Professionalism at Jefferson Medical College

Getting Involved with the PCC

The Student PCC is a student-run organization, so it relies on motivated Jefferson Medical College students for its continued success! Get involved with the PCC by either:

• applying to be a first year interim member, or
• running for election as a permanent representative in the spring of their first year.

Many students have started as appointed members of the PCC and have gone on to become permanent members, however being chosen at the start of first year is not a guarantee that you will be elected at the end of the year. For those students who are not interested in sitting on the PCC itself, there are other opportunities to further professionalism at Jefferson.

Membership

The student PCC is composed of five permanent elected representatives from the second, third, and fourth year classes who serve as the representatives from their class until they graduate. Five interim first year members are selected from the first year class by the Student PCC in September and serve until permanent representatives are elected by the first year class in the spring.

Applying to be a First-Year Member

In September of each year the elected members of the PCC select five interim members from the first year class to serve as representatives until five permanent members are elected in the spring. This is done to give the class an opportunity to know each other and get a sense of what they would like from a PCC representative before electing permanent members.

The selection process:

1. An announcement is made and an email is sent to the first year class requesting brief statements from all interested students describing why they would like to be a part of the PCC and why professionalism is important to them;
2. Brief interviews are scheduled by the current PCC members with the applicants; and
3. The PCC selects five students to serve as representatives.

The five interim members act as full representatives for their class until the spring of their first year. At this point they can choose to run for election as a permanent member of the PCC if they would like to continue their involvement on the committee.

Election Process

In the spring of the first year, but no later than the end of March, the entire first year class elects five permanent members of the PCC. These five members will sit on the PCC until they graduate.

How the election process works:

1. An announcement is made and an email is sent to the first year class requesting that all students who are interested in running for election to the PCC submit a brief statement of interest by a set deadline;
2. These statements are put onto a ballot which is posted electronically during the election period;
3. The election is carried out electronically, classically at the beginning of an Introduction to Clinical Medicine exam;
4. Each student can vote for up to 5 representatives;
5. The 5 students with the most votes are elected as members of the PCC.

Please see the Bylaws for more details on the election process.

Other Opportunities

Becoming a member of the PCC is only one way that Jefferson students can be involved with professionalism. Here are some other ways students can make a difference:

• Get involved with orientation! Every year the student PCC runs a program during orientation with the incoming first year class and always needs student leaders for discussion groups.
• Bring ideas and concerns to your PCC representatives. Student input is essential for the PCC, so anything you bring to the group is greatly appreciated.
• Keep an eye out for other professionalism positions. There are many groups on campus that work in the area of professionalism. Make sure to read the student announcements, as most of them have student representative positions.