UDS Procedure for UMass Chan Students

UMass Chan Medical School has developed the following urine drug screening (UDS) procedure for students placed at clinical sites requiring this screening.    

Overview of the UDS Procedure
UDS will be obtained prior to beginning clinical activities at affiliate sites that require drug testing (hereafter referred to as “periodic screening”). Students will be notified of this requirement during the Transition to Medical School, Transition to CCE and during Careers in Medicine sessions prior to the CCE and AS years. The requirement for UDS at clinical affiliate sites is posted on the Student Affairs website under the policies tab. The office of Student Affairs (OSA) will notify students if they have been assigned to clinical or teaching activities at sites requiring UDS.

Baystate Health/PURCH
Baystate Health System requires UDS for all of their employees, residents, and students engaged in clinical work in their health system. PURCH students complete all clinical activities at Baystate Health System. As such, upon matriculation, all PURCH students will undergo a UDS before beginning their clinical work in year one (1). Testing will be completed at the UMMMC Employee Health Services in Worcester, as outlined in the UDS procedure. In order to comply with the requirements of UMass Chan affiliated institutions that require UDS, including Baystate Health, UDS must be completed before students are allowed to begin their rotation/assignment at the clinical site. The Office of Student Affairs will provide Baystate with a list of incoming PURCH students.

Matriculating (preclinical) students
Preclinical students may participate in clinical or teaching activities at UMass Chan affiliate sites that require UDS.  Clinical or teaching activities may include but are not limited to LPP sessions or DCS2 hospital sessions. Any preclinical student assigned to a site that requires UDS will be notified of this requirement and must complete the testing before they will be permitted to begin their clinical or teaching activity. Failure to complete the UDS will prevent the student from beginning the clinical or teaching activity.

CCE and AS students
Students assigned to clinical affiliate sites for Core Clinical Experiences clerkships and/or Advanced Studies electives where UDS is required will undergo testing no later than 30 days before beginning their rotation (6 weeks for Southern New Hampshire Health System), if they have not previously had a UDS performed during their enrollment at UMass Chan. Note that Harrington Memorial Hospital (HMH) requires a UDS prior to each clinical rotation, regardless of prior UDS testing. Please note that it can take up to 7 days for results to become available. Results must be finalized before the first day of the rotation, so students should plan accordingly.

Detailed Outline of UDS Procedure for UMass Chan Clinical Affiliates 

• OSA will provide UMMMC Employee Health Services (EHS) and the Clerkship/Elective Coordinators with a list of students rotating at UMass Chan affiliate clinical sites that require UDS. Notification by OSA will occur at the end of March of each academic year for rising CCE students, and in April of each academic year for rising AS students. 

• Clerkship/Elective Course Coordinators for these rotations will email students no later than 8 weeks before the start of the rotation to notify them that UDS is required at these sites, so that they may complete testing in a timely manner before beginning the rotation. Please note that it can take up to 7 business days for results to become available. SNHS requires that testing is completed no later than 6 weeks before beginning the rotation; students will be notified such that they can be in compliance with this requirement. Results must be finalized before the first day of the rotation, so students should plan accordingly.

• For AS students who add electives to their schedule after April, OSA will notify EHS and the Elective Course Coordinators as soon as possible after the electives are scheduled. Students who add electives less than 30 days before the rotation begins may not be allowed to participate in the elective if the affiliate site determines that there is not sufficient time to conduct the UDS.

• OSA will file the signed UDS consent forms in the student’s official files. These files are retained for 7 years.  OSA will monitor student compliance with UDS testing in a database that lists student assignments to CCE and AS clinical sites requiring UDS. OSA staff will notify the Associate Dean for Student Affairs if a student does not submit a required signed consent form for UDS.

• The UDS form with the negative result will be provided to the student by the testing site. It is the responsibility of the student to provide the negative test result to OSA.

• Any positive tests will be reported to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and may result in immediate disciplinary action including suspension of all educational and clinical activities, possible immediate Leave of Absence, and possible dismissal from the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. A positive result is a finding that has been reviewed by the EHS Medical Review Officer (MRO) and has not been explained by a legitimate medical condition with a legal prescription.

• Students are encouraged to speak with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs or with their Learning Communities Mentor with any concerns or questions about the UDS procedure. As noted in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine Handbook, any student who comes forward voluntarily with concerns about substance dependency or addiction will be provided with support and services through resources that may include our Student Counseling Services and Physicians Health Services, as indicated. Untreated substance dependency/abuse or major psychiatric impairment is unacceptable to the school and is cause for administrative action up to and including dismissal.

• Confidentiality: Consent-to-Test forms, Reports from the Medical Review Officer, and all documents associated with implementation of the Drug Screening Program of the UMass Chan will be maintained in secure files in the Office of Student Affairs. UMass Chan will not disclose these records or the contents without a signed consent form received from the student except to individuals who have a need to know the information to comply with legal processes, or otherwise allowed by law.

 A. UDS performed at UMMMC EHS (currently all clinical sites other than Harrington Memorial Hospital)

• Students will present to EHS (291 Lincoln Street), where they will sign a UMass Chan consent form for UDS. Students must make an appointment beforehand with Employee Health. To do so, please call their office at 508-793-6400.
• A copy of the signed consent form will be provided to OSA by the student, to be placed in the student’s permanent file
• EHS will administer the UDS according to all their usual processes and procedures
• If as a result of the usual UDS procedures it is determined that a test is positive, the student will have an opportunity to speak with the Medical Review Officer (MRO), a physician
  • If the MRO determines that the test was positive because of a legally prescribed medicine, the test is considered negative and will be reported as such
  • If the MRO determines that the test is positive after speaking with the student, the positive result will be communicated to the ADSA, as noted above.

B. UDS performed at Harrington Memorial Hospital (HMH)

• Students will present to HMH employee health department (32 Oakes Ave, Southbridge) for testing.  Appointments may be made by calling 508-765-3093.
• Upon presenting for testing, students will sign a HMH consent form for UDS
• A copy of the signed consent form will be provided to OSA by the student, to be placed in the student’s permanent file
• The signed HMH consent form must be submitted to OSA before the beginning of the HMH rotation
• UDS testing will be performed as per HMH process, with appropriate adherence to confidentiality and chain of custody
• Cost of screening at HMH is covered by the student

Cost of UDS
The cost of UDS performed at UMMMC EHS for clinical affiliates requesting UDS testing (currently all sites other than Harrington Memorial Hospital) will be covered by UMass Chan unless the student is otherwise notified of a change in this procedure. The UMass Chan consent form for testing must be signed by the student, in the presence of the drug screening staff, acknowledging voluntary consent for the UDS. A copy of the consent will be sent to OSA by the student, to be kept in the student’s permanent file.

The cost of UDS performed at Harrington Memorial Hospital (HMH) for clinical rotations at that site will be paid by the student. 

Applicability: All enrolled students
Responsibility: Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Date Revised:  March 30, 2016; minor revisions July 12, 2016; minor revisions December 23, 2018