Procedures and Guidelines

Site Assignment Appeal Committee Procedure

Categories: Appeal Procedure Rotation Assignment Site Assignment

Updated on:

1. Purpose

  • This procedure ensures that the Undergraduate Medical Education program meets or
    exceeds the following Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools
    (CACMS) and Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation
    standards:
  • 10.11 A medical school assumes ultimate responsibility for the selection and
    assignment of medical students to each location and/or parallel curriculum (i.e.,
    alternative curricular track) and uses a centralized process to fulfill this
    responsibility. The medical school considers the preferences of students and
    uses a fair process in determining the initial placement. A process exists
    whereby a medical student with an appropriate rationale can request an
    alternative assignment when circumstances allow for it.
  • This procedure operationalizes section 4.0 of the Site and Rotation Assignment
    Policy of the Undergraduate Medical Education Program. This procedure replaces
    and supersedes the MD Program Site Assignment Appeals Procedures (DEC 2012).

2. Introduction

Applicants to the program have the opportunity to select the program sites to which
they will apply. Applicants should only apply to a site if they are in a position to
complete their program at that site. After acceptance to the program, should a
prospective student have a new, serious circumstance which means they cannot start their program at their assigned site, they should work with the Office of Student
Affairs (OSA) and Academic Director and/or Year 1 Chair on options to manage their
situation (which may include a leave or other supports).


Medical students are expected to begin and complete their program at the
geographically distributed site to which they are assigned on admission (with the
exception of students completing Year 3 at an alternative site). However, at the
earliest after completion of their first term of the program, medical students are
provided the opportunity to appeal for a site re-assignment during their MD program.
Such requests will only be considered based on highly extenuating medical or
compassionate (new, serious, unanticipated, or unavoidable) circumstances.


To appeal a for a site re-assignment, medical students should first seek the
assistance of the Office of Student Affairs to explore all available options in managing
their situation. Where the situation cannot be managed at their assigned site, the Site
Assignment Appeal Committee (SAAC) will be convened. This committee is the final
level of appeal within the College of Medicine.

3. Scope

This procedure applies to all undergraduate students registered in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at the University of Saskatchewan irrespective of the geographically distributed site/campus to which they are currently assigned.

4. Definitions

Pre-Clerkship: The first two years of the University of Saskatchewan Undergraduate
Medical Education Program (UGME) are termed “pre-clerkship”. During this program
phase, medical students develop the foundational and professional skills necessary
to progress into the clinical phase of their education.

Clerkship: The third and fourth years of the University of Saskatchewan
Undergraduate Medical Education Program (UGME) are termed “clerkship”. During
this program phase, medical students participate in clinical learning activities known
as rotations, many of which occur off the College of Medicine site/campuses in
Prince Albert, Regina, and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Geographically Distributed Sites: The College of Medicine at the University of
Saskatchewan is a provincial school of medical education. As such, many of the
required learning activities are delivered in locations or sites other than the College of
Medicine campus in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Site Assignment: Refers to the assignment of a medical student to a College of
Medicine campus in either Regina, Saskatchewan or Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
during the pre-clerkship phase of the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program.

Rotation Assignment: Refers to the assignment of a medical student to a specific
rotation within their assigned site during the clerkship phase of the Doctor of
Medicine (MD) program.

5. Responsibilities

  • The Site Assignment Appeal Committee (SAAC) membership is as follows:
    • Associate Dean Undergraduate Medical Education (Chair – to vote only to resolve impasse)
    • The Associate Dean, Regina Campus, or designate
    • A faculty representative from the Saskatoon Campus
    • A Student representative, appointed by SMSS – from one year ahead of the
    appellant (except in year four), preferably from the requested site
    •  Prior to appointment of the student representative, the appellant may
      identify to the Chair any students with whom there is a real or perceived
      conflict of interest – the Chair, within reason and at his/her sole
      discretion, will mediate the choice of student representative(s) by the
      SMSS to avoid such conflicts of interest.
    • The appellant may waive student representation for privacy reasons
  • A representative of USask Student Affairs and Outreach
  • Office of Student Affairs (OSA) observer (non-voting). The appellant may waive OSA attendance should they wish.

6. Specific Procedure

The appeal process is as follows:

  1. The student will be instructed to put the request for a change of site in writing to the Chair, SAAC, and will include any supporting documentation.
  2. The SAAC will meet (via videoconference as required) as soon as possible to review the written request and any supporting documentation, usually within ten working days. Typically, documents shared will be de-identified. At the discretion of the Committee, the student may be asked to meet with the SAAC in person to discuss the change request.
  3. The SAAC will determine whether the student’s request will be granted. The decision of the committee will be sent in writing to the student as soon as possible after the committee meeting, and typically within three days of the committee meeting. The Academic Director and Program Manager will be cc’d on the decision. The decision of the SAAC will be final and binding.