Vacation / Educational Leave / Time-Off for Interviews

Title: Vacation and Leave Policy

Purpose: To describe the rules and procedures concerning time taken off from routine residency assignments. 

Responsible Parties: Faculty and Residents of the UPSOM Department of Ophthalmology

Policy
The Ophthalmology RRC states that, regarding the length and scope of training, “The length of training in ophthalmology must be at least 36 calendar months, including appropriate short periods for vacation, special assignments, or exceptional individual circumstances approved by the program director. The length of time of residency training for a particular resident may be extended by the program director if that resident needs additional training.”

Vacation
Residents will receive 20 weekdays of vacation each year. Vacation days not used by the end of the academic year are not carried over to the following year. A resident must request a vacation 6 weeks in advance by submitting a vacation request form to the program coordinator.

Interview Leave
Residents are allowed time away from on-site clinical education activities for the purpose of interviewing for a job or fellowship at a rate of loss of one vacation day for each two days  used for an interview.  It is often impossible to schedule interviews six weeks in advance. Nevertheless, the resident should make every effort to coordinate time off for interviews with the chief resident and the program coordinator as early as possible. Time off for interviews will only be granted if a vacation request form is submitted in advance to the program coordinator.

Education Leave
PGY-3 and PGY-4 residents are allowed time away from on-site clinical education activities for other educational experiences (e.g. a review course or a national meeting) at a rate of loss of one vacation day for each two days used for the educational experience.  Time off for these activities will only be granted if a vacation request form is submitted 6 weeks in advance to the program coordinator.

International Missions
Residents are allowed time away from on-site clinical education activities for other departmentally approved international mission trips at a rate of loss of one vacation day for each two days used for the mission  Time off for these activities will only be granted if a vacation request form is submitted 6 weeks in advance to the program coordinator.

Leave for presentation of scholarly work.
Residents are allowed two working days off for the purpose of presenting a poster or oral presentation at an approved national meeting. Time off for these activities will only be granted if a vacation request form is submitted 6 weeks in advance to the program coordinator.

Leave of Absence/Family Medical Leave/Personal Leave of Absence
UPMCME policies related to extended leave of absence are attached below.

Extended Leave and length of resident training
Approval by the program, of an extended leave of absence may be accompanied by a need to extend resident training beyond three calendar years. The guiding principle in making this determination will be based on the program director's judgment that a resident graduate of the program is competent to practice independently and without supervision within the scope of comprehensive ophthalmology.