Offices of Medical Student Education: Policy on Health, Safety, and Immunization

Unit Policy

Title

Offices of Medical Student Education: Policy on Health, Safety, and Immunizations

Introduction

Purpose

This Policy establishes the requirements for immunizations, health insurance, safety training, and annual and periodic medical testing to ensure compliance with State of North Carolina (the “State”) and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (“University”) School of Medicine (“SOM”) standards in the clinical environment.

Scope

This Policy is applicable to Medical Doctorate (MD) degree program students (“Students”) enrolled in the SOM.  This Policy is also applicable to Students who are enrolled in a University graduate or professional degree program (e.g., programs such as for a PhD, MPH, JD, MBA, etc.) and on an academic LOA (i.e., Graduate LOA or Research LOA) from the MD degree program. This Policy is not applicable to Students who are on a Personal LOA, Medical LOA, or Administrative LOA from an MD program curriculum during the approved period of their LOA.

Policy

Policy Statement

SOM is committed to ensuring and maintaining compliance with applicable State, University, and SOM standards regarding health, safety, and immunizations in carrying out its academic and clinical missions. In furtherance of this commitment, Students must adhere to the requirements detailed below. 

A. General Requirements 

  1. Students enrolled in the SOM are required to meet immunization standards set by the State and those set by the SOM to ensure safety in the clinical environment. 
  2. Upon matriculation, Students are required to upload immunization documentation required by the State into the SOM’s compliance platform, Exxat. Information about specific immunization requirements can be found on the UNC Campus Health Website. 
  3. Students can receive all vaccinations and tests by appointment at Campus Health. Seasonal influenza and COVID‐19 booster vaccines are frequently available at walk‐in clinics across campus during the fall semester.
  4. Students must comply with additional health and safety requirements that promote student health and help to minimize the potential for transmission of communicable diseases within our community. Accordingly, all Students must complete the additional requirements listed in the Appendix, Additional Health and Safety Requirements, to this Policy.
  5. Upon matriculation, Students are required to complete an initial background check. Upon the completion of the Foundation Phase of the SOM curriculum, Students entering the Application Phase of the curriculum are required to complete a second background check and a urine drug screen. Each regional campus of the SOM where Students may be participating in phases of the MD program curriculum may have different deadlines for specific completion of these requirements, and Students are required to meet the applicable campus deadlines. 
  6. All Students will be required to complete an N95 mask fit test upon matriculation, typically offered during the week of Orientation. This test requires that a Student be free of facial hair and that they have not consumed food or beverages (except water), smoked, chewed gum, or used mouthwash, lipstick, or lip balm within fifteen (15) minutes of the test. Students who fail the first fit test may be offered a second opportunity to test. A Student who does not attend the follow-up fit test will be required to complete and pass a fit test at their own expense. Those who maintain a beard for religious reasons and wish to file a request for a religious accommodation must do so at least two (2) weeks prior to their scheduled fit test.
  7. Students are required to maintain compliance with these requirements from matriculation through the date of their graduation. 

B. Noncompliance

Noncompliance puts patients, physicians, and fellow learners at risk for serious illness or transmission of disease. Students who are noncompliant with the requirements of this Policy will not be permitted to attend classes.  

  1. Students with repeated missed compliance deadlines may be referred to the Student Progress Committee at the discretion of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Definitions

Compliance: Compliance occurs when all the requirements below are fulfilled - 

  1. A Student’s immunization and test records are approved in the SOM’s compliance platform, Exxat, by 5:00 pm of the stated deadline, and are:
    • Up to Date
    • Valid until the next renewal deadline in accordance with each Student’s immunization and test records.
  2. The Student has met the stated deadline(s) for updating their Technical Standards attestation and workplace safety certifications. 

Leave of Absence (LOA), Personal LOA, Medical LOA, Administrative LOA, Research LOA, Graduate LOA: see Policy on Leave of Absence for definitions. 

Related Requirements

External Regulations

Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Name: Valerie Glassman, EdD, Senior Director for Student Affairs

Email: valerie_glassman@med.unc.edu

Publication Details

  • Issuing Officer: Alice Chuang, MD, MEd, FACOG, Associate Dean for Student Affairs  
  • Effective Date: March 1, 2025
  • Next Review Date: February 28, 2027
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