Required Time

During the Semester

During weeks when classes are in session, students are expected to average around ten hours per week working on Clinic. (This figure is derived from the official standard of three to four hours of work in a course per HMC credit, with Clinic being a three-credit course.)  The ten hours include time spent in the weekly Tuesday 11:00AM class and all  team meetings, so on-your-own time will be closer to 6–8 hours per week, depending on how long you spend in meetings.

The kinds of work you do will vary significantly throughout the course of the project, e.g., directed research and investigative prototyping; design and implementation; creating and refining deliverables; preparing presentations.   

As Clinic is team-owned, it is important for each team member to maintain a steady investment of time each week.  However, you can also work less than 10 hours some weeks (e.g., when work in other classes spikes) and more hours in other weeks to make up, as long as the project continues to move forward smoothly.

Because Clinic projects are open-ended, they could absorb far more than ten hours each week. Students are neither expected nor encouraged to work excessive hours. The challenge is to use limited time thoughtfully by managing priorities and scope, since deadlines and deliverables can't be pushed past the end of the semester. 

Many alums note that this "maximize-value-in-available-time" mindset is the most distinctive and authentic facet of the Clinic experience.

Projects Day and Final Deliverables

Attendance at Projects Day activities is mandatory. There are no HMC classes that day, but some students do have off-campus classes that still meet; given advance notice, we can usually schedule around these.

Advisor-approved final deliverables are also mandatory for passing the course and graduating. If you keep an eye on the schedule, plan your work, and coordinate with your advisor, you can finish before Projects Day and not have to work overtime in the 2.5 days following Projects Day.