1. Committee Responsibilities

1.0 The Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee shall direct an annual review and evaluation of students applying for base hospital special consideration. In accomplishing this task, the Committee will assume the additional responsibility for the establishment and annual review of criteria (See Section 3) used to determine the eligibility of students for base hospital special consideration.

1.1 After reviewing the completed Base Hospital Special Consideration Request Form and accompanying documentation as well as listening to student presentations (if requested by the students) the Committee will make decisions regarding which students should be granted base hospital special consideration.

1.2 All Committee recommendations will be communicated in writing to the Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine who may, after further review of all requests and applications and discussion with the Committee Chairperson, uphold or overturn the Committee decisions. Reasons for overturning Committee decisions shall be communicated in writing to the Committee by the Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. (See Section 6)

2. Committee Composition

2.0 The Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee shall be composed of three voting members: three faculty representatives to be appointed annually by the Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine from the wholly administered Clinical Departments of the College. The Coordinator for Clinical Education, who will serve as Committee Chairperson, the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, the Associate Dean for Student Services, the Associate Dean for Research, and the Director of Counseling and Advising shall serve as ex-officio members without vote. The Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine may also appoint such other ex-officio, non-voting members to represent diverse perspectives within the College of Osteopathic Medicine as deemed appropriate.

3. Criteria

3.0 The Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee will review only those applications that meet the criteria. However, students who do not meet the criteria but feel that they have special circumstances which should be considered, may petition to appear before the Committee through the Coordinator for Clinical Education. These students should fully document, in writing, their special circumstances and be prepared to explain their situation to the Committee.

3.1 The Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee will carefully review each application for base hospital special consideration but there are no guarantees that each application will be approved.

3.2 The Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee will consider the application for a base hospital only if the base hospital is nearest the location the student indicates he/she must live.

3.3 The criteria used by the Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee to determine student eligibility for base hospital special consideration are separated into Type I and Type II criteria.

3.4 Type I criteria:

" Student, spouse or children with physical (illness/disability) or mental illness (disability) in need of health facilities or special services unique to a particular community and which cannot be duplicated effectively elsewhere.

" Student or spouse is the principal caregiver/support person for a family member with a physical or mental illness.

3.5 Type II criteria:

" Student is actively participating in a research project based at Michigan State University, at a hospital or at an ambulatory care site(s). The student must be lead investigator (principal investigator) or a co-investigator on a research project that began before the clerkship and will be carried out during the clerkship period.

4. Documentation

4.1 Documentation is required for both Type I and Type II criteria and all material must be submitted with the Base Hospital Special Consideration Request Form. If documentation is found to be forged or falsified the student could face dismissal from the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

4.2 A student who requests base hospital special consideration under Type I criteria must provide a written statement explaining in detail, why the base hospital meets one or more of the criteria including the nature of the situation and the impact it has on student placement at the requested location. Following are examples of documentation that the student may judge useful for the Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee in making a decision. This list is not conclusive and other forms of supporting documentation may be submitted:

• Letter from the patient's physician verifying illness, treatment plan, and impact of relocation of the patient
• Letter from a social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist documenting illness and the impact of change in environment
• Copy of marriage license
• Copy of birth certificate
• Letter from school principal documenting program(s) the child/children are enrolled in and describing the effect of relocation on the progress of the child/children

4.3 A student who requests base hospital special consideration under Type II criteria must provide the following materials and any other materials that the student may judge useful for the Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee in making a decision:

• A description of the research project (one page single spaced)
• A detailed description of the student's role in the research project to date; a detailed description of how the student's participation in the project will enhance the project and benefit the student if the assignment is made to the requested base hospital; the number of hours the student expects to participate in the project per week.
• A letter from the faculty sponsor or principal investigator of the research project detailing the student's role in the project and the advantage to the project and to the student being assigned to the base hospital requested
• The source of funding for the project and what funds if any, the student will receive for his/her participation in the project
• A letter from the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Osteopathic Medicine supporting the student's request for a specific base hospital upon the student's potential contribution to the project, the value of the project, etc.

5. Procedures

5.0 Quorum: A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the duly constituted voting membership of the Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee.

5.1 Notification: All students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine will receive a copy of the Policy for Base Hospital Special Consideration at the time of their matriculation to the College. The Policy will also be available on the College of Osteopathic Medicine Web page (http://www.com.msu.edu). All students will also receive the Base Hospital Special Consideration Request Form required to document their need for base hospital special consideration. Students requiring additional information should contact the Coordinator for Clinical Education.

5.2 Submission of Applications: All students seeking base hospital special consideration shall submit their Base Hospital Special Consideration Request Forms and accompanying documentation to the Coordinator for Clinical Education on the date specified. The Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee will not review applications submitted after the due date.

5.3 Review of Applications: Following receipt of the Base Hospital Special Consideration Request Forms and accompanying documentation the Coordinator for Clinical Education will distribute the application materials to committee members for review.

5.4 Committee Evaluation and Decisions: The Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee will convene to evaluate all applications for base hospital special consideration and make decisions which will be communicated in writing to the Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

5.5 Student Presentation to the Committee: Students applying for base hospital special consideration that feel they cannot adequately explain in writing their need for special consideration may present their request in person before the Committee during their evaluation of the base hospital special consideration applications. In addition, students may be asked to appear before the Committee to answer questions concerning their applications if the Committee feels that their applications are unclear.

5.6 Dean's Review: The Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine will review all applications for base hospital special consideration and the Committee's decisions. Following this review, the Dean may uphold or overturn the Committee decisions.

5.7 Response to Students: Students will receive written notice from the Coordinator for Clinical Education of the final decisions to grant or deny the request for base hospital special consideration. Students receiving base hospital special consideration are locked into their choice of hospitals.

6. Appeal

6.0 If a student is not granted base hospital special consideration, he/she shall be given an opportunity for an appeal personally to the Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine in consultation with the Chairperson of the Base Hospital Special Consideration Committee. A request for a personal appeal must be filed with the Dean's office within ten calendar days after the student has been notified of the decision. A request for base hospital special consideration that does not fit the stated criteria (See Section 3) and has not been reviewed by the Committee, will not be considered for an appeal by the Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine.