7.4.1 TAC Hours per Term
Interns are allowed hours (T7 - 6; T8 - 24; T9 - 27; T10 - 30) of TAC per trimester. Interns are allowed TAC primarily for professional development – taking additional seminars and visiting with doctors for externship or associate opportunities. TAC also includes vacation and sick time. Students who miss clinic and have exhausted their TAC will forfeit 1:1 clinic hours to meet the minimum weekly requirement. Although unexpected and unexcused absences are recorded as TAC hours, an absence, which is deemed professionally inappropriate by the intern’s faculty clinician or college clinic and administration, may result in suspension, dismissal, or a failing grade for the internship.
7.4.2 Requesting TAC Hours
Interns are expected to request approval from their faculty clinician well in advance when an absence is anticipated. Sufficient notice allows the faculty clinician to effectively manage the internship learning experience. Interns must be in clinic for their contracted hours, or use TAC hours, unless taking a full week (Monday – Saturday) off; then interns will be charged a maximum of 6 hours for T7, 18 hours for T8, 21 hours for T9 and 25 hours for T10. Interns taking less than a full week (Monday – Saturday) off will be charged the number of hours needed to reach the 6, 18, 21 or 25 hour(s) minimum. TAC hours must be taken during the term in which they are granted. Any unused TAC hours at the end of a term will not be carried into the following term unless notified otherwise by Clinical Education.
7.4.3 Clinic Holidays
The University and CBI clinics should follow these procedures for the following holidays:
Memorial Day – No earned clinic hours.
Independence Day – No earned clinic hours. Should the University choose to add additional days off this may be amended.
Labor Day – No earned clinic hours.
Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day – No earned clinic hours.
Thanksgiving and the following Friday – No earned clinic hours.
Christmas Day – No earned clinic hours. Should the University choose to add additional days off this may be amended.
New Year’s Eve – No earned clinic hours if clinic is closed. Approved TAC can be used if clinic is open. Should the University choose to add additional days off this may be amended.
Martin Luther King, Jr Day – No earned clinic hours.
Presidents Day – No earned clinic hours.
If a CBI or T10 Only clinic site chooses to remain open over any of the above holidays, interns would receive 1:1 contracted, earned clinic hours.
An exception is made for reaching the minimum weekly required clinic hours on weeks that the above holidays fall on. Interns should utilize supplemental online modules available in the Moodle to earn clinic hours toward their requirement for the term, if necessary.
**If the faculty clinician determines other days off in the clinic, follow the procedures outlined under section 7.5.1**.
7.4.4 Excused Absences from Clinic
7.4.4.1 Interns may be excused from clinic duties by the President, Vice President, or Dean to represent the University professionally in external services or activities. Such excused absences
are not considered TAC hours, but the hours missed must be made up in a manner approved by the College of Chiropractic Department of Clinical Education.
7.4.4.2 TAC hours are not required for attending scheduled rotations or elective courses; however, interns must ensure they are still meeting their minimum required clinic hours per week. Interns are also responsible for providing notification to their supervising clinician concerning these absences at least 1 week in advance. Failure to notify in a timely fashion could result in forfeiture of TAC hours.
7.4.5 TAC Hours for Taking Boards
7.4.5.1 The University recommends all students take National or Canadian Boards. Therefore, clinic is optional for interns on this day. Interns choosing to not be in clinic the day of the exam are not required to use TAC hours.
However, because students cannot use National or Canadian Boards to fulfill University requirements, interns taking National or Canadian Boards will not receive clinic hours credit. Interns may need to make arrangements to ensure that they meet the 78 or 300 clinic hours requirement by making up the hours in clinic, earning additional hours through authorized university events, or through additional Rotations (T8/9).
7.4.5.2 Interns not taking National or Canadian Boards or who are taking boards during a time which does not conflict with their clinic shift are expected to either complete their assigned shifts or use TAC hours to be away from clinic.
7.4.5.3 Interns taking State and Provincial Boards will need to use TAC hours to be excused from clinic for these examinations as they are not a requirement for graduation.
7.4.6 TAC Hours during Midterms and Finals
Interns are expected to complete their scheduled clinic hours during midterms and finals unless a test is scheduled during their clinic hours. This is not a common occurrence; however, it may happen occasionally. When this happens, an intern does not need to meet the minimum required weekly hours, or use TAC for the time required to take the test. Interns are expected to be in clinic directly before and after the test, depending on their clinic schedule. The intern is, however, required to meet the minimum number of total hours for the term. Interns who wish to not be in clinic during midterms and finals for any other reason need to request and be approved by their clinician to use TAC, according to the process outlined in 7.4.2 above