Distributed Education Travel & Accommodation Policy

Eligible Medical Learners include:

• Schulich Medicine 1 or 2 Year Student
• Schulich Medicine Clerk
• Schulich 4^th Year Student
• Schulich Medicine Resident
• MOHLTC Funded Undergraduate Medical Student
• Your rotation is between one month (4 consecutive weeks) and up to six months in duration

 If one of the above apply to you, proceed to Part B.

Non Eligible Medical Learners include:

• Non-Schulich Medicine Resident
• Non-MOHLTC Funded Resident
• Physician Assistant Student

All non-Eligible medical learners are encouraged to consult their program specific travel and housing policies for possible alternate funding sources.

Horizontal Rotations do not qualify for funding.

NOTE:  If you are a Schulich Family Medicine Resident, please submit your travel through the Department of Family Medicine.

To determine whether a rotation is eligible for Distributed Education reimbursement, it must be located in an Approved Schulich Medicine Distributed Education Community.

 

Campus	Location of Rotation	Schulich Learner (Clerks and Residents)	Approved Funding
London Campus	Communities less than 35 kms from London	Resident Clerk	Not funded Funded when travelling outside of London
London Campus	Communities 35 kms or more from London	Resident Clerk	Funded Not Funded
Windsor Campus	Communities less than 35 kms from Windsor	Resident Clerk	Not Funded Not Funded
Windsor Campus	Communities 35 kms or more from Windsor	Resident Clerk	Funded Funded

If you will be completing a rotation in a community that is funded, proceed to Part C.

To determine if you meet the distance criteria of 35 kms or greater, please reference the London/Windsor Distance Chart.  Below is the list of addresses used to identify the Academic Home Base and Teaching Sites.  Clinical location sites must be within a Schulich Medicine Distributed Education community training site and is based on the community hospital for mileage calculation.  For communities that do not have a hospital site, distance will be calculated to the preceptor’s clinic location.

Academic Home Base	Teaching Site	Address used for Mileage Reimbursement
London Campus		Western University 1151 Richmond Street
	Goderich*	Maitland Valley Family Medicine Centre 180 Cambria Road North
	Hanover*	Hanover Medical Clinic 118 7th Ave
	Petrolia*	Petrolia Medical Clinic 4130 Glenview Road
	Stratford*	Avon Family Medicine Centre 511 Huron Street
	Tavistock*	Tavistock Family Health Network 80 Maria Street
	Ailsa Craig	North Middlesex Community Health Centre 147 Main Street
	Amherstburg	Amherstburg Family Heath Team 721 Front Road South
	Aylmer	418 Talbot Street West
	Bayfield	Lighthouse Medical Centre Main Street South
	Blenheim	Blenheim Medical Centre Chatham Street North
	Chatham	St. Joseph’s Health Sciences Association of Chatham 80 Grand Ave West
	Chesley	South Bruce Grey Health Centre
	Clinton	Clinton Public Hospital
	Dresden	564 George Street
	Durham	Durham Medical Clinic
	Exeter	South Huron Hospital 24 Huron Street West
	Flesherton	Flesherton Family Practice 6 Alice Street
	Goderich	Alexandra Marine & General Hospital 125 Napier Street
	Grand Bend	Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre 69 Main Street East
	Hanover	Hanover and District Hospital 90 7th Ave
	Harrow	Harrow Family Health Centre 1480 Erie Road South
	Ilderton	Middlesex Centre Regional Medical Clinic 36 Heritage Drive
	Ingersoll	Alexandra Hospital 29 Noxon Street
	Kincardine	South Bruce Grey Health Centre  21 McGivern Street West
	Leamington	Leamington District Memorial Hospital
	Lion’s Head	Pennisula Family Health Team 24 Moore Street
	Listowel	Listowel Memorial Hospital 255 Elizabeth Street East
	Lucan	280 Main Street
	Markdale	Grey Bruce Health Services, Markdale Site
	Meaford	Grey Bruce Health Services, Meaford Site
	Mitchell	Mitchell Family Doctors 7 Frances Street
	Mount Brydges	Southwest Middlesex Health Centre 22262 Mill Road
	Muncey	Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre 4 Anishnaabeg Drive
	Newbury	Four Counties Health Services 1824 Concession Drive
	Owen Sound	Grey Bruce Health Services, Owen Sound Site 1800 8th Street East *some rotations may be funded by the Rural Ontario Medical Program (ROMP). Refer to their website for information.
	Palmerston	130 Main Street East
	Petrolia	Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital 450 Blanche Street
	Point Edward	704 Mara Street
	Sarnia	Bluewater Health 89 Norman Street
	Saugeen Shores	Saugeen Shores Medical Building 36 Grey Street North
	Seaforth	Seaforth Community Hospital 24 Centennial Drive
	Southampton	Grey Bruce Health Services, Southampton Site
	St. Marys	St. Marys Memorial Hospital 267 Queen Street West
	St. Thomas	St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital 189 Elm Street
	Stratford	Stratford General Hospital 46 General Hospital Drive
	Strathroy	Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital 395 Carrie Street
	Tavistock	Tavistock Health Centre 80 Maria Street
	Thorndale	Thorndale Lions Medical Centre 21816 Fairview Road
	Tilbury	Tilbury District Family Health Team 22 Mill Street West
	Tillsonburg	Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital 167 Rolph Street
	Walkerton	South Bruce Grey Health Centre 21 McGivern Street
	Wallaceburg	Sydenham District Hospital 80 Grand Ave West
	West Lorne	West Elgin Community Health Centre 153 Main Street West
	Wiarton	Grey Bruce Health Services 369 Mary Street
	Wingham	Wingham and District Hospital 270 Carling Terrace
	Woodstock	Woodstock General Hospital 270 Riddell Street
	Zurich	Bluewater Area Family Health Team 43 Main Street

