Cancelling an elective within 6 weeks of the elective start date is considered a late cancellation.  As late cancellations do have consequences – they strain our relationships with preceptors, and they come at an opportunity cost to another student, a late cancellation should be viewed as an exceptional circumstance requiring their home program’s support.  Late cancellations must be requested by the home school to the host school.  

A student who needs to cancel an elective late should make this request to their home school Undergraduate Medical Education/Electives office (or equivalent), working through their home school Student Affairs office (or equivalent) as appropriate.  If the cancellation is supported, the student’s home school Undergraduate Medical Education/Electives office will notify the host school for the visiting elective of the need to cancel, on behalf of the student.  The reason for the late cancellation need not be disclosed by the home school, nor should the reason be requested by the host school. 

Should a student cancel an elective directly within 6 weeks of the elective start date, without coordinating the cancellation via their home school Undergraduate Medical Education/Electives office, then the host school will typically notify the home school.  Unapproved late cancellations would be addressed through professionalism processes at the home school, as relevant.