ARC-PA Student Policy 6 – Student Employment
Student Employment Policy
Policy Number: S6 | Issue Date: 01/25/2019 | Date Approved: 12/15/2025
Responsible Party: Program Director
Minimum Review Frequency: Every 3 years
Approving Body: Program Faculty
ARC-PA Associated Standards (6th Edition)
- A3.01 – Program policies are published, readily available, and consistently applied to all students, principal faculty, staff, and the program director regardless of location.
- A3.02 – The program publishes, makes readily available, and consistently applies a policy that PA students are not required to work for the program.
- A3.03 – The program publishes, makes readily available, and consistently applies a policy that PA students do not substitute for or function as: (a) instructional faculty, (b) clinical or administrative staff.
- A3.14 – The program publishes, makes readily available to enrolled and prospective students: (a) policy for student employment while enrolled in the program.
Background and Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to clearly articulate the program’s expectations regarding student employment while in the program and ensure that the students’ role as a student is maintained in all academic and clinical education environments.
Policy Statement
The University of Michigan-Flint PA Program does not permit its students to work (paid or voluntary) for the PA Program. (A3.02)
The Program strongly discourages students from being employed while enrolled and does not make exceptions or alterations to required course work, scheduling, or Supervised Clinical Practice Experience (SCPE) assignments for individual students due to employment. The intensity and continuity of the program is such that employment may detract from course responsibilities.
Students should also realize that during the clinical phase they may be on call for evening, night, or emergency duty and that some rotations involve changing shifts frequently. Employment status while in the program will not be used to excuse absence from scheduled learning activities, justify poor performance, or be considered as a mitigating factor when assessing students’ academic and professional progress. A conflicting outside employment work schedule will not be considered just cause for a change in rotation assignment or schedule. Employment will not be considered an acceptable excuse for violation of the attendance policy outlined in Student Policy 1.
Student Role Restrictions
Students must not substitute for or function as instructional faculty at the UM-Flint PA program (A3.03a). During supervised clinical experiences, students must not substitute for or take the place of clinical or administrative staff (A3.03b) and must ensure all services provided to patients are directly supervised. Students must not accept compensation for any services provided during supervised clinical experiences or otherwise as a part of the PA Program.
Volunteer Activities
Students may volunteer their medical services to charitable, humanitarian, or community service organizations when such services are assigned or approved within the Physician Assistant Program. Students may volunteer for PA Program-related activities such as interviews and tours, but are not required to do so.
Conflict of Interest
A potential conflict of interest may occur when a clinical training site is also the student’s current or previous place of employment. In such cases, the student may be reassigned. In no cases will a student’s training overlap with employment. In no cases will a student be permitted to substitute for a bona fide employee during their clinical training. When a student is employed outside the program, they must not identify themselves as a physician assistant student and wear identification as such.
Approval History
- 12/15/2025: Program Faculty
- 11/18/2024: Program Faculty
- 10/29/2024: Program Faculty
- 07/05/2023: Program Faculty
- 08/31/2021: Program Faculty
- 10/30/2020: Program Faculty