Trainees are eligible to receive twenty-five (25) weekdays of paid time off (PTO) per academic year. PTO 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 PTO include vacation, non-work-related illness, illness of a dependent, bereavement (beyond what is allocated per THR policy), maternity/paternity leave, and holiday, USMLE Step 3 testing, and job/fellowship interviews.

No more than five (5) days of PTO may be taken during any rotation. PTO may not be taken during the medicine ward or ICU rotations.

A trainee taking off more than the allotted number of PTO days annually stipulated above will be required to make up any such days during the academic year in order to advance to the next academic 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. The trainee must notify the Residency Coordinator of this ahead of time. If the trainee has already requested PTO during this same time period, the holiday will still be deducted as PTO.

A trainee taking leave of absence (LOA) may use PTO days during his/her leave of absence. If such PTO days are not available, the trainee will be placed on leave without pay (see THR policy). Please reference the Graduate Medical Education Leave of Absence Policy for Physicians In Approved Graduate Medical Education Programs at Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

PTO request forms should whenever possible be submitted a minimum of 30 days prior to the first day of the PTO requested. For categorical residents, the Internal Medicine Clinic must also be notified a minimum of 30 days prior to the first day of PTO requested. PTO request forms should be completed by the resident and signed first by Katherine Dodds in the Clinic (categorical residents only), second by the attending during the period of proposed PTO, third by the Residency Coordinator, and finally by the Assoicate Program Director. Travel plans should not be completed until final permission is granted. Additionally, any missed days must be reported to the Residency Coordinator, the Attending and the Chief Resident(s) within twenty-four (24) hours.

*For categorical residents: If PTO 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.

ADDENDUM: Revisions to Schedules

Regarding schedule changes: All changes to posted schedules must be approved first by the Chief Resident and then submitted to the Residency Coordinator and Associate Program Director, if approved by the Chief Resident, for documentation and final approval. Only unusual extenuating circumstances will be considered for changes to the posted schedules. As stated above in the PTO policy, there is no PTO allowed on wards or ICU months.