Tag Archives: bereavement

Hello, my name is Dr. Tablet, but you can just call me Tab. In this video, I’ll be talking about academic concession because life doesn’t always go as planned.

Our first story takes place in Squamish where Oliver has come down with the flu. He feels fatigued, achy, and feverish. Oliver is expected to be at his practicum site in the next hour, but he knows he should stay home and not risk spreading his infection to others. A million questions are running through his head: Who should I contact? Do I need to submit an academic concession request form? Will I have to make up missed time? Do I need a doctor’s note? If you get sick during your practicum, the first thing you should do is Evaluate your condition. Are you well enough to perform your duties safely and effectively? Is there a risk of infecting others? If you decide you are unfit to attend your practicum, notify your practice educator as soon as possible and let them know when you expect to return. Finally submit an academic concession request form as the faculty needs to be notified. All missed time due to absence or lateness must be made up. Once you have submitted an academic concession request form, a member from the office of experiential education, also known as the OEE, will evaluate your case and contact you with further instructions. You only need to provide a doctor’s note if it is requested by the faculty.

Now that we’ve covered sick days, let’s move on to another common scenario, running late. Jennifer’s car wouldn’t start this morning and now she is running late. She knows she needs to contact her practice site as soon as possible. If you are late, your practice educator will make note and you will be expected to make up all missed time. For example, if you arrive 10 minutes late, you may be required to stay 10 minutes later.

While I know that lateness can’t always be helped, it is important to reflect and ensure steps are taken to prevent lateness in the future. Punctuality is a program expectation and consistent demonstration of professional behaviour is required to pass the practicum course. You are expected to arrive on time at the beginning of each day, return from breaks on time, and be punctual for all scheduled activities.

Now let’s move on to more serious matters. Extenuating circumstances are instances where you are unable to meet practicum requirements due to an unforeseen or unavoidable event such as a serious illness or death of an immediate family member. In circumstances like these, please submit an academic concession request form and the OEE will be in contact with you.

So far, we’ve talked about circumstances that are unexpected and unavoidable: Getting sick, running late, losing a loved one… but how should you manage personal commitments like dentist appointments, family vacations, work, conferences or weddings?

Your practicum should take priority over all non-urgent activities. Most scheduling conflicts can be prevented by planning activities only after receiving your practicum location and schedule. Working at a job in addition to your practicum is not recommended as completing practicum activities will require much of your time and focus. Employment is not usually viewed as an acceptable reason for academic concession. You may need to have a conversation with your employer to ensure that you are not scheduled to work during practicum dates.

For fourth year students, make sure to schedule your Jurisprudence Exam on a date outside of your practicum blocks. The College of Pharmacists of BC offers multiple examination sittings each year.

For more information and additional resources please refer to the items listed on the screen.

I hope you found this video helpful.

Thanks for watching. I’m Dr. Tablet and I hope you have a fanTABulous practicum!

Acknowledgements:

We would like to thank Alyssa Low (Undergraduate Student) for helping to create this video and Garrett Tang (Undergraduate Student) for designing original images (e.g. Dr. Tablet).