Immersion Phase Tips for Success

We want you to succeed in the Immersion Phase! Be sure to read our tips to help keep the stress at bay.

Manage your enrollment:
Self-serviced course additions or drops through YES close 42 days (for ISCs, AIs, and some ACEs) or 28 days (most ACEs, AEs) before the first day of the course. If you need to add or drop a course after that, you must obtain permission from the appropriate team. Refer to the online form for which team(s) from which to request permission. Add or drop requests for ACEs, AIs, AEs, and ISCs will not be considered after the Wednesday before the course starts.

Take two ISCs in year 3:
In year 4, many students are taking their acting internships and away rotations. Trying to fit in three ISCs, which are only offered in certain months, can create a scheduling nightmare. Be sure to take at least two ISCs in year 3 to make for a less stressful year 4.

Turn in your 7100 away form on time:
Once you are accepted on an away rotation, be sure to turn in your 7100 form. If you turn it in less than 28 days before the first day of your rotation, you won’t get credit for the course. Your transcript will still show that you took it, along with your grade, but it won’t count towards your Immersion graduation requirements.

Plan for an extra course if taking three away rotations:
Only two away rotations will count towards your Immersion graduation requirements (as competency- and interest-driven rotations). A third away can be taken, and it will show on your transcript along with your grade, but it won’t count towards your Immersion graduation requirements (i.e., you will need to take another course).

Log vital experiences:
Students taking clinical courses are required to log Vital Experiences in VITALS. Students in ACEs and AIs must log 20 during the four-week course and students in ISCs must log 5. Anyone who does not log the minimum will receive a flag in the practice-based learning and improvement domain in VSTAR Portfolio to alert them to this requirement. Repeated flags in the domain of PBLI will impact progress and promotion

Send the required number of Compass requests:
Students enrolled in ACEs and AIs are required to request at least 4 of the primary Compass assessments. Anyone who does not request the minimum will receive a flag in the professionalism domain in VSTAR Portfolio to alert them to this phase requirement. Repeated flags in the domain of professionalism will impact progress and promotion.

Avoid ISCs during interview months:
ISCs tend to have many required course activities that cannot be missed. Multiple absences, for activities such as interviews, cannot always be accommodated. Students should flex months when they anticipate a lot of absences, or they may be asked to drop a course that they need for graduation. Students should remember that all non-emergent absences need to be requested four weeks before the course starts via the Absence Request Form.

Be sure to contact immersion.phase@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions.