27.2. Facility Requirements
Students must meet all health, safety, and any other requirements of the clinical education facility, in addition to meeting those of the Institute, prior to beginning any clerkship.
Most clinical education facilities require students to undergo specific immunization and/or health status screenings prior to beginning a clerkship; these requirements may differ from those of the Institute. For example, a clinical facility requiring a negative TB test will also determine how recent the test must be to be acceptable – the present variation among our clinical facilities’ policies on TB tests is three months to one year.
In addition, certain facilities and agencies require that a criminal background check (CORI or other similar process) and/or drug screen be completed prior to participating in the provision of patient care. In many cases, the CORI performed by the Institute upon admission is not sufficient. In such cases, students must submit to a criminal background check and meet facility requirements prior to participation in that clinical education placement.
Any information regarding the specific requirements of a given facility that is communicated to the DCE by the facility is included in the student’s confirmation of placement. However, due to rapidly changing requirements, students should not conclude that this confirmation is necessarily up to date. Students are responsible for verifying and complying with the specific requirements of each clinical education facility to which they are assigned.
Please note that students are responsible for providing the facility with any requested evidence of compliance with health and safety requirements according to the timeline established by the facility. Students are advised to maintain their own copies of all immunization records, certifications, documentation of physical exams, etc.