Vetting Students Who Apply for Office

Purpose

To outline the procedure for vetting students who apply to run for office and involvement in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Office or person responsible for implementing

Office of Student Life

Applies to

All medical students, including students on LOA, who apply for office(s) in an extracurricular organization or group housed under Medical Student Services (MSS).

Rationale

• Involvement in extracurricular activities is important for students' sense of well-being; provides important opportunities for leadership development; and can add value to students' residency applications.

• Leadership roles vary and require different levels of commitment and there is not a “one size fits all” standard which can be applied.

• For students struggling academically, involvement in extracurricular activities can provide a much-needed outlet for energy other than studying and give the student something to look forward to. This must be balanced with the extra time and effort they might need to devote to academics.

Guidance

1. For elections run by the Student Senate, The Senate Chief of Staff will send a list of applicants to the Office of Student Life. For elections run by other groups, the appropriate officer will send the list of applicants to the Office of Student Life.

2. The Office of Student Life will review the list. Student Life will strive to return the approved list of students to the Senate Chief of Staff or other organization leadership within 24 hours of receiving the list. During especially busy times this may take up to 48 hours to return.

3. Steps taken by the Office of Student Life to vet students applying for office.

   1. The Office of Student Life will send the list of students to the Academic Success Team and MSS leadership for review. The Office of Access and Engagement, and the Medical Scientist Training Program will also be consulted.

   2. Students flagged for either academic1 or non-academic2 concerns will be discussed with the Office of Student Life.

   3. In consultation with the Associate Dean for Students, a decision will be made about the best course of action. Options to be considered are:

      1. The student is allowed to continue through the election/selection process, with close monitoring by MSS. No notification will be sent to the student.

      2. The Director of Student Life Programs will have a conversation with the student about the concerns raised and advise the student on the pros and cons of pursuing the office in question. The Office may recommend the student not pursue the office. The Office of Student Life will summarize the conversation via email to the student and Associate Dean for Students, within 24 hours of the meeting. (It’s possible the student could choose to proceed against the advice of MSS).

      3. The student’s name will be removed from consideration. The Director of Student Life Programs will notify the student and request to meet. The Director of Student Life Programs will summarize the conversation via email to the student and Associate Dean for Students, within 24 hours of the meeting.

         1. In these cases, MSS will not disclose to the Chief of Staff or other organization leadership the reason the student’s name is removed from consideration.

   4. If the flagged student has applied for a position outside the scope of MSS (e.g. Admissions host), the Office of Student Life will consult with the relevant office to discuss recommendations.

Appeal: A student may appeal the decision of the Office of Student Life, by notifying the Associate Dean for Students within 24 hours of receiving the written summary from the Director of Student Life Programs. The Associate Dean for Students will make a determination to grant the student’s appeal or uphold the decision by the Office of Student Life.

Exception for first-year fall elections

The Office of Student Life recognizes the unique challenges students face adjusting to the rigors and pace of the medical school curriculum, and that if students do not get on firm academic footing early, it can have ripple effects throughout the preclinical years and including their ability to take Step 1 on time. As a result, MS1 students must have a cumulative raw score average of at least 74.999% to be eligible to run for office during the fall elections.

Additional Information

It is ultimately the responsibility of the Office of Student Life, Medical Student Services (MSS), and the Associate Dean for Students to make determinations about extracurricular involvement. These decisions will be made based on what the staff feel are in the best interest of the student and the organizations. We recognize a level of professional judgement in these decisions.

¹Examples include failed exams, remediation, repeated low performance alerts, etc.
²Examples include professionalism concerns, behavior issues, conduct processes, etc.

Created: November 2018
Implemented: January 2019
Reviewed and updated: February 2026