health faqs and disability support
Why do I have to complete a health questionnaire before starting my medical education?
We need to know about any disabilities or health conditions that could affect you in your training so that, where appropriate, we can advise the School of any support needs you may have and how these can be provided for.
All medical and sensitive personal information you provide will be held in confidence by the Occupational Health Department. The School will only be informed of the effects of a health problem or disability if relevant to your educational needs or patient safety, and requiring support or adjustments that could be of assistance to you.
Please see also the Medical Schools Council's guidance on health clearance.
What vaccinations do I need to complete before I start my course?
You need to ensure you have documentation and dates for the following:
Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio
Measles, Mumps and Rubella (German Measles)
Either dates of vaccination or a report from a UK laboratory confirming your antibody status on blood testing. Male students should note that they are not exempt from the requirement to be immunised against Rubella.
Varicella
(Chickenpox) for this you require a positive history of having the disease and dates, history and dates of vaccination or a UK laboratory report indicating your antibody status.
BCG
Dates of BCG vaccination or documentation with the dates and results of a skin test (heaf or mantoux).
Will I get charged for any of my vaccinations by my GP?
GPs will often charge for this and the amount does vary. You are responsible for paying the costs of vaccinations.
Hepatitis B
Following a change in national policy BSMS now has the means to administer the Hepatitis B immunisation course to all medical students upon their arrival. However if you have already started your Hepatitis B immunisation course you should continue with it prior to your arrival. You will be screened on commencement of the course for Hepatitis B, HIV and Tuberculosis.
A course of immunisation for Hepatitis B will commence during your induction week and continue during your first year at BSMS. Please note that the full standard course of immunisation against Hepatitis B takes six months from the first dose of vaccine. The immunisation of future doctors is an important matter, both to protect patients and to safeguard your career.
Immunising medical students against Hepatitis B and testing their response protects them and their patients against the risk of contracting Hepatitis B in a health care setting. Accordingly, BSMS requires all medical students to have completed satisfactorily this course of immunisation against the Hepatitis B virus during their year one studies or, in the case of those who fail to respond to the vaccine, to ensure they are not infectious carriers of the virus. By the end of the course you will need to demonstrate the presence of Hepatitis B surface antibody or, if you have failed to produce antibody after a full course of immunisation, that you are negative for Hepatitis B surface antigen. If you are not immune you will not be permitted the opportunity to undertake Exposure Prone Procedures (EPPs). Whilst EPPs are not a mandatory part of undergraduate medical education we believe they form an important part of medical training and students should not be denied the opportunity to undertake them.
Hepatitis C and HIV
OH screens all new medical students for the Hepatitis C and HIV viruses. You will need to arrange this blood test with your GP, or if already working in the NHS, your current Occupational Health service.
What happens if I am found to be infected with Hepatitis B or C as a result of this screening? Can I still be a doctor?
We believe that experience of EPPs form an important part of medical training and that students should not be denied the opportunity to undertake them. However undertaking EPPs is not a requirement to meet the outcomes in Tomorrow’s Doctors and those infected with blood borne viruses (BBVs) will be given the same entrance opportunity as other applicants. Please see www.chms.ac.uk/documents/BBVsGuidanceFeb2008_000.pdf for details.
Your health is of paramount importance and we would liaise with your GP to ensure you are referred in for specialist care. To practise as a doctor and undertake certain invasive procedures you must be free from infection and not deemed a risk to patients. There are strict rules that govern this in the UK.
What happens if I don’t have a GP or the practice is reluctant to administer my vaccines or blood tests?
It is important to explain why you require this information, and you can share with the doctor the information BSMS has provided. There is likely to be a charge. Alternatively there are private healthcare facilities. Some NHS Occupational Health services will provide this service but there will be a charge.
If I have a disability including dyslexia or specific learning difficulties will I be allowed to start my training?
BSMS is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for disabled students. The School will provide all reasonable support to enable someone who is disabled or unwell to complete their studies. Appropriate support can be provided for almost all health problems or disabilities, even if substantial.
However, because of a requirement to ensure patients are not harmed through involvement in medical training, if you have a condition which would make it impossible for you to work safely with patients or to acquire the skills necessary to complete training, even with support, then you cannot be accepted onto the undergraduate medicine course.
You are welcome to discuss the reasonable adjustments which you would require to complete the course with a Disability Adviser prior to application. You must declare the disability on your pre-course health questionnaire. Occupational Health will assess the problem and may ask you to attend an appointment. With your consent this information will be shared with the University disability team so that they can assess what support can be provided.
BSMS has a duty of care to the public with whom you will come into close contact at an early stage of your studies. Consequently, if your application is successful, we will require you to comply with any viral screening as requested by the Department of Health.