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Medical Student Travel Guidelines

As we incorporate clinical learning opportunities that allow medical students to complete their training in centers of medical education around the state, medical students will be provided housing and/or reimbursed for required travel in accordance with the following guidelines:

  • Payment as described below will be provided for medical students who are required by the IU School of Medicine to travel to another campus (away from “home base” site) to complete mandatory learning or assessment activities (i.e. required clerkship rotations, OSCE, inter-session, orientation, etc.).

Lodging

  • Lodging may be provided through IU School of Medicine for those medical students who travel to locations beyond a fifty (50) mile radius of the student’s official “home base” site or residence, whichever is less.
  • Lodging needs must be verifiable, based off of a student’s schedule for Medical Student Education requirements.
  • Requests must be sent for travel arrangement no less than two business weeks before the requested stay.
    • Submit the MSE Housing Request Form for Indianapolis lodging requests for required educational responsibilities.
    • For all regional campus housing requests, students should work directly with respective regional site coordinator.
  • Shared housing is typically not available at this time, unless specifically requested by both students staying for a verifiable IU School of Medicine purpose.
  • As appropriate, student lodging will be paid upfront by hosting site.

Mileage Reimbursement

  • Mileage may be reimbursed for medical students who are required to travel to locations beyond a fifty (50) mile radius of the student’s official “home base” site or residence, whichever is less.
  • Mileage reimbursement must be pre-approved prior to travel by “home base” site.
  • Mileage reimbursement is facilitated through either of the methods below:
    • Submit the Mileage Reimbursement Request Form for students whose “home base” is Indianapolis.
    • For all regional campus mileage reimbursement, please direct questions to respective regional site coordinators.
  • Mileage is reimbursed according to Indiana University travel policies and through credit to your bursar account.
  • Ride sharing cannot be encouraged at this time, unless the Community Responsibility Acknowledgement guidance is adhered to.
  • Mileage reimbursement requests must be received within 120 days of the travel start date or sooner. Anything requested after 120 days of the start date will not be reimbursed.
  • Reimbursement is limited to one round trip per rotation regardless of rotation length.

Parking

  • Coordinators who are facilitating paid parking will communicate parking options to student prior to travel dates.

Per Diem

  • Per diem is not provided.

Process Examples

Example 1: Student is required by school to attend event (e.g. 3rd year required clerkship, inter-session) in Indianapolis.

Guideline:

  1. Student will complete lodging request no less than two business weeks before requested stay; by submitting the MSE Housing Request form.
  2. Indianapolis travel coordinator will review housing request, ask follow-up questions as-needed, set up housing, and communicate approval and travel details to student.
  3. Pre-approved travel will be reimbursed for student mileage per guidelines.

 

Example 2: Regional student is required by school to attend rotation at regional campus more than 50 miles away.

Guideline:

  1. Rotation coordinator will communicate student name, travel date(s), and purpose for travel to the regional campus travel coordinator. (Please notify the regional campus as soon as the need is identified!)
  2. Regional campus travel coordinator will review housing request, ask follow-up questions as-needed, set up housing and parking arrangements, and communicate approval and travel details to student and other coordinator.
  3. Indianapolis travel coordinator will reimburse student mileage as per guidelines.

 

Example 3: Student is assigned to a pediatrics rotation in Indianapolis and home base is a regional campus

Guideline: If you are assigned to a clerkship rotation away from your home campus, then the school will provide housing.


Example 4: Student selects an elective neurology rotation in Indianapolis and home base is a regional campus.

Guideline: If you choose to take an elective away from your home campus, the school does not provide housing.