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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
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Information on adverse weather procedure and emergency response for faculty, staff and students followed by each IU School of Medicine campus.

Adverse Weather Procedure

In the event of adverse weather, review the procedures below and follow the alerts from Medical Student Education and respective campus leaders.

Phase 1 MD Students

  • Students should follow instructions provided by their home campus.  
  • Students will hear from their respective campus deans and course directors for further instructions 
  • Please note that students should never report for in-person course-related activities, including clinical visits, if they do not feel safe doing so. If a campus remains open and students decide they cannot get to campus, students should fill in the time away request form for a one-day time away request and contact their HSS and FCP small group leaders or clinical preceptors (if applicable) to inform them if they cannot attend scheduled in-person activities.
  • During adverse weather, students should never report for FCP clinical activities if they do not feel safe doing so. Please contact your preceptor to reschedule your visit and let your site leader and campus course coordinator know the new date.  
  • Students should also review the helpful winter weather information below.

Phase 1 Exam Day Protocol

If adverse weather falls on an exam day, information about altered exam plans will be posted to the respective course Canvas site. 

Phase 2 and 3 MD Students

  • If students don't feel safe reporting to in-person clerkship-related activities (including clinical duties), they should not do so.
          - If services/clinics are not canceled due to weather, but a student feels they can't report safely to their scheduled                        service/clinics, students should complete the time-away request form and contact the statewide clerkship coordinator            and regional campus clerkship coordinator (if applicable) to inform them you cannot attend scheduled clerkship                          activities.
  • Time-away requests are NOT needed if IU School of Medicine campuses are closed.
         * Note: While an IU “campus” may be closed, that doesn't automatically mean IU School of Medicine services/clinics are            canceled. Always seek confirmation from the communication(s) sent directly to you by IU School of Medicine and/or                your clerkship teams.
  • If the campus is NOT closed, but services/clinics ARE canceled at your site, fill out the time-away request.
  • Clerkship teams should inform preceptors of the status of clerkship clinical/in-person activities.
  • Students on a regional campus should follow additional instructions provided by IU School of Medicine at that campus.
  • Review the helpful winter weather information below.

Information for each IU School of Medicine campus:

Bloomington: IU Emergency Procedures
Evansville: IU School of Medicine-Evansville Emergency Procedures
Fort Wayne: PFW Emergency Procedures
Indianapolis: IU Indianapolis Emergency Procedures
Muncie: Ball State Emergency Procedures
Northwest-Gary: IU Northwest Emergency Procedures
South Bend: IU School of Medicine-South Bend Emergency Procedures
Terre Haute: Indiana State Emergency Procedures
 West Lafayette: Purdue Emergency Procedures

Residents and Fellows

Residents and fellows should follow procedures set forth by their program directors.

Employees

When the campus remains open during adverse weather, employees are expected to use their best judgment if adverse weather creates extreme travel hazards for commuting to and from the workplace. Employees should not endanger themselves or ignore the statements of local law-enforcement officials about traveling during adverse weather. Staff should make every effort to notify their supervisor if they cannot get to work, and advance notice requirements for use of time off will be waived. Please see the Indiana University Adverse Weather Policy.

Check Conditions Before Leaving

Don’t leave your safety to chance. Emergency management experts encourage people with smartphones to use weather apps, which often provide alerts for hazardous conditions, such as tornadoes and heavy winds. You can find travel advisories online.

Campus Weather Forecasts

Indiana Travel Advisories

Do's and Don'ts for Adverse Weather Scenarios

Things To Do

  • Dress appropriately for cold weather any time you go anywhere, with multiple layers of clothing underneath a water-resistant coat; protect your extremities with a hat, gloves/mittens, and waterproof shoes with good traction.
  • Protect your face and lungs with a scarf.
  • Charge your phone fully before going anywhere.
  • Have an emergency kit at home and in your car.
  • Always have at least three days of food, water, and any other supplies you might need should you not be able to leave your home.

Things to NOT Do

  • Don’t go anywhere underdressed. Your warm car may break down, or your destination could be without power — plan for the worst.
  • Don’t rush. Allow for more travel time during and after any winter precipitation.
  • Don't forget that snow can melt and refreeze as ice on the road or sidewalk after a sunny day.
  • Don’t use an oven to warm up your home. If you must use a space heater, carefully follow its instructions.
  • Don’t stock up at the last moment before a storm hits — be prepared days before.
  • Don’t travel during a storm unless it is necessary.

Protect IU

Adverse weather and emergency notices are posted by IU Emergency Management and Continuity.