Students will be having direct contact with patients in healthcare and other settings and are therefore required a background review of potential criminal histories and a urine drug screen to detect any use of common drugs of abuse. During the didactic and clinical learning year P.A. students are required to participate in the care of patients in various health care settings; these checks are considered a condition of acceptance into our program. Most health care facilities also require that this testing be completed before allowing a student to have direct patient contact. The student shall be responsible for any associated costs with criminal background checks and urine drug screening. Additionally, fingerprinting may be required for clinical rotations.

Criminal background checks and urine drug screens will be performed by the end of the first quarter. The criminal background reports will undergo administrative review. Certain charges and convictions may be considered a disqualifying factor for admission or continuation in the P.A. program. After admission, it is a student’s responsibility to report any criminal charge or conviction to the director of the program. Failure to do so will result in immediate dismissal. The program may not disclose the information to any person who is not directly involved in evaluating the applicant’s qualifications for their clinical program.