Schulich Medicine Distributed Education funding will be offered only if the previous eligibility criteria have been met.  You will choose EITHER to:  live temporarily in the Distributed Education community OR to commute daily.

 

Temporary Housing 

Schulich Medicine Distributed Education strongly encourages trainees to live and learn in the community to optimize their experience.  Funding for housing is provided to learners who maintain two places of residence during the rotation month(s): a primary residence at the Academic Home Base (see above) and a secondary residence in the community for the duration of the rotation.  Funding is not intended to pay rent/mortgage for the learner’s primary residence.

Living in the “community” is considered to be living temporarily within the rotation location which is ≥35 kms from your Academic Home Base (see above).

Schulich Medicine Distributed Education provides accommodation funding up to $800.00 per month (HST included).  Accommodation is available in most of our main teaching communities but there are no guarantees.  If accommodations are not available, learners are able to find their own accommodations and will be reimbursed up to the funding limit of $800.00 per month. 

Learners who choose temporary housing are entitled to travel funding for mandatory academic half days and/or teaching sessions. Learners may receive one round trip to their Academic Home Base per mandatory session.

Commuting 

You are strongly encouraged to live and learn in the community to optimize your experience, however, there may be situations when commuting is the necessary choice.  When making this decision, please consider call schedules, weather and travel time.

Learners who do not choose to live in temporary housing in the community, may qualify for travel reimbursement to support daily commute up to a maximum of $400.00 per month. Mandatory Academic Sessions, Academic Half Days and Exams would not be eligible for travel reimbursement for learners who commute.

Temporary Housing Request:

Accommodation must be requested by the learner 30 days prior to the start of their community rotation.  If notice is not received 30 days prior to the start of the rotation, it will be assumed that accommodation is not required and therefore not funded by the Schulich Medicine Distributed Education Program. Accommodation requests are assessed on a first come first serve basis.

Complete Learner Accommodation Request Form and review policy requirements.

