Time Off Policy
We understand that our fellows have personal lives, and that their personal responsibilities may overlap with their Fellowship program. Whether you are planning a vacation with your family or are having health issues, the following are parameters for time off in the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program.
Fellows are expected to submit all time off requests, for any reason (conferences, vacations, electives, FMLA, etc.), to the program administrator. Our program requires at least 9 weeks’ advanced notice, whenever possible. Exceptions will be made for emergency leave. It is expected that, before requesting time off, fellows check with the other GI fellows to be sure that there will be no overlap of requests. The program administrator will review potential conflicts and forward the time off request to the program director for final approval.
Fellows who request time off with less than 9 weeks’ notice will need to obtain permission from every single provider that they are scheduled to work with during the requested window of time, starting with the VA. This will need to be done by the fellow themselves, before submitting the official request to the program administrator for approval. Along with this request, the requesting fellow should include plans for back-up coverage by another fellow, if needed. If permission is given by all faculty, the formal request can be sent to the program administrator for approval.
Prior to submitting any request, regardless of advanced notice, fellows are expected to check clinical schedules and include a list of any reschedules that will be necessary because of the pending request, so that the program administrator can notify the clinical scheduling staff, upon approval. If you are considering taking time off, but are unsure, you can also send the program administrator a notice so that the clinical schedule can be placed on hold for you.
