UW Medicine
Weekly Information for UW Medical Students
Thursday, September 16, 2021
 

COVID-Related Information

 

Do You Have Concerns About COVID- 19 Symptoms or a Possible Exposure? 

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or if you have encountered a possible or known exposure, please follow these COVID-19 Exposure/Symptoms/Diagnosis procedures:
 

UW Medicine Town Hall Meeting

Please join us for the next UW Medicine Town Hall on Friday, September 17, at 3 PM PDT.

 

Information for All Students

 
HSIP COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

In alignment with Governor Jay Inslee’s vaccination proclamation, all students in Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP) are required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or receive an approved exemption. This HSIP requirement is in addition to UW’s general student COVID-19 vaccination requirement.

Students must upload COVID-19 vaccination records into their CastleBranch account by September 29, 2021. Students will be denied access to practicum sites and will not be able to register for winter quarter until their COVID-19 vaccination is verified by CastleBranch/HSIP or their exemption request is approved. The action to submit COVID vaccinations should be available in your CastleBranch account on Friday, September 10, 2021. Filing a false vaccination record or exemption request will be treated as a serious violation of the UW Student Conduct Code.

No information concerning COVID vaccinations will be shared with practicum facilities other than to verify a student’s vaccination or exemption status. Students will have access to their COVID vaccination records or exemption documents on their MyCB account on the CastleBranch website. The school or program will have access to COVID vaccination records or exemption documents through administrative access to the CastleBranch website. 
  • Medical Exemptions: The COVID-19 Vaccination Medical Exemption Form is now available to all students. The form must be completed by a licensed healthcare provider and submitted according to the instructions on the form. Please note that students enrolled in HSIP participating programs must submit through BOTH Hall Health AND HSIP. Medical exemption forms are due no later than September 24, 2021.
  • Tuberculosis (TB) Screening: (This information is intended for students whose clinical training sites require a recent TB test.  Annual TB testing is NOT a SOM requirement). The CDC updated their TB screening recommendations in relation to COVID-19 vaccinations Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC. CDC recommendation have been updated to allow TB skin tests (TSTs) and interferon release assays (IGRAs) to be administered without regard to timing of COVID-19 vaccination. COVID-19 vaccination should not be delayed because of testing for TB infection. Testing for TB infection with one of the immune-based methods, ether the TST or (IGRA), can be done before, after, or during the same encounter as COVID-19 vaccination.
  • Religious Accommodations: The COVID-19 Student Religious Accommodation Request Form is now available to students. Section 1 of this form must be completed by a licensed healthcare provider. For students in UW Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP), the provider completing the form must be licensed in the state of Washington if the HSIP student’s practicum sites are within Washington state. Section 2 of this form is completed by the student. Please note that students enrolled in HSIP participating programs must submit through BOTH Hall Health AND HSIP. Please follow submission instructions on the form. Religious accommodation forms are due no later than September 24, 2021
Deadlines – If you are not already vaccinated, please note that to be vaccinated by September 29, you must receive: 
  • First dose of Moderna by Wednesday, Sept. 1 and second dose by Sept. 29
  • First dose of Pfizer by Wednesday, Sept. 8 and second dose by Sept. 29
  • Single dose of Johnson & Johnson by Wednesday, Sept. 29
Read the full message here for more information about:
  • Acceptable vaccination documentation
  • Timing of COVID-19 vaccination and routine vaccines, titers, and TB screening
  • Claiming an exemption
Contact the Health Sciences Immunization Program at myshots@uw.edu with questions about the COVID-19 vaccination requirement and verification.  
 
E17 AAMC’s Graduation Questionnaire 

Students can now review the E17-2021 AAMC’s Graduation Questionnaire (GQ) survey report. Overall satisfaction with the quality of medical education increased to 89% and we saw improvements in ratings across all curriculum basic science courses and clinical clerkships. There were also notable increases in satisfaction with student ratings including academic counseling, tutoring, career advising, and financial aid counseling. The overall mistreatment rate decreased by 2% compared to 2020 and we now see the UWSOM data largely tracking national data (with the exception of mistreatment tied to personal beliefs or other personal characteristics).  

Contact eqi@uw.edu if you have any additional questions about the GQ results. 
 
Next Generation Medicine Webinar: Stressed and Depressed: The Effects of COVID-19 on Mental Health 

Next Thursday, September 23, at 6 pm PT, UWSOM-Gonzaga University Health Partnership will be hosting a free Next Generation Medicine webinar featuring Paula Nurius, Professor, UW School of Social Work, and Megan Kennedy, Director of the UW Resilience Lab and Co-Chair of the UW Student Well-Being Collaborative.  
The COVID-19 pandemic brought a sudden and rending effect on our well-being. Research on the effects of the pandemic on college and university students will be used to illustrate a “stress framework,” to understand “normal” stressors alongside those galvanized by the pandemic. Our two speakers will discuss the ways in which our mind and body interact when stressed, the disparities among those most affected, and interventions to foster resilience and increase our ability to cope — in multiple ways — with the cumulative effects of the pandemic overlaying our current lives. 

This webinar is free and open to everyone. 

Click here to register and please feel free to share this with your network. 
 

In case you missed it

 
Here is a link to last week’s Student Newsletter. That issue included the following information for all students: 
  • Admissions Update 
  • AAMC Webinar: Money Management for Entering Medical School Students 
  • Seeking Input from Students about UWSOM Website Redesign 

Updates for each class: