All allowed reimbursements contingent on funds available in Resident Allowance Fund and/or Supplementary Conference Travel Fund.
The Department of Internal Medicine supports resident research both philosophically and financially. The following is a policy to outline such support. When a trainee is invited to present the product of their research experience at a regional or national meeting the following support from the Education Office is available for one meeting each academic year. It is the department’s expectation that matching funds be provided by the division that provided mentoring for the project.
Yearly Allowance Funds Explained
Resident Annual Educational Fund: $500 from GME to use for anything related to your resident education (eg, textbooks, board prep materials, Step 3 exam fees, ABIM exam fees).
Supplementary Conference Travel Fund: additional $500 for travel to conferences where the resident is presenting his or her own work. This cannot be used for other purposes but can be combined with the existing $500 allowance.
Note: Unused funds from either resident annual fund or supplementary conference travel fund cannot be carried forward at the end of each training year and there is no cash payout at the end of training.
Residents who have not already completed the IDD training may be eligible to receive this allowance. Please check with to Education Office to verify if your eligibility.
What gets reimbursed?
- Textbooks – can be purchased online through Amazon or similar site or through Majors Books. Save receipts and submit to Education Office.
- Board Prep Courses – All interns will have access to NEJM Knowledge+. All residents with the exception of Med-Peds will have access to MKSAP from the R2 year forward.
- Journal Subscriptions – you may use allowance fund for the subscription of journals, however please take full advantage of the online journals available through the UTSW library or VA library databases before using funds for journal subscriptions.
- Special Training Courses – Greenbelt Training, ACLS
- National and Regional Meetings – Please see Travel section
- Medical Association fees – Association fees can be reimbursed. Please submit receipts to the Education Office
- Medical Software
- Board Examinations (including USMLE/COMLEX Step III exam) – Register for exam and save the receipt for submission to Education Office.
- Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination - Register for exam and save receipt for submission to Education Office.
- Medical Licensure – see TMB website for additional instructions
My work has been accepted, what do I next?
- Upon acceptance of your work to the conference, please fill out this form.
- Begin seeking coverage for assigned duties. You are responsible for finding your own coverage for this time. If you anticipate using PTO, please see the "PTO Policy" section regarding time away from training responsibilities.
- Sumit the Coverage request form.
- Request an Intent to Travel Form from if you anticipate having to travel. Scroll down to Travel Checklist if you plan to travel for more information.
- Find coverage for assigned duties and communicate to Chief Residents.
- Check Funding Availability from the Education Office – this is important, as it will determine if you can be reimbursed for travel expenses.
Travel and Reimbursement Policies
Travel Authorization
The purpose of the Travel Authorization is to provide the employee with authorization to be absent or away from the office and must be submitted at least ten working days prior to traveling or prior to the due date of the registration fee for a meeting. The Travel Authorization must be approved by the Program Director before the request for travel expenses related to that request can be processed. Please complete an Intent to Travel Form and submit it to the Education Office.
Travel Advances
Travel advances are not available to residents.
Registration and Flights
Airfare must be purchased using the University Central Billed Account through one of the travel agencies contracted through the system-wide Travel Services office. Airfare purchases should be arranged through the Internal Medicine Education Office via the campus travel agency. Airline travel reimbursement is limited to regular coach fare.
Please do not purchase your own ticket, as this will not be reimbursed.
If the registration is prepaid by the resident, registration details and proof of payment must be provided in order to be eligible for reimbursement. Baggage check fees (for 1 piece) require a receipt for reimbursement. A second bag is only allowable if required for work related items or presentations. UTSW will reimburse up to $60.
Lodging
Lodging will need to be paid by the traveler but can be reimbursed within the guidelines stated above. The daily average maximum for the hotel is $275 per night (excluding taxes and mandatory fees). The $275 daily average limit may be exceeded to a maximum of $400 daily average at conference site hotels. Please contact the Internal Medicine Education Office for questions about lodging reimbursement limits.
Lodging receipts are mandatory and must include an itemization of charges and proof of payment. Please note, if a room is shared, the hotel invoice must be split by the hotel and paid for individually in order to receive reimbursement for the charges.
Meals
Daily maximum for meals is $125 per day not to exceed: $25/person/breakfast, $50/person/lunch, and $85/person/dinner.
Maximum reimbursement for tip is 20% of the pre-tax total for your meal.
Meal expenses must be submitted to the Education Office, documenting the date, time and cost of the meal(s). A meal expense spreadsheet can be provided from the Education Office upon request. Meals provided in the conference fee cannot be reimbursed separately.
Please note that alcoholic beverages are NOT reimbursable.
Transportation (Non-Flight)
Mileage to and from the airport and/or final destination with use of a personal vehicle can be reimbursed. A map showing the mileage between the starting and end address must be provided. The current reimbursement rate for mileage in- and out-of-state is $0.585/mile.
Taxi services are reimbursable with receipt(s).
Incidentals
Incidentals, such as airport parking, hotel tax, telephone charges, etc., can be reimbursed but a receipt must be provided. Poster printing for residents is provided by the department.
Contact Information
- For questions about travel or to schedule travel for an upcoming event, please contact
- For submission of travel receipts and reimbursement requests please contact .
All receipts must be submitted within 90 days of travel or reimbursement is not guaranteed
Travel Checklist for Residents
Before the Trip
- Notify the Chief Residents and Program Director as soon as you know if travel.
- Submit an Intent to Travel Form
- Find coverage for assigned duties and communicate to Chief Residents
- Communicate with sponsoring division to request funding (funding is not guaranteed).
- Check Funding Availability from the Education Office – this is important, as it will determine if you can be reimbursed for travel expenses.
- Flights should be arranged through the Education Office
- Submit Pre-travel form.
- Verify which expenses are reimbursable before you spend.
- One day to travel to the conference and a day to present is allowed, any absences beyond that will be considered unexcused and/or unpaid.
- Poster tubes are available to check out from the IM office using this form
During the Trip
- Save all information related to your flight, including the boarding pass. Save receipt for baggage claim.
- Hotel: save your itemized receipt. If you share a room, have the hotel split the bill and give you an individual receipt.
- Meals: save your itemized receipts. Alcohol is not allowed as part of the travel meal reimbursement. The maximum gratuity for good service is 20 percent of the bill (rounded up to the nearest dollar) and is included in the meal limits.
- If you use your own car: print a map of your route as well as starting and ending addresses.
- If you take a taxi or use Uber, get a receipt.
- Get a receipt for anything else you do or eat just in case.
After the Trip
- Submit receipts to Education Office within 10 days after travel. After 90 days you may not be able to be reimbursed.
UTSW and IM Travel Policies and Resources
The following resources are located on the UTSW Intranet (MyUTSW) and can be accessed if you are on the UTSW network or VPN.
Internal Medicine - Department Operations - Travel Procedures