Optional Clinical Learning Opportunities

REGISTRATION FOR OCLOs WILL OPEN BY SEPTEMBER 30TH     EACH ACADEMIC YEAR

OBJECTIVE: To explore career opportunities in the community during the academic year. 

Optional Clinical Learning Opportunities (OCLO) placements starting prior to September 30, 2023 or registered after May 28, 2024 for OCLOS on June 7th will not be approved.

For information about summer opportunities, please see MED5010: Non-Credit Pre-Clerkship Summer Electives (NPSE). 

OCLO Registration Process Details
Located Here

What is an Optional Clinical Learning Opportunity (OCLO)? 

An Optional Clinical Learning Opportunity (OCLO) is a learning experience (formerly “Observership”) where a student learns approaches to patient care under a faculty educator in an affililated School learning facility. 

An OCLO is supplemental to Program curriculum and will NOT replace the requirements for mandatory session attendance as outlined in the Program Attendance Statement. The Program envisions students utilizing OCLOs for deeper curricular understanding using clinical experience in a discipline aligned with curriculum content, to advance competency in clinical care skills and explore career interests across disciplines of medicine. 

Medical students will be involved in observation and interaction with patients from the start of their undergraduate medical education. 

The supervisor and/or Most Responsible Physician (MRP) are responsible for ensuring that the educational status of medical students and nature of their role are made clear to the patient, the patient’s family and members of the health-care team as early as possible during the educational process. 

These experiences are not part of the curriculum requirements for progression in the MD Program.

Before registering, students must review all of the following important information. 

  • All OCLOs must be registered through the Program. This is mandatory for learner safety, providing student insurance coverage; and tracking of faculty teaching hours. OCLOs are registered in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry HUB online platform and require approval by the Program Office prior to taking place.
  • A minimum of ten (10) working days is required to process the registration. 
  • To meet the regulatory requirements of the health care facilities and the province, all learners must complete annually prior to entering clinical care learning, all required modules and disease prevention requirements for quality and safe patient care:  

    1. London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) /St. Josephs’ Health Centre London/Windsor Regional Hospital / Hotel Dieu Windsor online modules as provided by the hospital
    2. DE site: as requested by the host hospital or health care affiliates
    3. All mandatory vaccines and serology
    4. N 95 mask fit tests (if required)
    5. Module on gowning, masking and gloving from LHSC
    6. Review Public Health Ontario IPAC guidelines for PPE in patient care during the COVID 19 pandemic prior to starting any OCLO.
    7. Radiation Monitoring Badges (Dosimeter) may be required by departments. If required, students must complete the Request Form a minimum of 10 days prior to the start date of the OCLO. If not submitted, students may not be permitted to participate in the scheduled OCLO. 

 

At the start of each OCLO, the student must provide an OCLO introductory letter to faculty and/or the clinical department as well as submit the completed checklist to the appropriate UME contact outlined in the checklist prior to starting the OCLO. 

 IMPORTANT NOTES:

Our Schulich M.D. Students have already met the online training and health requirements and as such, we do not require the students to complete any of the Medical Affairs Observership Appendices. It is important, however, that preceptors be made aware of this policy outline. 

Observerships arranged via student Mentorship Programs cannot be registered in Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Hub, and are not approved OCLO through the Undergraduate Medical Education Office. 

OCLO’s require that learners be up to date on their immunization documentation including influenza and COVID vaccination.  To aid in this, please ensure that you have uploaded your documentation to synergy so we can readily pull a report to provide proof that our learners are in compliance.  

Influenza Documentation Upload Instructions
COVID Documentation Upload Instructions 
If you need helpcontact Synergy

 For more information see: