Trainees are eligible to receive twenty (20) weekdays of paid vacation time per year. Vacation time is available for any reason except for days off resulting from a work-related injury or illness or short-term or long-term disability, to which separate policies apply. Examples of uses of vacation time include vacation, non-work-related illness, illness of a dependent, bereavement (beyond what is allocated per THR policy), maternity, and holidays.

No more than five (5) days of vacation may be taken during any rotation and may not be taken during the medicine ward, ER/night float or ICU rotations.

Vacation policies specific to PGY level:

1. Categorical PGY-1: Twenty (20) days of vacation are provided annually. Any unused days, up to five (5) days, can be carried over to the PGY-2 and PGY-3 training years to be used for vacation, non-work-related illness, family or personal emergencies, etc. Alternatively, upon successful completion of the categorical training period, any of the unsued days from the PGY-2 year, up to five (5) days, can be cashed out at 100% pay.
   
   
2. Preliminary PGY-1: Twenty (20) days of vacation are provided annually. Upon successful completition of the preliminary training period, any unused days, up to five (5) days, can be cashed out at 100% pay.
   
   
3. PGY-2 and PGY-3: Twenty (20) days of vacation are provided annually. This time must be used within each academic year with the exception of up to five (5) unused days carried over from the PGY-1 year. Otherwise ununsed vacation days from the PGY-2 and PGY-3 tranining years will be forefeited. In addition, PGY-2 and PGY-3 trainees will be given an additional (3) days per year for interviewing or taking USMLE Step 3; these days may not be carried over from the PGY-2 and PGY-3 year and are not eligible for cash out at the end of the categorical training period.

A trainee taking off more than the allotted number of vacation days annually stipulated above will be required to make up any such days during the year in order to advance to the next year or to graduate.

If a trainee is on an elective rotation during a month in which there is a THR-apporoved holiday (Christmas, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day), and the office in which the trainee is working will be closed for those days, the trainee may opt to use these days for study time. If the trainee has already planned to take vacation during this time and will be out of town, the holiday will be deducted as PTO/vacation time.

A trainee taking leave of absence may use vacation days during his/her leave of absence. Please reference the Graduate Medical Education Leave of Absence Policy for Physicians In Approved Graduate Medical Education Programs at Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

Vacation request forms should be submitted a minimum of 30 days prior to the first day of the vacation time requested. For categorical residents, the Internal Medicine Clinic must also be notified a minimum of 30 days prior to the first day of the vacation time to be taken. These should be completed by the resident and signed off first by Sonya Thompson or Alma Ruiz in the Clinic (categorical residents only), second by the attending, third by the Residency Coordinator, and finally by the Assoicate Program Director. Plans should not be completed until permission is granted.

*For categorical residents: If vacation days are split up within a rotation you must make up any clinic days beyond one (1) clinic day off during a rotation period.

IMPORTANT: All contracts extend through June 23rd of the training year. Each trainee will be required to work through the 23rd of June unless vacation days have been requested. No exceptions will be made to this policy.