Requirements: 

1. Temporary housing funded by Distributed Education MUST BE used for living/overnight stays for the full duration of the rotation.
2. Accommodations are provided for the individual learner only; additional guests are not permitted.
3. Learners may occasionally wish to arrange their own housing. Distributed Education must be notified of any housing arranged by the learner at least 30 days prior to the rotation.
4. Accommodations may be co-ed with shared kitchens, bathrooms and sitting area.
5. Please be aware that pets and smoking are not permitted at any housing site.
6. All learners are required to adhere to the landlord’s housing rules.
7. Additional fees may be applied for any internet overages. Learners who use community computing privileges for illegal downloading and file sharing will face disciplinary action for a violation of Western’s Student Code of Conduct, Western’s Code of Behaviour for Use of Computing Resources (MAAP 1.13) and the possibility of criminal or civil prosecution by the copyright holder.
8. Please notify Distributed Education on your accommodation request form, if there are special requirements for housing, such as allergy alerts, disability accommodation, or religious observances. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate these requests.

 

Professionalism – Once booked, learners are responsible for communicating to both the landlord and to Schulich Medicine Distributed Education any change that would impact the confirmed housing, including date changes and/or cancellation.  The learner will be responsible for any accommodation costs associated with the learner’s cancellation or non-use of housing.

Housing with Travel Funding

Learners who are housed in a Distributed Education community (reference London/Windsor Distance Charts), may also be eligible for additional travel funding for the following:

• One round trip from the community rotation site to the Academic Home Base (reference London/Windsor Distance Charts).
• Mandatory travel to preceptor’s clinic(s) which exceeds 35 kms, (one-way) from the Distributed Education clinical rotation site is eligiblke for a maximum of one weekly round trip reimbursement.  Mileage will be calculated by the Distributed Education office using shortest Google Map distances, or amount of kms provided is lower.  Clinical travel that is unrelated to the claimed rotation is not eligible.

 

Mandatory Academic Sessions

• Mandatory Academic Sessions requiring travel back to the Academic Home Base (see page 2-5) will be considered if travel exceeds 35kms (one way trip). For learners based in communities whre videoconferenceing cannot be delivered or where personal attendance is deemed necessary (by the Program Director), additional trips tot he Academic Home Base will be considered.
• Mandatory Academic Sessions funded by Distributed Education are (maximum allowance is one mandatory session per week)
• Exams (written or oral)
• PGME/UGME Academic Half Days
• Mandatory Academic Sessions, Academic Half Days and Exams are not included in the maximum Travel Allocation of $400 per month for learners who receive or are funded for accomodations in the rotation community

Note:  Funding for daily commuting will only be provided to learners who previoulsy booked accomodations if notification of cancellation is received and confirmed 30 days (minimum) prior to the start of the community rotation.

Commuting:

Travel costs will only be reimbursed if the clinical rotation site is:

• a Schulich Medicine Distributed Education site (link to list)
• 35 kilometres or further (one way) from the learner’s Academic Home Base.

Travel funds are only available for travel incurred by learners using their own vehicle, car rentals or taking public transportation such as bus or train.  Local community transportation, parking, and vehicle servicing expenses are not reimbursable.  Travel expenses within a community are not considered.

Learners submit travel and housing expenses by completing the Schulich Medicine Distributed Education Learner Expense Form.

For Travel, mileage is calculated between the Learner’s Academic Home Base AND the clinical rotation site.  All distances are calculated using the shortest route identified on Google Maps.

Round-trip kilometres are reimbursed at Western University’s current kilometre allowance.  The maximum eligible travel allowance provided for each rotation is $400.00 per month.  This maximum takes into consideration all funds claimed under the Travel Policy.

For housing arranged by Schulich Medicine Distributed Education, no documents are required from the learner.

For reimbursement of learner arranged housing, accommodation receipts must be originals and include:

• Learner’s name
• Address of accommodations
• Dates of occupancy
• Amount paid with proof of payment
• Name and signature of the landlord
• Email and telephone number at which landlord can be reached

All claims for Distributed Education funding must be submitted within 60 days of the final day of the rotation.  Claims that are submitted late will not be processed.

Expenses will be processed for reimbursement after the rotation completion.  Payment may then take up to 90 days for processing.