> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://app.simcare.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Step 1: Getting started & clearance tasks

> Your welcome page and the clearance steps you need to complete before you can log hours.

Welcome to FieldX! Before you can log hours or access your placement, you need to complete the **Clearance Process**. This is a one-time set of steps your program requires before you can participate in supervised field experience.

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## The Welcome page

The first time you click **Field Experience** in the sidebar, you'll land on the **Welcome to FieldX** page (at `/fieldx-get-started`). The welcome page shows three step cards:

1. **Complete Paperwork** — submit your clearance application
2. **Get Approved** — your coordinator reviews and approves your application
3. **Start Field Experience** — log hours and complete cohort tasks

At the bottom there's a primary CTA: **Start Paperwork**. Click it to begin.

<Note>If you've already started clearance, the page auto-redirects you straight to the clearance flow. You'll only see the welcome screen once.</Note>

## Why is my Field Experience page locked?

If you skip the welcome screen and click straight into a Field Experience tab, you'll see a locked screen. This is expected — it means your pre-application (clearance) hasn't been approved yet. Almost every action in FieldX — logging hours, accessing your cohort, viewing placement details — requires clearance approval first.

<Note>If you see tabs like **Discover**, **Presenting Issues**, or **My Courses** instead of a locked screen, you're in the SimCare Simulations area, not FieldX. Go back to the main navigation and click **Field Experience** to reach FieldX.</Note>

Once your clearance is approved by your Site Coordinator, the lock lifts and stays lifted for that placement.

<Note>If your coordinator later moves you to a new placement (a different level such as Practicum → Internship, or a different track type), your program may require re-clearance for the new placement. You'll see a blocked screen explaining the change, with a button to complete the clearance tasks again. Your uploaded sites and insurance carry over; you'll only need to redo handbook and agreement steps.</Note>

### New-term clearance reminders

Some programs require students to redo clearance at the start of each new term. If your program has this turned on:

* If you're **not currently in an active placement** when the new term starts, your Field Experience re-locks with a message like *"A new term has started. Please complete clearance tasks again for this term to continue."* Complete the flow again to unlock.
* If you're **already in an active Practicum or Internship** when the new term starts, you're **not** blocked. You keep logging hours as usual, and you'll see a small red dot on the **Clearance Tasks** button as a reminder to complete the new term's clearance when you have time.

## How to complete clearance

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click 'Start Paperwork' or 'Clearance Tasks'">
    On the Welcome page click **Start Paperwork**. If you're past the welcome screen, click the **Clearance Tasks** button on your dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Work through each step in order">
    Your program's clearance flow is a series of steps shown in a stepper at the top. Typical steps include:

    | Step                       | What you do                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
    | -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Choose Track**           | Select your student track (Internship, Practicum, Pre-Practicum, etc.) and, if your program uses per-term application windows, the term you want to apply for. Terms whose application window has closed are shown but grayed out — contact your coordinator if you need an extension. |
    | **Agreements**             | Read and sign any required program agreements                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
    | **Select Sites**           | Pick from the established sites list or request a new site                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
    | **Add Supervisors**        | Add your site supervisor's name, email, and credentials (this triggers an email invite to them)                                                                                                                                                                                        |
    | **Insurance**              | Upload your liability insurance form                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
    | **Custom forms / quizzes** | Some programs add their own forms or quizzes at this step                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
    | **Finalize**               | Submit your application for coordinator review                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit for review">
    On the Finalize step, review what you submitted and click **Submit Application**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for approval">
    Your Program Coordinator reviews each application. You'll get an email when you're approved (or when something needs to be corrected). If you're rejected, the coordinator's note is visible at the top of the clearance page so you know what to fix.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## After approval

Once approved, the lock lifts and your full Field Experience dashboard opens. You can:

* Start logging hours in the **Timesheet** tab
* See cohort assignments in the **Cohorts** tab
* View and manage your placement in **My Sites**
* See your overall progress in **My Dashboard**

## Updating an approved application

If something about your placement changes after your application is approved — you switched supervisors, added a new site, or your coordinator asked you to correct a detail — you can update your application without starting over.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Clearance Tasks">
    From your dashboard, click **Clearance Tasks**. You'll see the **Application Approved** card with two options: **View Application** and **Update Application**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Update Application">
    A confirmation dialog explains that updating starts a new copy of your application pre-filled with your current answers, and that your coordinator will need to re-approve the changes before they take effect. Click **I Understand, Continue** to proceed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Change only what you need to">
    You're placed at the first step of the clearance flow with every answer already filled in. Move through the steps and edit anything that needs updating.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Resubmit for review">
    On the Finalize step, click **Submit Application** again. Your coordinator will review the changes and either approve or reject the update.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>Your originally approved application stays active while your update is pending review, so you keep your full Field Experience access the whole time. Nothing switches over until the update is approved.</Note>

**Multi-person forms carry forward.** Any signature or form step you already completed with a supervisor or third party (for example a signed site agreement) is carried forward as already-complete — you don't need to collect signatures again unless you change something on that step. Steps you never finished the first time reset to blank so you can complete them fresh.

<Tip>For details on how to pick signers, track their progress, resend invitations, or swap a signer out, see [Multi-person forms & signers](/docs/fieldx/students/multi-person-forms).</Tip>

<Tip>Next step: Tour the full dashboard in [Step 2: The Field Experience dashboard](/docs/fieldx/students/step-2-the-field-experience-dashboard).</Tip>

## Common issues

**My clearance application looks stuck.**
Check the top of the Clearance Tasks page for a status banner. If it says "Awaiting Approval," your coordinator hasn't reviewed it yet. If it says "Rejected," scroll down to read their feedback and re-submit after correcting.

**I can't find my site or supervisor in the list.**
On the Sites step, click **Request New Site** to add a placement that isn't already in your program's established list. For supervisors, use the **Add Supervisor** form to invite them — they'll get an email and can complete their profile once they accept.

**The lock screen won't go away even though I submitted everything.**
The lock only lifts once your coordinator approves. Check the My Dashboard → Profile Details → Clearance Tasks card for your current status.