• Student Handbook
• Supervised Clinical Practice Experience (SCPE) Handbook

Due to the intense and demanding nature of the didactic phase of study during Marshall University’s Physician Assistant Program, employment during this time is strongly discouraged. Students should treat their PA education as a full-time job and use their time for class, assignments, labs, study, and personal reflection. In the event that a student still wants to pursue employment, the student must receive written permission from the program director prior to employment. If permission is received, no accommodations will be made by the program to adapt to the student’s employment schedule. Students are not permitted to work during the clinical phase of the program due to the variety of schedules encountered during their rotations.

Additionally, students are not permitted to ever work for the program, substitute for or function as instructional faculty, or substitute for clinical or administrative staff during supervised clinical practical experiences.

Principal faculty, the program director and the medical director must not participate as health care providers for students in the MUPA Program.

Immunization Policy

Upon acceptance to the program, students are provided information regarding health exams and immunizations. Any request for exemption must be forwarded to Marshall Health's Occupational Health at that time.

To ensure compliance with the current recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all matriculating and current students of the Physician Assistant program at Marshall University are required to present proof of immunity to the following:

• Rubella (German Measles) – titer required
• Rubeola (Measles) – titer required
• Mumps – titer required
• Varicella (Chicken Pox) – titer required
• Hepatitis B – documentation of three immunizations and quantitative titer required
• Tetanus; Diphtheria; Pertussis – Proof of immunization
• Tdap – recent Td > two years Tdap required
• TST (Tuberculin skin testing) or QuantiFERON Gold Assay
• Flu – One dose yearly
• COVID Vaccine 2 dose series if Pfizer or Moderna, or single dose Johnson and Johnson

A student physical examination form shall be provided to all students upon acceptance to the program. A physician or designated health care provider MUST complete and sign the form. The form must be returned (along with the proper titer and immunization documentation) to Amanda Chaffins, MU JCESOM Family Medicine, Division of Occupational Health and Wellness, 1600 Medical Center Drive, Suite 1500 Huntington, WV 25701. Any treatable conditions that the student is at increased risk for or health impairments that may interfere with the student performance of his/her duties must be reported. Documentation of immunity (i.e. titer results) must accompany the returned form. Should the titer indicate that the student is not appropriately immunized, additional vaccines may be required. In the case of a positive TB reading, documentation of follow-up (i.e. x-ray) and any needed treatment will also be required. 

Noncompliant students will not be eligible for registration and, therefore, matriculation will be delayed. Extensions may be granted based upon late acceptance or other special circumstances as deemed necessary and appropriate by the program director for the PA program. Those granted an extension may have up to one semester to become complaint. In cases of allergy or religious objections, please contact Marshall Health at 304-691-1110.

The following Includes exposure to needle stick, blood, or body fluid.

STEP 1: SEEK IMMEDIATE TREATMENT

Percutaneous injury by needle sticks and sharp objects injury in which there is the slightest suggestion that the integrity of skin has been broken by a potentially contaminated item, requires immediate treatment.

1. Wash the wound thoroughly with a sudsy soap and running water. The soap directly reduces the virus's ability to infect. If water is not available, use alcohol.
2. Remove any foreign materials embedded in the wound.
3. If not allergic, disinfect with Betadine solution. 

Non-intact Skin Exposure 

1. Wash skin thoroughly as in #1 above.
2. If not allergic, disinfect with Betadine solution.
3. There is no evidence that squeezing the wound or applying topical antiseptics further reduces the risk of viral transmission.  

Mucous Membrane Exposure 

Irrigate copiously with tap water, sterile saline or sterile water.  

Intact Skin Exposure 

Exposure of intact skin to potentially contaminated material is not considered an exposure at any significant risk and is neither considered an exposed person or in need of evaluation. Thoroughly clean and wash exposed intact skin.  

STEP 2: EXPOSURE PROTOCOL

• Report the exposure to a supervisor (faculty or resident preceptor or other responsible person)
• During regular business hours, report to Marshall University Division of Occupational, Environmental & Disability Medicine located in the Department of Family & Community Health. If exposure occurs after hours or off site, report this to your immediate supervisor and go to the nearest Emergency Department and follow their school/hospital-specific policy.
• After treatment in the Emergency Department, call the Division of Occupational, Environmental & Disability Medicine at 304-691-1187 to report your incident and coordinate any follow-up care needed. 

Remember to:

• Remind others (while you seek immediate medical attention) to obtain consent and test the source individual’s blood (requesting a rapid HIV antibody test) immediately or ASAP if the patient is not on the premises. If the source individual is known to be infected with either HIV, HBV or HCV, testing need not be repeated to determine the known infectivity.
• Identify and document the source individual, unless the employer can establish that identification is infeasible or prohibited by state or local law.

Students in the Marshall University PA Program are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites.