MD Program Policy: Emergency Preparedness

Definitions

Non-Essential Personnel: Personnel, including medical students, who are not deemed critical and essential for safe delivery of patient care during emergencies.

Weather Emergency: Any weather event defined by the National Weather Service as constituting a risk to human safety. Note that local school closures do not necessarily constitute a weather emergency.

Policy Details

1. Release from Clinical Duty during Weather or Public Safety Emergency
   1. When a public safety emergency is declared in a Wisconsin county or municipality where students are participating in clinical course activities, students should be excused from the course until the emergency is over.
   2. When there is a weather emergency (defined by the National Weather Service) declared in a Wisconsin county or municipality where students are participating in course activities, students who need to drive to the clinical course site should be excused from the clinical course until the weather emergency is over.
      
      
2. Decision-Making Authority
   1. The decision to excuse students from clinical responsibilities outside of Madison (in the event the Madison campus is open, but a weather or public safety emergency is occurring elsewhere) should be made by the regional site director and should be communicated to the Associate Dean for Students and the Associate Dean of Medical Education (or their designees) in Madison.
   2. The Medical Education Office will inform course directors in Madison if a site has chosen to excuse students.
      
      
3. Student Status during Weather Emergency and Public Safety Emergency
   1. Medical students participating in patient care activities are considered non-essential workers in cases of weather and/or public safety emergencies
      
      
4. Statewide Campus Response to Closure of UW-Madison
   1. If the UW-Madison campus is declared closed due to a weather emergency, all UW students - including medical students in clinical courses statewide - are excused from on-site clinical course activities. However, students are strongly encouraged to report to the site if:
      1. The site is in a county or municipality included in the weather emergency, but the student does not need to drive to the site.
      2. There is no weather emergency in the county or municipality of their clinical course.
         
         
5. Student Responsibilities
   1. If a student has a concern regarding their safety in traveling to their clinical site and they will be late or are unable to report for their clinical duties, they must communicate with their site coordinator and their clinical team.
      
      
6. Notification of Closure
   1. The Office of Student Services will notify all students, courses, and clerkships of the status of campus and site closures via school listservs. Included will be:
      1. Students via email listservs
      2. Year 1-4/Phase 1-3 Course Directors via course director listservs
      3. Clinical course directors, coordinators, and staff (including Statewide Campus and Clinical Course Curriculum Committee)

Related UW-Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources

Environment, Health & Safety – Emergency Preparedness

SMPH Occupant Emergency Plan 

External References

LCME Element 5.7

Policy Administration

Approval Authority

Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee (EPCC) and Medical Student Promotion and Academic Review Committee (SPARC)

Policy Manager

Associate Dean for Student Services

Policy Contact(s)

Policy History

Date last reviewed and approved: June 11, 2025

Next review: June 2026