VACATION, SICK, FAMILY EMERGENCY, MILITARY, COURT, PARENTAL AND PROFESSIONAL LEAVE 

a.   Vacation: All House Officers are entitled to 3 weeks of vacation per year. Scheduling is at the discretion of the Department. Annual vacation time is not cumulative from year to year. Vacations may be scheduled with the chief resident prior to the preparation of the annual rotation schedule each spring. Subsequent vacation requests must be approved by the appropriate service chief and submitted at least one week prior to the absence. Permission for the absence is subject to staffing considerations with regard to apportionment of vacation time to affiliated hospitals. In general, overlapping vacation requests are considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Trainees must use vacation time for locum tenens, job searching, interviewing activities and attending any board review courses. See Vacation Request Form.

b.   Sick Leave: A House Officer may be granted up to three calendar weeks leave annually with pay for absence from service due to illness, bodily injury, necessity for medical or dental care, or illness or death in the immediate family of the House Officer or the House Officer's spouse. Sick leave is cumulative throughout the term of service of the House Officer. When sick time is taken, it must be reported to the Training Programs Coordinator for tracking purposes.

c.   Military Leave: Uniformed Services Leave will be granted for service or training with the United States Uniformed Services as required by federal and state law. Because this policy cannot address every circumstance, Intern/Resident/Fellows are encouraged to meet with Graduate Medical Education prior to taking leave, when possible, to discuss their specific situation.

i.   Notice Required and Length of Leave: Uniformed Services leave will be granted to a maximum of five years in most cases. The Intern/Resident/Fellow shall provide verbal or written notice to Graduate Medical Education as far in advance of taking leave as is possible under the circumstances.

ii.   Compensation: Uniformed Services leave for training shall be with pay for a period not exceeding 15 calendar days. To be eligible for this period of paid leave, the Intern/Resident/Fellow must provide to Graduate Medical Education a copy of his or her Uniformed Services training orders. The Intern/Resident/Fellow taking Uniformed Services leave may elect to be paid for accrued vacation leave. All other Uniformed Services leave is without pay (See also Leave and Completion of Training Program Requirements below).

d.   Court Leave: Jury duty and court leave will be authorized consistent with State and Federal Requirements. The Program Director must be promptly notified in writing when a Resident requires jury duty or court leave. (See also Leave and Completion of Training Program Requirements below).

e.   Family Medical Leave: Handling of requests for family medical leave will be in compliance with the FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (See FAMILY LEAVE POLICIES).

f.   Professional, Academic and Conference Leave:

Time away from direct hospital duties for academic reasons and conference presentations may be granted in addition to regular vacation time and is counted as training time for American Board of Pathology purposes. Approval of this leave is under the jurisdiction of the Program Director who must ensure that the time is well spent and enhances the educational experience of the Trainee. No more than 10 working days of leave per year in this category will be granted in a 12-month period. Requesting both academic leave and vacation leave during a single rotation is strongly discouraged. Academic leave may also be granted for taking the United States Medical Licensing Examinations and American Board of Pathology Examinations. Trainees must use vacation time for locum tenens, job searching, interviewing activities and attending any board review courses.

g.   Leave and Completion of Training Program Requirements:

The American Board of Pathology requires that one year of approved training credit toward ABP certification requirements must be 52 weeks in duration, and the resident must document an average of 48 weeks per year of full-time pathology training over the course of the training program. Any additional leave must be made up. Unused vacation and other leave time may not be accumulated to reduce the overall duration of training. Total leave that exceeds these limits, for the above or other reasons, will not apply towards completion of the Program's requirements for graduation. It is the responsibility of the Resident to make arrangements with the Program Director to complete their training requirements in a manner prescribed by the Program Director.