from your mistakes. Immediately admit to mistakes and errors to allow for timely corrections to be made.
• Care for Property: Properly care for institutional and others' property. Any intentional damage to the property of UT or any other students will result in PPP review. 

Patient and Peer Respect and Advocacy

• Champion Patient Rights: Advocate for the rights and best interests of patients in a manner that is appropriate to your level of training.
• Respect for All: Always respect faculty, staff, students, and patients.
• Seek Help When Needed: Recognize when to seek help or expertise. This can include consultation with your academic advisors, success coaches and counselors. Be aware when situations require the help or expertise of others (e.g., reporting abuse, assisting with social services agencies)
• Prioritize Patient Needs: Always strive to put the needs of patients first.

Compassion and Communication

• Effective Communication: Communicate politely and effectively. Be aware of your tone, and the manner of which you converse with others. Avoid discipline-specific terminology with patients, families, and the public
• Appropriate Communication: Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Respect patients’ and families’ backgrounds and cultures. Always communicate in a manner that is respectful of, and sensitive to, the patient's and family's age, orientation, culture, and beliefs.
• Address Emotional Needs: Be sensitive to the emotional needs of others demonstrating sensitivity, honesty, and compassion during difficult conversations.

Self-Awareness

• Recognize Personal Biases: Be aware of your thoughts and actions.
  • Identify and address conscious and unconscious biases that might influence your interactions with patients and colleagues. 
     

Responsibility and Accountability

• Correct Deficiencies: strive to address and correct behavior, knowledge, and skill deficiencies in a timely manner. Strive to always build academic maturity.
• Seek and Respond to Feedback: Actively seek and respond to feedback in a professional manner.
• Pursue Deeper Learning: Strive for deeper learning beyond didactic and clinical objectives. Be a motivated and ambitious learner throughout your medical training.

Teamwork

• Fulfill Roles: Fulfill assigned roles and seek assistance when needed.
• Respect Expertise: Respect the expertise of fellow team members, colleagues, peers, faculty and staff.
• Contribute Positively: Contribute equally and positively to team efforts in a cooperative and considerate manner.
• Maintain Professionalism: Maintain a professional respectful demeanor, especially under stress and in times of disagreement.

Balance and Self-Care

• Recognize Impairment/Burnout: Understand, recognize, and address signs of impairment or burnout. Seek assistance as needed.
• Promote Health and Wellness: Develop habits that promote health and wellness. Be an advocate for your own self-care and mental health. Emphasize self-care to maintain effectiveness as a community leader.

Learner and Colleague Responsibilities

• Timely Completion: Complete assignments and duties in a timely manner and to the best of your ability. This includes response to emails and communication with faculty/staff. Meet all administrative requirements punctually.
• Active Participation: Participate actively in learning activities.
• Collaborate and Share Knowledge: Collaborate and share knowledge with others.
• Foster a Positive and Respectful Learning Environment: Foster a supportive and positive learning environment for yourself and your peers. Give and receive feedback respectfully. Avoid arguments. Strive to always support others to enhance their continued growth and development

Conflict of Interest

• Avoid Conflicts of Interest: Avoid situations where personal interests can negatively influence professional duties.
• Recognize Potential Conflicts: Recognize and avoid situations in which professional, commercial, or financial interests or activities have the potential to or actually influence academic, clinical, and conduct obligations.
  • Avoid relationships that can lead to conflicts of interest, create perceptions of bias, and potentially disrupt the learning environment.

Assessment of Professionalism

Students are assessed in a variety of ways on their professionalism. These include self-evaluation, peer evaluations during group work, faculty evaluations during presentations and problem-based learning events, standardized patient assessment and preceptor evaluations.

Each course director utilizes the “professionalism and interpersonal skills assessment tool” to assess student skills in their course. A low score in any category or overall on this tool may result in academic warning, probation or a referral to the Progression, Promotion, Professionalism committee to discuss performance and remediation of behavior.

Note: This policy is not all-encompassing. Please direct any additional questions or concerns you may have regarding this policy to your academic advisor.

Purpose

This policy aims to ensure the integrity of the learning environment, protect faculty and staff’s intellectual property, and respect the privacy and rights of instructors and students.

Policy Statement

Recording of lectures, presentations, and other course content is strictly prohibited unless explicit permission is obtained from the course director or guest lecturer. This includes, but is not limited to, audio recordings, video recordings, and photography.

Procedure for Obtaining Permission

1. Request Submission: Students wishing to record any lecture or course content must submit a formal request to the course director or guest lecturer prior to the start of class.
2. Review and Approval: The course director and/or guest lecturer will review the request and determine whether to grant permission. Approval is at the discretion of the course director and/or guest lecturer and may be subject to specific conditions.
3. Permission Form: If the recording is approved, the course director will provide a permission form that outlines the terms and conditions of the recording. The form must be signed by the student and returned to the course director before any recording takes place.

Conditions of Approved Recordings

• Usage: Approved recordings are for personal academic use only and may not be shared, distributed, or posted online in any form.
• Confidentiality: Students must ensure that the recordings do not include sensitive or confidential information.
• Violation: Unauthorized recording or misuse of approved recordings will result in disciplinary action as outlined in the academic program’s code of conduct.

Enforcement

Failure to adhere to this policy may result in disciplinary action.

Review and Amendments

This policy will be reviewed annually and amended as necessary to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness in maintaining a respectful and effective learning environment.

By implementing this policy, the academic program seeks to uphold the integrity of its educational content and respect the rights and privacy of all participants.

Conditionally accepted students may be permitted to delay matriculation for up to one year on a case by case basis. The written request must be submitted to the chair of the Progression, Promotion and Professionalism (PPP) committee as soon as possible, but no later than the first day of new student orientation. The request must include an explanation of circumstances for which the student is requesting a delay in matriculation, and how those circumstances will be resolved during the delay. Examples of personal circumstances that might prompt a deferment include, but are not limited to, medical emergencies and military service or family obligations that impact the ability to progress unimpeded in the program of study.

PPP committee chair: Kimberly Mularoni, kmularoni@ut.edu
Department chair: Johnna Yealy, jyealy@ut.edu

Deferred Admission Procedures

1. An email with detailed written request is sent by the student to the PPP chair requesting deferment.
2. The PPP chair will contact the student to verify the request and discuss plans for the deferral year. These will include preparation for the next cohort and alternative options. If deferment is rejected, students may stay with cohort of original acceptance or re-apply.
3. The PPP committee will meet to discuss and make a decision.
4. A letter will be sent to the student with deferral decision, conditions of deferment and student’s right to appeal if applicable.
5. The student may appeal the decision to the physician assistant medicine department chair, in writing, within five business days of receiving the decision.
6. The department chair will have two business days to respond to the appeal.
7. If the deferral request is rejected, the student must respond within two business days with their intent to enter as scheduled with the original cohort or their admission will be rescinded.

Deferred Admission Requirements

• The student has submitted, in writing, a request for deferred admittance to the next entering cohort no later than the first day of new student orientation. The written request includes explanation of circumstances for the request.
• The student meets all requirements for admission into UT’s physician assistant medicine program for the cohort with which they will be matriculating. Example: the student must meet any revisions to admission criteria between cohorts (GPA, prerequisites, etc.).
• Requests for deferral will be considered if there is probability that the motivating factors for such requests may be resolved prior to matriculation into the next cohort. Examples: military deployment, traumatic personal injury, medical diagnosis or family obligations that impact the ability to progress unimpeded in the program of study.

The student will be responsible for the current admission non-refundable fee for the cohort of matriculation. The student will be responsible for all tuition and fees for the cohort of matriculation.

Absences

Students are required to attend all scheduled classes. All requests for absences must be reviewed by the course director and academic director. Approval is not guaranteed. If approval is granted, there may be consequences for the student, including but not limited to, delayed progression and graduation, course incompletion or failure requiring a repeat, or program dismissal. It is the student’s responsibility to discuss the request and consequences with the course director.

