Clinical Rotations

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Immunizations and Screenings

The immunization and screening status of contagious diseases of KCOM medical students and like-wise for other medical students has been gaining importance in recent years. Most notably some areas of the country are requiring proof of varicella infection/immunization prior to allowing students to complete clinical training rotations in the hospital. This especially true for students assigned to the Arizona and New Jersey regions, but is not exclusive to these regions.

Some hospitals within all the regions are requiring primarily additional immunization status records. This can take the form of requiring additional vaccinations for diseases not currently required under KCOM's immunization policy, to obtaining laboratory proof of immunity, i.e., a titer for specific immunizations.

Please read the following information carefully. All immunization and screening information, including updates, should be forwarded by the student to the KCOM Missouri Office c/o Lisa Denton. Non-compliant students will not be allowed to begin the clinical experience or participate in direct patient care until compliance has been achieved. See policy 50-01 of the Regional Affairs Policy Manual for complete policy.

Policy statement:

KCOM requires students to have documentation (1) completion of the following required health care worker immunizations or (2) on file state of Missouri allowable immunization exemption certificates and (3) tuberculosis TB annual screening, prior to KCOM assigned patient contact [sic - clinical training rotations.]

Required:

• Tetanus and Diphtheria toxoids (Td): minimum of three (3) childhood doses and booster every ten years.
• Measles and Mumps: two (2) doses separated by at least 4 weeks.
• Rubella: One (1) dose.
• Hepatitis B: complete three (3) shot series. Series does not have to be restarted if series is interrupted.

Recommended:

• Polio: three (3) doses. Usually this is completed during childhood. If childhood records are not available, one (1) dose is required as an adult.
• Influenza: Annually each Fall.
• *Varicella: two (2) doses separated by 4 - 8 weeks.
• Hepatitis A: two (2) doses separated by at least 6 months, depending on manufacturer of vaccine.

Screening:

Tuberculosis (TB) Mantoux PPD: KCOM students with a positive two step screen are required to have chest x-ray confirmation of presence of possible tuberculosis disease. If disease is present, student must start appropriate medical treatment. If disease is not present, yet student has seroconversion of skin test with palpable induration of 10 mm or more, prophylactic treatment should be strongly considered.

*Varicella Titer is for students rotating in the Arizona and New Jersey regions, including those students not assigned to those regions but there for visiting rotations.