Time Off Policy
We understand that our fellows have personal lives, and we want to encourage them to have the freedom to live their lives to the fullest. For this reason, we are happy to provide Cardiology fellows with time off throughout their Fellowship Program.
* By ACGME and ABIM policy, you are allowed a total of 20 days off per academic year (this includes interview time, vacation time, and sick time exceeding 4 days); unused time-off cannot be carried over to the following year (i.e., you must use your annual allotment of 20 days). Anytime beyond 20 days must be made up (i.e., training time must be extended which means that your residency end date will be after June 30th of your final year; extending your training means that your subspecialty fellowship or employment start date will be delayed beyond July 1st) in order for you to be eligible for the Cardiology Certifying Exam. There are no exceptions to this rule.
There are certain rotations that cannot go uncovered, so plan vacations with assistance of the senior fellows. We realize that there are unexpected emergencies but short of medical emergencies, blocks will not be altered. If there are other occasions that a fellow is aware of that would require them to take time off (childbirth, a scheduled surgery, etc.) let the senior fellows know well in advance so this can be included in the schedule formula and clinics can be rescheduled. Fellows must notify the fellow program administrator at least 6 weeks in advance of scheduled vacation time in order for clinics to be rescheduled. ONLY Third-year fellows are allowed to take vacation the last two weeks in June.
Please note vacation does not exempt fellows from their total call days. Fellows won’t be assigned to take calls while on vacation, but that does not reduce the number of days they are to do that month.
* Please also note that while we fully support the Family Medical Leave Act, any time taken beyond the allotted 20 days per year must be made up in order to be eligible for promotion or graduation. This will require extending your training time.
* All time off, regardless of reason, requires prior approval from Program Director.
* All time off, regardless of reason, requires prior approval from program administrator.
* Vacation requests are on a first come, first served basis.
Finally, and most importantly, we view a fellow’s role as important to several rotations. Fellows will not be able to schedule days off during Upstate Medical University Hospital or Veteran’s Administration Medical Center catheterization or clinical rotations without appropriate coverage.
Sick Time
In accordance with SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital policy, sick leave accrues monthly. Sick time continues to accrue throughout a fellow’s training period. These days are for personal illness, medical appointments, etc.; they are not extra vacation days. A fellow’s training time, as well as their paycheck, can be affected if this is abused.
If a fellow needs to call in sick, notification needs to be made to the attending that is supervising their particular rotation. The Cardiology Fellowship Program Administrator needs to be notified of the call-in and the coverage obtained.
If any specific questions arise about policies, duties, or responsibilities, please do not hesitate to ask someone. Any problems, concerns, etc. should be brought to the senior fellows first so that they can try to resolve them before they escalate.