Types of Absence Requests

The PA program follows the general attendance policy in the UT catalog. In addition, see the policies listed below.

1. Emergency/Unexpected Absence or Tardiness

Absences or tardiness due to unexpected medical and/or personal issues must be reported as soon as possible. Mode of notification should be based on student’s safety at the time of absence or tardiness.

All absences related to illness will require a statement from a health care provider. Absences of greater than three days due to illness or injury will require a statement from the student's health care provider (not a family member or friend) stating that the student is able to resume all activities fully, without limitation, as required by the program. This statement must be delivered to the course director immediately upon the student returning to class. Failure to notify the program in a timely manner may result in the absence being deemed "unexcused" and may result in disciplinary action by the PPP committee.

2. Expected/Planned Absence

Students are to attend all scheduled classes; however, the program understands that there may be exceptional circumstances for which class or scheduled activity may be excused. Requests for vacation trips, weddings of friends, graduations of friends and other circumstances should be approved by the course director with at least 30 days’ notice before the event if possible.

For these expected/planned absences, students must obtain permission from the course director(s) by email.

3. Unexcused Absences or Tardiness

An unexcused absence from class or repeated tardiness is considered unprofessional conduct. At the discretion of the course director, the student's professionalism assessment (via Professional Assessment Tool) for that course may be affected, and/or the final grade may be decreased by up to 10% (noted in the syllabus), and/or the student may be referred to the PPP Committee for discussion and action. In all situations, students are responsible for the material and assignments presented during the time of absence including all examinations and unannounced quizzes.

Unexcused Tardiness

Unexcused tardiness and leaving class early are considered to be unprofessional behavior. On first instance, the instructor will document tardiness by sending the student an email about their tardiness with a copy to the Faculty Advisor and Academic Director. If second instance occurs, the instructor will document tardiness by sending the student an email about their tardiness with a copy to the Faculty Advisor and a copy to the Program Director. At this point, the Faculty Advisor will meet with the student for an advisor meeting where the Faculty Advisor will document meeting via Advisor Form. Further instances of tardiness could result in referral to the PPP Committee.

Absence Approval Process

1. The student will email all course directors for courses their absence will affect.
2. The course director will notify the student as soon as possible (but within three business days) of the decision regarding the approval of the absence request and/or will provide the student with further information regarding next steps to discuss the request for absence.

Extended Absences

Any continuous or cumulative absence of 7 days or greater in a single semester will result in consideration of continued enrollment in the program.

Absences Due to Religious Observations Policy

The program's policy follows the University's policy on these specific absences.

The PA program is on an individualized academic schedule. See the PA academic schedule in your cohort’s Canvas for information on breaks and holidays.

It is the policy of the UT PA program to utilize a Progression, Promotion and Professionalism Committee chaired by the medical director to complete the following tasks:

• Review each student’s performance and make a progression recommendation to the program director (progression from one semester to the next semester).*
• Review each student’s performance and make a promotion recommendation to the program director (promotion from one phase to the next).*
• Review each student’s performance and make a graduation recommendation to the program director.*
• Review student’s performance related to academic professional concerns and make recommendations for probation, remediation, deceleration and/or dismissal to the program director.
• Review student’s performance related to academic grade concerns and make recommendations for probation, remediation, deceleration and/or dismissal to the program director (serving in the role of the Academic Integrity Review Board).
• Review student deferral request for admission into the program.

*See the progression/promotion/graduation policy for academic standards related to progression, promotion or graduation.

The committee consists of:

• Medical Director - Chair
• Associate Program Director
• Faculty Member
• Simulation Director 
• Program Director - ex officio member (invited for guidance or to provide information but non-voting)

Referral to Committee:

Students may be referred to the PPP committee for the following:

• Egregious professionalism lapses
• Two professional conduct reports (cumulative)
• A score of “1” on any professionalism assessment
• Failure to meet the academic standards.

Notifications:

• The committee is responsible for placing a student on probation for failure to meet academic standards and notifying the student, faculty advisor, program director and Office of Graduate Studies (OCGS) for a GPA less than 3.0 (or failure in a pass/fail course) at the end of any semester.
• During the clinical phase, a student will go on probation immediately upon failure of a module (rotation) and will be notified by the clinical director, who will notify the student, the PPP chair and faculty advisor. The PPP chair will notify the program director and OGCS at the end of the semester.
• All other recommendations are first sent to the program director for review and affirmation.

Appeal

• Students may appeal decisions, other than probation due to academic standards, to the program director within seven days by written appeal with rationale for appeal. The student may email the appeal.
• The program director will respond within seven days to the appeal.
• The next appeal would be to the College of Natural and Health Science Appeals Committee through email to the dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences.
• Appeal of a course or rotation grade/failure – see grade appeal policy. It is not the function of the PPP to hear appeals of individual or final grades.

• The institution addresses the safety of students on campus through the Department of Campus Safety.
• The dedicated PA facility has key card entry controlled access; therefore, only PA students and faculty have access to their floors in this building.
• Safety and security for students on clinical rotations are addressed during the clinical year orientation. These rely on the personal safety and security measures in place for the staff at each clinical facility.
• Personal safety measures also include student instruction in the application of universal precautions and risks of bloodborne pathogens during the program’s didactic phase prior to potential exposure.
• Call 911 for any emergency event and then follow the reporting procedure listed below. When calling 911 from the GHSB on campus, the physical location is 350 UT Archway Lane.
• The incident reporting process and procedure for reporting safety and security events on campus during the didactic phase are to complete the complaint form here: https://www.ut.edu/about-ut/university-services/campus-safety/file-a-report.
• The incident reporting process and procedure for reporting safety and security events at clinical sites is to contact the clinical director immediately and complete the advisor form describing the incident.
• For occupational health and safety incidents that occur on campus, notify your course director and complete the incident form located here: https://www.ut.edu/academics/environmental-health-and-safety-(ehs)/accident-/-incident-reporting.
• For occupational health and safety incidents that occur at clinical sites, follow the site specific protocol and notify the clinical director immediately.

Teaching-Out Policy

• In the event of PA program closure or loss of accreditation, the UT PA program will establish a teaching-out plan that is in alignment with institutional policy and meets regional accreditation requirements and/or federal law. If, for any reason, the UT-PA program is prohibited from teaching out currently enrolled students then all reasonable attempts to execute a teaching-out agreement with currently accredited PA programs will be made. The written agreement between the UT-PA program and the accepting institution will provide for the equitable treatment of students and an opportunity for students to complete their program within a reasonable period of time.
• Accepted applicants into the next class would be notified of the program’s closure and change in accreditation status and applicants would be refunded all deposits required for enrollment. The teaching-out plan and agreement for students would be submitted to the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and ARC-PA for approval prior to execution.
• The procedure to implement the plan will be as follows: the program director/department chair will coordinate the teaching out of students with UT senior institutional officials in the event the accrediting authority allows the action. If not, the program director/department chair will contact regionally accredited PA programs to initiate a teach-out agreement and coordinate with senior institutional officials.

Regarding faculty grievances, the Department of PA follows the UT Faculty Handbook, Chapter 5: Rights, Privileges, and Benefits of Members of the Faculty .

Regarding faculty sexual harassment, the Department of PAM follows the UT Faculty Handbook, Chapter 6: University Policy Statements.

• Information related to the institution's policy and procedures for processing students' allegations of harassment that is sexual in nature can be located at https://www.ut.edu/about-ut/university-services/human-resources/title-ix-.
• The University of Tampa and the PA program foster a campus culture that is inclusive and supportive to aid in student success and persistence efforts through the core values of diversity and inclusion. To learn more about this and how to process a complaint or concern related to bias or discrimination, please visit this webpage and follow the BERT policy: https://www.ut.edu/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/bias-education-resource-team-(bert).
• The PA Program policy for student mistreatment is located on this page in A3.15 Academic/Curriculum Standards.

The PA program follows the UT policy on refund of tuition and fees.

• You (the student) may receive 100% tuition and fees refund if you drop by the designated “Last Day to Drop Classes with 100% Tuition Credit” date for each semester found on the Physician Assistant Medicine Academic Calendar.

If you withdraw or if you are dismissed or decelerated after the designated date, you will receive no tuition or fees refund.

• All student program policies apply to all PA students regardless of location.
• All faculty/administrative program policies apply to all principal PA faculty regardless of location.
• All faculty/administrative program policies apply to the program director/medical director regardless of location.

PA students will be informed of program policies and practices in multiple ways:

• Program policies are posted on the PA program webpage.
• During orientation, program policies will be reviewed and discussed. Students will sign an attestation of completion of online policy review and participation of policy discussion during orientation.
• During clinical orientation, the student clinical handbook and policies will be discussed. Students will sign attestation of review to document their awareness of the policies and practices.

• Students are not required to solicit or recruit clinical sites and/or preceptors.
• Refer to the clinical placement policy in the Clinical Phase Student Manual for more information

• The PA program is rigorous in nature and students are highly discouraged from working while enrolled. Working will not be considered a valid reason for class, lecture or clinical rotation absence.
• Students are never required to work for the PA program.

• Students may not substitute for instructional faculty. Students may voluntarily share the knowledge and expertise they have developed in previous health profession training or work experience, but they are not required to lecture for the program.
• Students may not be utilized as clinical or administrative staff while on clinical rotations. If this occurs, contact the clinical director immediately.

Scope

This policy applies to all students enrolled in the PAM Program during all academic activities, including classes, clinical rotations, and program-related events.

Policy Statement

Students are expected to dress in a manner that is professional, neat, and appropriate for the academic and clinical environment. This includes adhering to specific guidelines regarding clothing, grooming, and personal hygiene.

Dress Code Guidelines

• Identification: Wear the University of Tampa PA student ID, embroidered lab coat when indicated and in all clinical rotation settings.  Embroidered Black UT PAM scrubs top and bottom with UTAMPA PA student ID may be worn without lab coat as well in the clinical rotation setting when indicated.
• Representation: Do not misrepresent yourself as anything other than a PA student. Students may not use previously earned titles and credentials in any correspondence regarding or related to the UT physician assistant medicine program (i.e., RN, Ph.D., RD, etc.)
   

General Requirements

Didactic Phase, Classroom, Lab areas: Adhere to the professional dress code as outlined below and refer to individual course directors for course-specific dress code adjustments.

Clinical Phase and Clinical Sites: Adhere to the professional dress code as outlined below and refer to clinical coordinator for additional clinical phase dress code information and adjustments. 

• Clinical phase students must dress in a professional manner best suited to the rotation environment (program black scrubs, or professional attire). All attire must be clean, pressed and without damage.
• During Clinical Phase the program requires students to wear their UT short, white lab coats at all times while on rotations unless otherwise designated by the preceptor/site. The lab coat is embroidered with first and last name, PA student (title), UT PA program patch and UT minaret.
• A second form of identification may be required by specific sites at which the student is rotating, this should be in addition to program-required identification, not in lieu of.
• Students are responsible for checking with rotation/clinical staff regarding regulations and rules for dress and head coverings specific to individual rotation policies.
• Always Follow site-specific dress requirements.

Appropriate Attire

1. ID Badge: Wear the official program-issued PA student ID badge.
2. Program-Specific Attire: Wear clean, neat PA program-approved scrubs or professional dress with closed-toe/heeled shoes.
3. Hair: Maintain neatly groomed hair, securing long hair off shoulders when performing procedures.
4. Facial Hair: Keep facial hair neatly groomed.
5. Business Professional Attire*:

                Men:

                        - Shirt: Collared shirt, polo shirt, or button-down shirt with or without a tie.
                        - Blazer/profession dress Jacket: Optional. (White Coat*)
                        - Pants: Khakis, dress pant and belt or (dress shorts in the summer).
                        - Shoes: Loafers, dress shoes, or clean, non-athletic shoes.
                        - Accessories: Minimal jewelry

                Women:

                       - Top: Blouse, collared shirt, or professional knit top. (White Coat*)
                        - Bottoms: Dress pants, skirts at knee length or longer, or khakis. (dress shorts in the summer).
                        - Shoes: Flats, loafers, or low-to-mid heels.
                        - Accessories: Minimal jewelry and professional bag or purse.

*Following white coat ceremony, each student will wear their white coat when indicated by faculty. This includes but is not limited to specified events, OSCEs, and additional course days.

During OSCEs, students must also be dressed in professional attire as outlined above.

Prohibited Attire

1. Clothing: Mini-skirts, tube tops, shorts, T-shirts, jeans, denim, leggings, sportswear (jogging attire, gym wear, swimwear, sweatshirts), excessively tight, shorts, or baggy clothing, and clothing exposing excessive skin in the chest, abdomen, shoulders, or midriff. Shirts with profanity.
2. Tops: Do not wear low-cut or sleeveless tops/dresses (unless worn with a sweater/jacket).
3. Undergarments: Ensure undergarments are not visible.
4. Outerwear: Do not wear undershirts or spandex as outerwear.
5. Accessories: Avoid excessive jewelry and strong perfume or cologne (due to patient sensitivity).
6. Footwear: Do not wear flip-flops or open-toe shoes.
7. Headwear: Do not wear baseball caps, other hats, or hoodies (except for religious/cultural reasons).

Hygiene and Presentation

1. Personal Hygiene: Maintain good personal hygiene and a neat appearance at all times.

Additional Notes

1. Lost Items: Lost IDs or lab coats must be replaced before resuming rotations at the student's expense. If a student loses their student ID or lab coat, they must stop their rotation and not return until the items are replaced. Students are responsible for the replacement costs of all lost items. Time missed from rotation is subject to the SCPE absenteeism policy.
2. Pins: Pins representing the PA profession, or the University of Tampa are allowed on lab coats/scrubs. No other adornment is approved.
3. Bear in mind that as you examine patients and perform procedures you may be kneeling or bending over in front of or across the patient. In all instances, clothes should be professional and not revealing.

Enforcement

Students who fail to adhere to the dress code may be subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to verbal or written warnings, removal from class or clinical activities, and further disciplinary measures as outlined in the academic program’s code of conduct.

Review and Amendments

This policy will be reviewed annually and amended as necessary to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness in promoting a professional academic environment.
 

By adhering to this dress code policy, students demonstrate their commitment to maintaining the professional standards expected within the academic program and the professional community.

Immunization Policy

• During the admission process into UT, the student must refer to Orientation Health Forms and follow the UT required process for documentation of immunizations and health examinations for full-time domestic graduate students.
• Note that the due date is July 1 for fall matriculation. The UT health center does not share these forms/documents with the PA program.
• In addition to the above, the PA program requires all students to meet the health and immunization requirements recommended by the CDC for health professionals found at  Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers. Documentation of these immunizations will be maintained by the UT Dickey Health and Wellness Center.
  • The required vaccines are:
    • COVID-19 vaccine*
    • Chickenpox vaccine (varicella)
    • Flu vaccine (influenza)
    • Hepatitis B vaccine
    • Meningococcal vaccine – especially lab workers who work with Neisseria Meningitidis
    • MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella)
    • Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough) or Td (tetanus and diphtheria)
• Regarding COVID-19 vaccine*, the CDC recommendations for health profession students can be found at Healthcare Workers: Information on COVID-19. The state of Florida has established a process to opt-out of the COVID-19 immunization. If you chose to opt out, please complete one of the opt-out forms and return it to program.
• Proof of influenza vaccination is required annually; it must be given by the end of October of each year enrolled.
• Proof of negative TB health screening status will be required before students begin their clinical phase of training. The required TB test will be based on clinical site recommendations. This information will be placed on the student’s Canvas site during the Fall 2 semester. To review the CDC recommendation you can click here, but know that we must conform to the local clinical site requirements.
• Once completed, students must maintain compliance with all CDC-recommended immunizations throughout the program or they will not be allowed to participate in patient care in clinical settings. Some sites may require health screenings within 6 months of participation at the site.

Travel Outside the U.S.

• The program does not require travel outside the United States; however, as a student group if you choose to complete a mission trip, you should review the immunization guidelines under the “get personalized recommendations” on the  CDC’s Healthcare Workers tab.

Health Form

• Students will be sent the PA program health form and must return it to the PA Program before matriculation. This form must be completed by the student’s healthcare provider and returned directly to the PA program.

Health Insurance

• Proof of current health insurance. The physician assistant medicine department requires that PA students have current health insurance. This is mandatory for each year of enrollment in the program. Students will be required to provide a copy of their insurance card to the program in August of each year. This will be maintained in the student file.
• Full-time graduate students at UT have the option of voluntarily purchasing a health insurance policy through United HealthCare Student Resources. This policy may be used at the UT Dickey Health and Wellness Center for covered benefits. To learn more or to purchase this policy, call United HealthCare Student Resources Customer Service at (888) 224-4846. For more information, visit UT Health Center Insurance Information.

Financial Responsibility

• Students are financially responsible for the cost of maintaining compliance with health, health insurance and immunization requirements.

• The PA program has a commitment to protect the health and well-being of students, faculty, staff and patients. As part of their training, PA students may encounter exposure to infectious and/or environmental hazards. This may include being exposed to human donors and preservative chemicals such as formaldehyde in the anatomy lab, latex or other products such as gloves that may contain allergens, and exposure to communicable infectious disease which may be transferred via airborne, mucous membrane splashes or needle-stick exposures in the clinical setting. Examples of bloodborne pathogens and communicable disease may include tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Women of child-bearing age may also have additional considerations, such as minimizing exposure to infectious diseases, possible teratogens or chemical exposures or exposure to ionizing radiation.
• While the risk of transmission is small, the program has a number of processes in place to minimize risk.
• Prevention is the first step in student safety; therefore, students are required to show proof of appropriate immunity, or documented immunization, as part of their matriculation requirements and prior to the onset of actual patient contact.
• During the didactic year of training, presentations are given on universal blood and body fluid precautions, infection control and prevention of the spread of communicable disease. These are included in orientation week activities. In addition to instruction on how to prevent exposures, students will receive instruction on what constitutes an exposure and the procedures for care and treatment after an exposure. In the event the exposure occurs on campus, students will be referred to the local emergency room or urgent care center for care. The academic director will complete an incident report and notify the appropriate UT official of the incident.
• In the event of respiratory or gastrointestinal illness, students are advised to follow health provider recommendations to self-isolate at home until they are no longer potentially infectious to others.
• Students also will be provided with safety policies to follow in the anatomy laboratory (as detailed in the anatomy lab manual). Allergy to formaldehyde and/or latex (previous and subsequent to enrollment) must be verified by a health care provider. The student must give this information to the Academic Success Center, where the coordinator of disabilities services is based, in order for protective mask/cartridge or other accommodations to be considered for payment.
• Additional instruction on procedures for care and treatment of exposures in the clinical setting will be provided as part of orientation to the clinical education phase. Students should follow the process in place at their clinical training site and then notify the clinical director to complete an incident report form at the program.
• The student is financially responsible for any costs incurred secondary to infectious and/or environmental hazardous exposures.
• Effects of infectious or environmental disease or disability: acquisition of an infectious or environmental disease may impact student learning activities and outcomes. Students must be able to meet published health requirements at all times in order to continue matriculation in the program and to provide care at clinical sites. Based upon outcomes and degree of infectious or environmental hazard exposure, a student’s continued participation in classroom and/or clinical activities as part of the PA program may be delayed or prevented. In the event that the student contracts a communicable disease which potentially poses a risk to patients or co-workers (e.g., tuberculosis), steps will be taken to prevent dissemination in accordance with public health and/or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols.
• To request accommodation for latex allergy, the student must provide proof of allergy that must be submitted with the student’s request at Documentation of Disability. For questions regarding documentation requirements, contact the associate director of Student Accessibility and Academic Support at (813) 257-3266 or accessibility.services@ut.edu.
• Certain communicable diseases may also be reported to county or state health authorities, as required by law. A list of reportable disease for Florida may be found at Reportable Diseases/Conditions in Florida (PDF).

• The PA faculty (including the program and medical directors) are not allowed to provide medical care to students or access student health records, but may facilitate referrals to health facilities.
• Preceptors are not allowed to provide medical care to students or access student health records.

• To provide timely access and referral of students to services addressing personal issues which may impact the student’s progression in the PA program, the program has partnered with UT Counseling Services to provide up to six visits of free counseling on campus for PA students regardless of the student’s insurance status. The PA program will be billed for these services without identifying student information.
• Full-time graduate students at UT have the option of voluntarily purchasing a health insurance policy through United HealthCare Student Resources (see UT Health Center Insurance Information). UT medical services is not contracted to provide services under any other health insurance policy other than the student health insurance listed above. This policy may be used at the Dickey Health and Wellness Center for covered benefits. To learn more or to purchase this policy, call United HealthCare Student Resources Customer Service at (888) 224-4846.
• For services that are not covered by student health insurance, medical services charges a reasonable fee at the time of visit. Otherwise, there are multiple local medical providers for which students may seek health care.
• Students with health or personal issues that arise while enrolled in the PA program are encouraged to discuss any educational program related concerns with the program director or their faculty advisor. The PA faculty (including the program and medical directors) may not provide medical care to students or access student health records, but may facilitate referrals to health facilities.

Mental Health Support, After Hours Crisis and Emergency Care

The University of Tampa provides a 24/7 confidential student support line that is staffed by licensed professional counselors through a partnership with Christie Campus Health. Students that need in the moment support, after-hours crisis assistance or emergency concerns should contact (833) 755-0484 for immediate support.

• See PA Program Accreditation Status
• See PA Program Brochure

It is the policy of the program to describe, publish and make readily available information on its success in achieving its goals on the UT PA website: PANCE Results, Program Goals and Outcomes webpage.

It is the policy of the program to describe, publish and make readily available information on the PANCE pass rates on the UT PA website: PANCE Results, Program Goals and Outcomes webpage.

• It is the policy of the program to describe, publish and make readily available information on the curricular components on the UT physician assistant medicine website and in informational brochures.
• Curriculum
• Brochure

• It is the policy of the program to describe, publish and make readily available information on the academic credit offered by the program on the UT PA website and in informational brochures.
• Curriculum
• Brochure

• It is the policy of the program to describe, publish, and make readily available information on the estimates of all costs related to the program on the UT PA website and in informational brochures.
• Costs
• Brochure

It is the policy of the program to describe, publish and make readily available the following information on the UT PA website and in informational brochures.

1. admission and enrollment practices that favor specified individuals or groups
2. admission requirements regarding prior education or work experience
3. policies and procedures concerning awarding or granting advanced placement
4. any required academic standards for enrollment
5. any required technical standards for enrollment
   • Admission practices
   • Brochure

Clarification: Triggers for academic probation include a semester GPA of less than 3.0 OR an overall cumulative GPA of less than 3.0.

A3.15 Academic Standards (PDF)
A3.15 Academic Curriculum Policies (PDF)

• PA students and other unauthorized persons are not allowed to have access to the academic records or other confidential information of other students or faculty.
• To ensure that PA student’s academic or confidential information is handled in confidence, PA faculty complete FERPA training. More information can be found at FERPA for Faculty and Staff.

• PA student health records are confidential and are not accessible to or reviewed by program faculty or staff, except for immunization and tuberculosis screening results, which are retained and released with written permission from the student.
• The program does not consider needle stick/sharp reports, results of drug screening or criminal background checks a part of the health record.