VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

environments required to complete the curriculum. The safety of the patients cared for by students must take priority over the student’s priorities, just as the health of patients cared for by a physician takes priority. Students with communicable diseases, such as Hepatitis C and HIV, will be restricted from certain learning environments. The college follows the CDC guidelines for patient care in making these determinations. Students with any chronic medical conditions should be aware that they may not be accommodated to participate in all clinical settings if such accommodations are believed to place the patient at risk. Students should also be aware that information regarding their immunization and health status and communicable diseases will be provided to the clinical sites where they will participate in patient care. The clinical sites will keep the student’s health information as confidential as possible while protecting the health of the patient. Requirements for students with communicable diseases are provided by the Office of Clinical Affairs and are updated annually according to CDC guidelines. VCOM does not own or operate the hospitals and clinics in which students receive their clinical training; therefore, students must follow the rules of each hospital and/or clinic in order to participate in the clinical environments. Placement of students in the clinical setting, to assure safety and the best learning environment, is the decision of the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, the Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME, and the clinical education administrator of the clinical site. Students should request information from the college as to whether their condition meets technical standards. VCOM is also concerned with the health of students and considers this when determining their ability to participate in clinical learning environments. VCOM reserves the right to restrict students to certain clinical environments in order to protect students from adverse physical/medical risks. This includes students who are or may become immunosuppressed, pregnant, or have other acute and chronic illnesses that would endanger their health. These students may be restricted from certain clinical environments, including, but not limited to, international rotations and mission trips in developing countries, infectious disease rotations, and other at-risk environments. Students who become pregnant must inform the Associate Dean for Pre-Clinical Medical Education or the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs of the pregnancy before participating in at-risk environments such as anatomy laboratories, or environments where infectious diseases pose a risk. As new technology exists, students who use service animals for healthcare issues are generally required to transition to an alternate method of monitoring using that technology. In general, now that this technology exists, service animals are not used to support medical staff as the use of such animals may place an increased risk to the patient and/or do not meet the hospital requirements. Self-Identification of Disabilities as an Applicant VCOM applicants are expected to self-identify if they are unsure whether they meet the Technical Standards. VCOM does not discriminate on the basis of disability and assures that no adverse view of the applicant will be made if accommodations are requested for the student to meet Technical Standards. Applicants may freely question whether they meet the Technical Standards without repercussion. Applicants who, with assistance, can meet the Technical Standards for Admission and Successful Completion of the Osteopathic Program are encouraged to apply. The applicant who believes he/she may need accommodations must inquire about the Section 504 eligibility process to apply for accommodations for their disability through the Director for Student and Institutional Academic Success, who also serves as the Section 504 Campus Coordinator. Students should inquire and apply early as adequate documentation, including, but not limited to, psychometric testing, medical records, and prior educational records will be required, which often take time to obtain. Obtaining proper documentation is the student’s responsibility and all evaluations will be at the student’s expense. Students with disabilities must complete the VCOM Section 504 eligibility paperwork as a part of the process for applying for eligibility for accommodations,

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