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GSA Recommendations Regarding Health Services for Medical Students
General
- Medical schools should have a system for preventive and therapeutic
health services for students. This system should include, but
not be limited to, written institutional policies regarding provisions
for outpatient care, mental health services, and hospitalization
for medical students. These policies should be reviewed with students
on a regular basis. Efforts should be taken to ensure that students
understand that the cost of hospitalization is their personal
responsibility.
- Schools are encouraged to have written policies about the availability
of medical leave of absence for students. Such policies should
be clearly communicated with students.
- Schools should require students to undergo a complete history
and physical examination after admission to school is assured
but prior to matriculation. The results of the physical examination
should be reported to the medical school.
- Schools are encouraged to develop a program to identify students
at high risk for treatable conditions (e.g., hypertension, diabetes,
hypercholesterolemia), and refer them to appropriate services.
[ Top ]
Insurance
- Schools are strongly encouraged to establish the requirement
that all medical students and their dependents have health insurance.
Schools should assist students to understand the limits of their
insurance coverage and the provisions for hospitalization should
be clearly delineated. If insurance is made available but not
required, students should understand the risks of being uninsured.
- Schools should be encouraged to work with other national health
organizations such as the American College Health Association
toward the establishment of adequate mandatory health insurance
for all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at
the lowest possible cost.
- Schools should make available disability insurance for their
students. [ Top ]
Mental Health
- Schools should provide access to confidential counseling by
mental health professionals for all students. Institutional policies
regarding the confidentiality of mental health service records
for medical students should be established. These policies should
make the necessary distinction between voluntary and administratively
mandated evaluation and/or treatment. For administratively mandated
evaluation, disclosure of evaluation and/or treatment results
should be limited to those who required the evaluation and should
be in accordance with federal or state laws governing the disclosure
of confidential information.
- Schools should have guidelines regarding the utilization of
mental health professionals and/or records of assessment and treatment
by mental health professionals in proceedings regarding student
advancement and dismissal. The committee recommends that evaluation
and/or treatment of students be undertaken by non-teaching faculty
or at a minimum, by different individuals than those rendering
advancement or promotion decisions.
- Schools should publish and regularly update a list of available
mental health assessment and counseling services, the institutional
assurance of confidentiality, the means of access, and the associated
costs for their students. [ Top ]
Chemical Dependency
- Schools should establish written policies regarding institutional
response to known or suspected chemical dependency in students,
including definition of what constitutes impairment. Schools are
also encouraged to develop programs that will identify and assist
impaired students. [ Top ]
Occupational Exposure
- In accordance with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education
"Standards for Accreditation of Medical Education Programs
Leading to the M.D. Degree", schools should develop policies
concerning students' exposure to infectious and environmental
hazards. The policies must include:
- education of students about methods of prevention;
- the procedures for care and treatment after exposure, including
definition of financial responsibility;
- the effects of infectious and/or environmental disease or
disability on student educational activities;
- Schools should be particularly diligent in their implementation
of effective instruction in precautionary and infection control
measures for airborne and blood borne pathogens prior to students
first contact with patients and first contact with human tissue,
blood products and body fluids. Schools are urged to require their
graduate students in the medical sciences to participate in these
instructional sessions. [ Top ]
Developed by the AAMC Group on Student Affairs, January, 1992
Approved by the AAMC Council of Deans, February 27, 1992
Revised and approved for dissemination by the AAMC Executive Council,
June 25, 1992 9/06
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