Externship Immunization & Documentation Requirements and Absence Policies
The following is an outline of all the documentation and immunization records that the various externships require and the absence policies which you will abide by while on externship.
You are responsible for knowing and complying with all requirements and deadlines (for example including, but not limited to, paperwork, immunizations, background checks and training courses) to be eligible to attend your assigned externships. Please know that requirements may change, however, you must be in compliance with all requirements. Keep in mind that exemptions or allowances on campus may not apply to external clinics. If you are not in compliance with a site’s requirements and are unable to attend your assigned externship or external clinic, we may not have alternative in-house or external rotations available during the same session or the onboarding period may be too short to complete requirements. In the event that you are unable to complete all five 4th year clinical sessions prior to graduation, you will need to complete your training after graduation and tuition for summer session will apply.
If you are not ready to start patient care on the first day of clinic due to inadequate preparation, you will accrue THREE debit days for each day that you miss clinic and do not see patients at the start of your rotation. Please be professional and responsive when communicating with the externship.
If you are not ready to start patient care on the first day of clinic due to inadequate preparation, you will accrue THREE debit days for each day that you miss clinic and do not see patients at the start of your rotation.
Therefore, please check deadlines and make sure your paperwork is complete. All immunizations or documents or other training requested are at the student's expense. Please make copies of all documents and immunization records requested and consider bringing copies with you on the first day of your rotation. Sometimes documents are lost in transit. Documents may be printed from the links below. Please note that PPD must be current and expires in one year and cannot expire during the duration of your rotation. It must be redone yearly and it is done over three days - administered on day one and read on day three. If your PPD test comes back positive, you will need to get a chest x-ray.
Please submit immunization documents to the Student Affairs Office. Berkeley Optometry minimum immunization requirements are: Hepatitis B, MMR, Varicella, and PPD/TB. PPD must be done once a year.
You will be expected to be in attendance at least 90% of the days of the session in order to meet the attendance requirement while on a rotation. This includes time taken for NBEO examinations. At the end of the rotation, we will require an attendance verification from the site to ensure that you have attended at least 90% of the clinic days in the particular session. Interns who miss a significant number of clinic days may earn an Incomplete grade in the course, as determined by our Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs.
Student Attendance Policy
Attendance PolicyImmunization, Documentation Requirements and Absence Policies
Category Codes: E = Elective; M = Medical; P = Primary; IAE = In Absentia eligible
Externships NOT currently offered:
Air Force Base, Vandenberg – Lompoc, CA
Category: P, IAE: Y
VANDENBERG POLICY
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute – Miami, FL
Category: M, IAE: Y
BASCOM POLICY
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Pediatric and Strabismus Division – Miami, FL
Category: E, IAE: Y
BASCOM-PEDS POLICY