When the stipend support comes to an end in the 4th medical school year:

Your commitment through the academic year (4th year of medical school) will extend with your re-appointment or until the end of your academic training, whichever comes first, assuming that you remain a full-time student in good standing.

Although the day of the graduation ceremony in mid-May might seem logical, it is in the end a ceremonial moment, rather than one that signifies genuine academic effort. Some students are engaged in clerkships in May that go beyond that day; some even take a short clerkship in June to meet the graduation requirements. On the other end, some students end their academic effort earlier and take time off for personal pleasure (i.e. vacation).

Accordingly, I would like to clarify that the purpose of the stipend provided by the Dean is to support academic effort connected to the MSTP program here at SBU / CSHL / BNL, and the stipend support needs to come to end when the academic effort comes to an end.

Academic effort is defined as:
1) Being registered for a clinical clerkship.
2) Being registered for a 4th year elective involving research (e.g. returning to your thesis lab to complete experiments or a paper).
3) Anything else that can be defended as qualifying as a legitimate academic activity (note - evidence will need to be presented in support of non-registered activities to qualify them).

Note for #3: "Preparing for residency position" does not qualify, and some forms of off-site research would not either. Such issues should be discussed in advance with the Director.

On a related note, some students have asked if it raises problems for them to have a non-scheduled month or two in Dec. / Jan. to go on residency interviews and use the balance of the time to pursue research effort in their thesis lab. As far as I am concerned, this is justifiable, and should be considered ok. It would help though to be able to describe the academic effort being undertaken to the medical school if asked, and if you say that you are doing research, then your advisor should be knowledgeable about this if queried.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the above policy or suggestions for modification.

thanks, Mike


Termination From Health Insurance Coverage:
If the graduate student remain active on the payroll the student will not have to do anything. However, if the appointment will terminate, he / she will not be eligible for the graduate student employee NYSHIP health insurance. The student will have 28 days of continuing coverage, after that termination date. This coverage has been paid for during the payment process with NYSHIP Health Insurance plan.  COBRA offers the opportunity for a temporary extension of your health insurance benefits. Basically this means that the health insurance benefits you may continue are the same benefits you received as an active graduate student employee. If you are interested in extending your NYSHIP benefits, through COBRA, please review the letter that will be sent to you by the Albany Offices.  Please be advised, as will be indicated on the COBRA letter, that there would be a specific date that you must have the completed application and returned to the Albany Offices.

COBRA Premiums: $113.84 monthly for Individual (or) $456.51 monthly for Family. You may review additional information regarding COBRA.  Please visit the Human Resources COBRA link for details on the coverage.  If you need further clarification, please e-mail Edmond at the below e-mail address.

Edmond Anderson, Benefits Specialist
Student Health Insurance Office
West Campus Infirmary / Infirmary Road
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794-3191
Phone: 631.632.6144 / FAX: 631.632.2422
Edmond.Anderson@stonybrook.edu
http://www.stonybrook.edu/hr

"Version: August 26, 2008. This version supersedes all previous versions."