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VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (Reno, NV) – VA SIERRA NEVADA

Immunizations Required

  • Current PPD
  • MMR
  • Varicella
  • Hep B
  • Tdap (Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis) – Get either a Td or Tdap booster shot every 10 years after first dose)
  • Influenza by November 30th of each year
  • CPR or BLS Certification (must not expire for the duration of year rotation)
  • Covid-19 vaccine card

Immunizations Records Submit to and Date:

  • Held on file at UC Berkeley or have them readily available to submit upon request.

Documentation Required

  • SAC and WOC paperwork will be emailed to student.
  • Fingerprinting – Due to a Federal mandate, students must be fingerprinted prior to their arrival at VA Sierra Nevada. The VA San Francisco has offered to assist in this process. NO LONGER than three months before the start of your rotation and NO LATER than two weeks before the start of your rtoation, please go to the VA San Francisco for courtesy fingerprinting.
    • VA Medical Center, Human Resources Management Service (05), 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94121.  The fingerprinting location is building 4, 2A-103.
    • The hours for fingerprinting are Wednesday 9 a.m. to 12 noon and Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Please complete the VA Hospital Fingerprint form (everything above the box) and bring it with you to your appointment. You will also need to provide the following two codes: SON is 1685 and SOI is VAP9. Also, be sure to bring two picture IDs such as Driver’s License, Passport, School ID.
    • If you are having difficulties with the fingerprinting process, you may contact Debbie Wong, Program Support Assistant (Security) debbie.wong@va.gov, (415) 221-4810 x24214.
  • Selective Service Card (register by Age 26)
  • Social Security Number
  • International Students and Social Security Numbers:
    • Health professions trainees (HPTs) training at VA medical centers receive temporary Federal appointments and personal identity verification credentials. To be properly vetted and eligible to participate in training, non‑US citizen HPTs who are temporarily in the United States must have:
    • A nonimmigrant F-1 or J-1 student classification; or, an I-20 (or DS-2019) certificate of eligibility; AND
    • A US Social Security Number
    • Unfortunately the use of a “pseudo-SSN” is prohibited in certain Federal systems. Your facility may have found work arounds, however use of a pseudo-SSN, or other 9-digit number, will not be permitted after May 1, 2018. Therefore, we are notifying the field in advance of this change in the onboarding process for non-US citizen trainees.
    • https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10181.pdf
  • For travel insurance coverage, please register all out-of-state travel at the UC Trips website to ensure coverage for each covered off-campus activity. You are covered from the time you start your travel to the rotation, through your rotation, and through your return trip.

Documentation Submit to and Date

  • Return to: Joan Browne, OD, Sierra Nevada Health Care System, 2295 Kietzke Lane, Reno, NV 89502; Tel: (775) 786-7200, Ext 6060, Email: Joan.Browne@va.gov

Absence Policy

  • Attendance and punctuality during the clinical externship are expected as this is an important part of a student’s education and professional development. Students need to be consistently present at their clinical assignments in order to fulfill both their educational and patient care responsibilities as they prepare for their roles as a primary care optometrist and a member of the healthcare team.
  • Any requests for excused absence must be requested at least one (1) month in advance of the desired day off and include a justification for the absence. All requests must be approved by the Reno VA Optometry Student Program Coordinator. Requested leave will be granted at the discretion of the Reno VA Optometry Student Program Coordinator.
  • In case of emergency, the student must call the Reno VA Optometry Student Program Coordinator at the earliest opportunity to explain the circumstances of the absence.
  • Educational activities to compensate for the education lost due to absence may include: oral presentation, summary of an assigned journal article, or an American Academy of Optometry style case report. The type of assignment will be determined by the Reno VA Optometry Student Program Coordinator.
  • The following absences will be granted without additional education requirements:
    • NBEO Board Examinations Part 1 or Part 2, one day; NBEO Part 3 two days
    • Religious holiday
    • Death in immediate family
  • Consistent with Berkeley Optometry policy, trainees who miss ≥ 10% of their assigned clinic days will receive an “incomplete” for this clinical rotation.
  • The Reno VA Optometry Student Program Coordinator is available to discuss any special situation that may arise regarding attendance with the individual student.