Regional Track Policies

PURCH and LEAD@Lahey track policies

Please direct any questions regarding the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey tracks and/or policies on how to opt in or out to the Office of Admissions at admissions@umassmed.edu or 508-856-2323.

A. Opting-in to the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track:

Opting in prior to matriculation

The PURCH and LEAD@Lahey tracks are part of the Vista curriculum in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine at UMass Chan. Hence, there is only one offer of acceptance to the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. Applicants wishing to enroll in the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track will have two interview days: one with the main campus, based in Worcester, and one with the corresponding regional campus. An applicant who accepts an offer of admission to the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track will matriculate into that track unless a request to opt out is granted (see below).

 An applicant may choose to apply to the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track after applying to the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. The applicant must email the Office of Admissions at admissions@umassmed.edu to update their secondary application to reflect their interest in applying to PURCH or LEAD@Lahey, and then submit required secondary application materials.

Opting-in after matriculation

An accepted applicant who did not apply to the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track and has matriculated into the T.H. Chan School of Medicine as an MD or MD/PhD student may apply to join the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track. The reasons for the request must be made via email to the associate dean for student affairs by the end of the first week of the academic year.

 The decision about whether to approve an application for a track after matriculation will be based on several factors including the capacity of a given track to accept additional students.

 The process for approval for transfer into the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track is as follows:

1. The student submits a request via email to the associate dean for student affairs by the end of the first week of the academic year.
2. The student’s Learning Community mentor emails the associate dean for student affairs indicating that they have discussed the request with the student and that they support or do not support the request.
3. The associate dean for student affairs presents the student’s request to a committee composed of the:Associate dean for student affairs

• Director of student affairs at UMass Chan-Baystate or UMass Chan-Lahey
• Learning Communities co-director
• Assistant dean for student affairs/advising
• Associate dean for admissions at UMass Chan
• Assistant dean for admissions at UMass Chan-Baystate or UMass Chan-Lahey
• Assistant dean for clinical curriculum

Collectively, this group comprises an ad hoc committee to respond to requests to opt in or out of the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey tracks. The student’s written request and the Learning Community mentor’s email of support or opposition are provided to the ad hoc committee.

4. If the committee approves the request, the decision is brought to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs for distribution.
5. The vice provost and senior associate dean for educational affairs is informed of the decision for final approval.

 B. Opting out of the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track:

 Applicants may opt out of the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track through the following process.

 Opting out prior to matriculation:

An applicant who has not yet been accepted to the T.H. Chan School of Medicine may elect to opt out of the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track after admissions interviews are complete by emailing the Office of Admissions at admissions@umassmed.edu to request this change in application status within seven days of their PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track interview. The applicant must state the reason(s) for the request.

An applicant who has been admitted to the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track may later request to opt out of the track prior to matriculation and remain in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. The applicant must make the request, including the reason(s) for the request, by email to the Office of Admissions at admissions@umassmed.edu. Decisions to grant such a request will be made after consulting with admissions subcommittees at UMass Chan’s regional campuses and will be informed by capacity.

Opting out after matriculation:

A student who has matriculated as a PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track student may request to opt out of the track and remain a student in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. The reason(s) for the request must be made via email to the associate dean for student affairs by the end of the first week of the academic year. Decisions to grant such a request will be made after consulting with admissions subcommittees at UMass Chan’s regional campuses.

C. Timing of transfers in and out of PURCH or LEAD@Lahey:

The PURCH and LEAD@Lahey tracks are longitudinal experiences with integrated threads in the curriculum that are specific to the track. Additionally, students in the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track develop long-term mentoring and career development relationships with their Learning Community mentors. As such, requests to transfer in or out of a track must be thoughtfully considered and articulated with clear reasoning. These requests will only be entertained at specific times during the curriculum to facilitate student progress and ensure student success.

Opting in or out of the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey tracks is not permitted in the Horizons phase.

Note:

• At all transition points, students must articulate a clear reason for requesting the change.
• Entry to/exit from the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey cannot be related to mentor issues.
• Life-changing events may prompt a student to opt in or out of a track at a point other than those mentioned above and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 D. Process for transfer:

If the request for a transfer into or out of the PURCH or LEAD@Lahey track is granted, the associate dean for student affairs will notify the following people and offices to initiate the transition process:

• The student
• Office of the Registrar
• Office of Undergraduate Medical Education
• Assistant dean for clinical curriculum
• Director of early clinical learning at UMass Chan-Baystate or UMass Chan-Lahey
• Learning Communities co-director
• Associate dean at UMass Chan-Baystate or UMass Chan-Lahey
• Vice provost and senior associate dean for educational affairs

Revised and approved 8/29/2024