Expenses

Department of Family Medicine
Travel and Accommodation Policy and Process - As of July 1, 2020

The Department of Family Medicine is partially funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and provides reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses for Residents and Western Medical Students that are completing training rotations within Southwestern Ontario and outside of their core teaching site, or within the Cities of London or Windsor.  This travel policy meets the guidelines of The University of Western Ontario and the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Learners may be eligible for Department of Family Medicine (DoFM) funding when they participate in core family medicine rotations that are four weeks or longer.

Distance Eligibility

Funding will be provided to students who complete a 4 week rotation in an approved Department of Family Medicine training site within Southwestern Ontario that is at least 35km from their Academic Home Base (London or Windsor).

Program

Location of Rotation

Family Medicine Student

London Program

Communities 35 kms or less from London

Not funded

London Program

Communities 35 kms or more from London

Funded

Windsor Program

Communities 35 kms or less from Windsor

Not funded

Windsor Program

Communities 35 kms or more from Windsor

Funded

Temporary Housing or Commuting

Temporary Housing

The Department of Family Medicine (DoFM) 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 a 4 week rotation block(s): a primary residence at the Academic Home Base 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.

The DoFM provides accommodation funding up to $800.00 per block (HST included).  Accommodation is available in most of our 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 the funding limit of $800.00 per 4 week block. 

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, qualify for travel reimbursement to support daily commute up to a maximum of $400.00 per 4-week rotation block.

Temporary Housing Request

Accommodation must be requested by the learner at least 90 days prior to the start of their community rotation.  If notice is not received 90 days prior to the start of the rotation, it will be assumed that accommodation is not required and therefore not funded by the Department of Family Medicine.

Requirements

a)    Temporary housing funded by the DoFM MUST BE used for living/overnight stays for the full duration of the rotation.

b)    Accommodations are provided for the individual learner only; additional guests are not permitted.

c)    Learners may occasionally wish to arrange their own housing. If accommodation hasn’t been requested, Family Medicine must be notified of any housing arranged by the learner at least one month prior to the rotation.

d)    Accommodations may be co-ed with shared kitchens, bathrooms and sitting area.

e)    Please be aware that pets and smoking are not permitted at any housing site.

f)     All learners are required to adhere to the landlord’s housing rules.

g)    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.

h)    Please notify Family Medicine 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 the DoFM 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.

Temporary Housing with Travel Funding

Learners who are housed in an approved Department of Family Medicine Training Site will be eligible for travel funding for one return trip from the community rotation site to the Academic Home Base.

Note:  Funding for daily commuting will only be provided to learners if notification of accommodation cancellation is received and confirmed 60 days (minimum) prior to the start of the community rotation.

Local community transportation, parking, and vehicle servicing expenses are not reimbursable. Travel expenses within a community are not considered.

Mileage for rotations in the Academic Home Base city is not covered by the Department.

Submission & Reimbursement

Please complete the Undergraduate Mileage Expense Form for mileage reimbursement.  Only forms with complete information will be processed.  Travel expense claims will be processed at the end of each block.  Cheques are issued by The University of Western Ontario and can take up to six weeks to process.  Cheques will be mailed to the address submitted on the travel expense form.

For reimbursement of accommodations booked and arranged housing by the learner, original accommodation receipts must be submitted and include:

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

For housing arranged by The Department of Family Medicine, no documents are required from the leaner. The accommodation funding is up to $800.00 per 4-week rotation.

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 kilometer allowance.  The maximum eligible travel allowance provided for each rotation is $400.00 per 4 week block.  This maximum takes into consideration all funds claimed under the Travel Policy.

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

*Visiting Students

The Department of Family Medicine does not pay for mileage or accommodations for Visiting Students while completing a Family Medicine elective. If placed at a rural site, visiting students are required to have their own personal transportation.