Cardiovascular Fellowship Leave Policy
All time taken away from work for post-graduate search must be within reason and documented for GME/ACGME. Leave or authorized absence from work is divided into two categories.
- Category 1: Paid Time Off (PTO)
Annual Accrual: On a yearly basis, commencing July 1st and ending June 30th, each Trainee will be given 28 days of Paid Time Off (PTO). The Trainees may use PTO in advance of accrual only with specific approval by the Program Director, taking into consideration the overall needs of the Training Program. - Category 2: Educational Leave
The Program Director approves educational leave, which is a privilege granted to a fellow in good standing. The purpose of this leave is to allow the fellow to experience a learning experience that facilitates their professional development in a diverse learning environment.
Category 1: PTO leave
Annual PTO leave (28 days per year) is divided into two categories:
- Planned PTO: Vacation, personal leave
- Unplanned PTO: Sick leave, emergency leave
GME-approved leave: Extended leave beyond the 28 days approved PTO, such as parental leave, Maternity leave, Military leave, etc., will need approval from GME and completion of the GME leave form.
I. Policies governing Planned PTO
A. Approval
The use of planned PTO at any time requires the specific permission of the acting Chief of Scheduling and must be scheduled in accordance with the Program’s needs to operate efficiently. The Program Director or his/her designee, the Scheduling Chief, may prohibit PTO at their discretion, such as during specific rotations or periods or to meet patient care or educational needs.
Rule # 1: Planned PTO cannot be applied with Christmas/New Year’s Break to make it an extended vacation, i.e., one week before or one week after, totaling a 5-day Holiday Break for each group.
Rule # 2: Planned PTO CANNOT be taken during CIU, CICU, or CONSULT rotations.
Exception: 2 days of PTO is allowed for first years ONLY taking the Internal Medicine Board examination during core rotations
Rule # 3: Administrative Tasks must be completed before all PTO Approvals. The coordinator will contact ECU Health Medical Center’s GME Office to see if anything is pending by the Requestor. Regardless of the due date, the PD cannot finalize PTO until the Coordinator emails the PD stating that no Administrative Tasks are pending per GME.
Timelines for Planned PTO:
Requests will be accepted within a 6-month timeframe:
Submission Windows:
- July – December PTO Requests: Submit between July 1st and July 31st.
- January – June PTO Requests: Submit between December 1st and December 31st.
Out-of-Window Requests: PTO requests submitted outside the specified months (July and December) will only be considered individually.
Out-of-Window leave is to be requested at least 60 days in advance.
- If requested less than 60 days in advance, approval by the program director is required.
- If requested less than 30 days in advance, clinic CANNOT be canceled (NO EXCEPTIONS).
B. Automatic Forfeiture
All PTO accrued during the appointment year must be used during the year it accrued. All unused, accrued vacation time during an academic year will be forfeited and not reimbursed to the Trainee.
C. Graduating Fellows (PGY-6)
The duration of the fellowship training extends up to 5 pm on June 30th in the graduating year. Fellows will use PTO when they must leave for relocation towards the end of the graduating year. Release forms will only be accepted for signature by the PD after the last training day of the graduating year. It is expected that PTO be used for proper planning purposes. Therefore, Seniors should seek an appointment with the PD and complete the Graduating Fellows’ PTO Request form to determine their last working day in July of their graduation year. PTO will be applied from the previous working day to June 30, and the Fellow will be made aware of the PTO, which can be used throughout the year to comply with the PTO policy.
II. Policies governing Unplanned PTO (Sick leave, etc.)
The chief fellow and the program coordinator should be informed of sick leave immediately. If the Trainee is sick beyond three working days, the Trainee must apply for FMLA via ECU Health Medical Center’s GME Office. Clearance from Occupational Health is needed, and Risk Management must be contacted for all other forms of LEAVE when FMLA is not instituted.
PTO Adjustments: Planned PTO may be revoked if Unplanned PTO was used and more PTO is needed to cover the Planned PTO.
Category 2: Educational Leave
Educational leave is categorized as follows, and except for taking the Board Examination, PD approval is needed:
- Board examination
- Conference attendance
- Course attendance
- Presentation at a meeting
The following materials MUST accompany the leave request form.
- The leave form MUST be completed fully. Only complete forms will be accepted.
- Documentation of attendance dates and confirmation of course or conference registration.
- Date of presentation and acceptance letter if presenting at a meeting.
- Confirmation of the relevant board examination registration.
Policies governing Educational Leave
Rule #1: Educational leave for conference or course attendance CANNOT be taken during CIU, CICU, or CONSULT rotations. Fellows need to find alternative dates for courses offered regularly.
Rule #2: If the fellow is presenting at a meeting, regardless of the rotation, the fellow will be approved for travel.
Rule #3: Travel arrangements should be made after 5 p.m. for any course or conference attendance (if not presenting), and planned PTO can be used if the fellow decides to leave before 5 p.m. If presenting at a meeting, travel time can be included in the educational leave request.
Rule # 4: Clinic exchanges are NOT allowed under any circumstances.
Rule # 5: Administrative Tasks must be completed before all Educational Leave Approvals. The coordinator will contact ECU Health Medical Center’s GME Office to see if anything is pending by the Requestor. Regardless of the due date, the PD cannot finalize educational leave until the coordinator emails the PD stating that no Administrative Tasks are pending per GME.
Timelines for Educational leave:
Educational leave is to be requested more than 30 days in advance.
The clinic cannot be canceled or exchanged if requested less than 30 days in advance. (NO EXCEPTIONS).