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VA Long Beach Medical Center – Long Beach/Santa Ana, CA – LONG BEACH

Immunizations Required

  • TB screening
  • Hepatitis B vaccination or signed declination waivers
  • Flu or decline waiver signed
  • COVID-19 + booster

Immunizations Records Submit to and Date:

  • Please make sure you are able to provide copies of these immunizations if requested.

Documentation Required

  • Fingerprinting: Due to a Federal mandate, students must be fingerprinted prior to their arrival at VA Long Beach. You can be fingerprinted locally at VA San Francisco or VA Martinez.
    • You can get fingerprinted at the San Francisco VA on a walk-in basis:
      • The SFVA PIV (Personal Identification Verification) Office is accepting “walk-in appointments” now.
      • The office hours are Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
      • Enclosed is a blank Fingerprinting form. Please complete the form and include these SOI and SON numbers (SON 1513 and SOI VAG6 for VA Long Beach) to identify the VA that you will be taking the fingerprints for. Most numbers can be found in the clinic manual under the requirements for that VA site.
      • Please bring 2 original and current forms of ID (one must be a Government-issued photo ID) and your completed Fingerprinting Form to your appointment.
      • The PIV Office is located in Building 4, 2nd Floor, Room 2A-103 (San Francisco VA Medical Center, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94121). Click for map of VA San Francisco PIV Office.
    • VA Martinez is another location that you can go to for fingerprinting.
      • VA Northern California Health Care System Martinez – PIV Office, 150 Muir Road, Bldg. 21 Rm 219, Martinez, CA 94553, (925) 372-2000, ext. 6755. The PIV office is located inside Bldg. 21 on the second floor in room 219.  Customer parking is located in the large gravel parking lot, across the street from Bldg 21. Click for map of VA Martinez PIV Office.
      • Open Monday through Friday 8:30 to 11:30 a.m 1-3 p.m. Closed for lunch between 12 and 1 p.m.
      • You can make an appointment by emailing v21macpivmartinez@va.gov. In the subject line, please indicate for “Fingerprinting.” In the message, please provide:
        • first name and last name
        • phone number
        • email address
        • three dates and times that work for you.
      • They will reply to confirm the date of your appointment.
      • You can also do walk-in fingerprinting on Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m to 11:30 a.m. to 1-3 p.m. Wait times vary.
      • What Documents to Bring to VA Martinez: 
        • Bring two pieces of identification with you.  1) one government identity source document ID with photo and your full legal name (including middle name); 2) one government identity source document ID (photo or non-photo) with your full legal name (including middle name). For example, you may use your state issued Driver’s license and a Social Security card, Passport, Voters Registration Card, Birth Certificate, School ID card or PIV card. Expired IDs are not acceptable.
    • If you are in the Southern California area, you may use these instructions for TRVAMC Fingerprints.
    • Click here for Acceptable IDs.
    • The completed fingerprinting form. Please ask Dr. Edward Chu for the SOI and SON numbers to identify the VA where fingerprint results should be sent to.
    • Fingerprinting must be done NO GREATER within 90 days and no later than 30 days before the start date of your rotation.
    • Inform your Trainee Coordinator of VA faculty member of your fingerprint date and location
  • TMS Account Creation – required training will be sent to externs once enrolled. Here are the TMS enrollment instructions.
  • The point of contact for all VA Long Beach onboarding is Naomi Ceja and her email is Naomi.Ceja@va.gov.

Absence Policy

VA Long Beach Optometry Extern Leave Policy

  • Any leave must be requested at least 1 month in advance of desired day off and be pre-
    approved by Dr. Chu. Requested leave will be granted only at the discretion of Dr. Chu.
  • Granted personal days off may require an assignment: PowerPoint presentation (in addition
    the presentation required for all trainees), summary of assigned journal articles on particular
    topic, or an AAO style case report. The type of assignment will be determined by Dr. Chu.
  • a. Boards: No additional assignments for the day of testing
    • i. NBEO part 1 and 2: travel days NOT approved as these tests are offered locally.
    • ii. NBEO part 3: externs are encouraged to schedule test on Monday or Friday to limit
      days of clinic missed. One travel day is allowed either 1 day prior to or 1 day after
      the date of the Part 3 examination.
    • iii. Law Test: student is requested to schedule test in the morning so that he/she is
      able to return for clinic in the afternoon
    • iv. Days off to study for Boards will not be granted. Externs should study on weekends
      and prioritize clinical experience.
  • b. Religious holidays: No additional assignments
  • c. AAO, AOA, SECO: No additional assignments. Only 1 conference per rotation per student.
    Additional meeting attendance will be at discretion of Externship Coordinator.
  • d. Residency Interviews: Given current COVID-19 pandemic, virtual interviews are encouraged
    unless extern is applying locally in southern California and site is allowing for in-person
    visits. In this case, multiple interviews should be scheduled on same day to limit clinic time
    missed. There will be 1 additional assignment per day missed for residency interviews.
  • e. Personal or Sick Leave. 2 additional assignment for each personal day taken off. Time off for
    vacation will not be granted. Externs need to prioritize clinical experience during LBVA
    rotation. There will be 1 additional assignment given for each sick day taken.
  • f. Death in the immediate family or personal childbirth: No additional assignments
  • g. More than 5 missed clinic days will result in incomplete grade for quarter.