Alcohol testing at LECOM

[zooom101]

Does anyone know why LECOM requires an alcohol test before matriculation? I can understand the drug test, but alcohol isn't illegal. Any thoughts on this? Will they not let you matriculate if you fail an alcohol test?

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[jonb12997]

if it's just a breathalyzer, just don't drink before you go and i think you'll be fine... (not that I have a lot of experience with breathalyzers) - do they randomly test during the year?

 

[DragonWell]

In my experience, it's standard to test for alcohol when doing a drug screen. Usually these tests are ordered in an employment or insurance context, and it's important to know, for example in a work related accident, if the patient was intoxicated.

I think going to your drug test drunk is about as big a red flag as you could put up. I don't know if they'd withdraw your acceptance, but they probably should.

The drug test will be the easiest test you will take in the four years of med school. If you can't pass it, well....

 

[Donvb]

Dumb enough to drink before taking an Alcohol test = dumb enough to be denied before matriculation...

Sounds like a valid thought process ...

 

[Dr.Inviz]

Does anyone know why LECOM requires an alcohol test before matriculation? I can understand the drug test, but alcohol isn't illegal. Any thoughts on this? Will they not let you matriculate if you fail an alcohol test?

DCOM requires a panel 10 alcohol/drug urine test ... appears standard to me.

 

[mshheaddoc]

but they require a drug test? I've never heard of many schools doing this ... How many of your schools out there require this?

This is an interesting topic!

 

[Dr.Inviz]

but they require a drug test? I've never heard of many schools doing this ... How many of your schools out there require this?

This is an interesting topic!

 

[babyruth]

We didn't have to for DMU, but that was four years ago... any newbies comment on change in policy?

 

[Jamers]

We didn't have to for DMU, but that was four years ago... any newbies comment on change in policy?

No, we don't have to have alcohol tests at DMU. Giving an alcohol test is kind of *****ic.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

No, we don't have to have alcohol tests at DMU. Giving an alcohol test is kind of *****ic.

Agreed -- it is *****ic.

 

[JonnyG]

they may be looking for chronic alcohol user and trying to intervene early on in their career. Pretty dumb in my opinion.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

My school didn't perform a drug test, and neither did any of the schools I considered attending, so I think LECOM and DCOM are not usual in that requirement. As for the alcohol test, I've never had that done along with a drug test, so I don't know how standard that is either.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

My school didn't perform a drug test, and neither did any of the schools I considered attending, so I think LECOM and DCOM are not usual in that requirement. As for the alcohol test, I've never had that done along with a drug test, so I don't know how standard that is either.

DCOM doesn't perform drug tests nor alcohol tests. It is only required prior to matriculation.

 

[Critical Mass]

If they tested us after exams, we wouldn't have many students left.

 

[Toohotinvegas33]

The drugs and alcohol are the only things keeping me going until matriculation, And DMU doesn't test any of those, but I do remember some wierd anal probe thing....kinda liked it.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

The drugs and alcohol are the only things keeping me going until matriculation, And DMU doesn't test any of those, but I do remember some wierd anal probe thing....kinda liked it.

Sounds like Stiffler.

 

[mshheaddoc]

blast, forgot to his quote message.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

DCOM doesn't perform drug tests nor alcohol tests. It is only required prior to matriculation.

Yes, thanks for being willfully obtuse. I'll be more precise -- my school did not require me to get a drug test or alcohol screening prior to matriculation, nor did any school I considered attending.

 

[hyperbaric]

The drugs and alcohol are the only things keeping me going until matriculation, And DMU doesn't test any of those, but I do remember some wierd anal probe thing....kinda liked it.

No drug/alcohol testing at my school...no probing either.

 

[Jamers]

The drugs and alcohol are the only things keeping me going until matriculation, And DMU doesn't test any of those, but I do remember some wierd anal probe thing....kinda liked it.

sorry, that was just my little test. and I do mean little. Like floss your teeth little.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

Yes, thanks for being willfully obtuse. I'll be more precise -- my school did not require me to get a drug test or alcohol screening prior to matriculation, nor did any school I considered attending.

Anytime, Bagel

 

[DragonWell]

Apparently some hospitals are now requiring drug/alcohol screens before beginning rotations. If you have to pee in a cup before you work at RadioShack or HomeDepot, I'm not surprised someone would like me to do so before I slice someone open. Check w/ your clinical departments - I will be very surprised if every med student doesn't pee in a cup a few times before it's all over.

Also, when they ask why you want to know if you have to take a drug test, you should be in for a really fun conversation, too!

 

[GregsAnatomy]

We had to take a urine drug screen at the end of our 2nd year prior to rotations. The week before was really funny because you would see several people in class drinking gallon jugs of water....

 

[GreenShirt]

Don't know about DO schools, but they started to do yearly drug tests at WashU this year. My MCAT teacher said a lot of the med students weren't to happy about it.

 

[Frank l]

To the OP, I don't think LECOM is trying to make you a teetotaler, they are just covering all bases with their drug test. The alcohol isn't really a seperate test, you just pee in a cup and they test everything. At least that is the way the lab was coded when I did it.

Does anybody really think it is a bad idea to do a drug screen?

 

[Doctor Bagel]

To the OP, I don't think LECOM is trying to make you a teetotaler, they are just covering all bases with their drug test. The alcohol isn't really a seperate test, you just pee in a cup and they test everything. At least that is the way the lab was coded when I did it.

Does anybody really think it is a bad idea to do a drug screen?

Drug screens actually aren't that useful because they don't test for all sorts of drugs and aren't always accurate. Good business for drug testing companies but of minimal use to employers.

As for the alcohol test, if it's done through your urine, you don't have to show up drunk to test positive. If you drank at all in the last day, you could test positive. Consequently, a positive test result isn't necessarily indicative of a problem because it might just be from the glass of wine you had with dinner -- how LECOM deals with it is a better question.

 

[DragonWell]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the genetic testing and liver biopsy required by LECOM.

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

the stupid drug screening cost me $315. Yeah, I'm a mother of two who managed to get into med school but I'm idiotic enough not to flush my system before getting a drug test I've known about for months. Big waste of money.

I'm not on drugs, by the way. I now realize my above comment seems to imply that...

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Before med school, I had gotten this job, and had to take a pre-employment physical and drug screen. Since I didn't have to be at the physical until 3p, I went out the night before and did a marathon drinking fest with friends. I stopped drinking around 3am, got to bed by 4am, and just barely dragged my hung over self to the clinic by 3p.

Then the NP tells me it's time for my drug and alcohol screen. Obviously I got pretty worried.

Nonetheless, I apparently passed it, because I was allowed to start working.

Don't know if that means anything, but just thought I'd mention it.

Okay, so stop drinking by 3 am on the night before the drug/alcohol screen. Got that, LECOMers? Oh yeah, and schedule the test for the afternoon.

MVDMom, d@mn, $315!! Paying to pee in a cup = total outrage.

 

[Dr JPH]

I hear LECOM does a sperm analysis too.

JPHazelton
Soon to be graduate of the normal Pennsylvania DO school

 

[(nicedream)]

the stupid drug screening cost me $315. Yeah, I'm a mother of two who managed to get into med school but I'm idiotic enough not to flush my system before getting a drug test I've known about for months. Big waste of money.

I'm not on drugs, by the way. I now realize my above comment seems to imply that...

I dont get it.

 

[hilseb]

Because the more problematic drugs for most careers, including doctors, get passed through the system very quickly, I think drug screens are a waste of money, too.

If a school is intending on requiring a drug screen, do they normally give notice? So far, I have heard of a background check, a physical, Hep B vaccinations, a credit check...sheesh!

 

[wont]

Quote:
Originally Posted by MiesVanDerMom
the stupid drug screening cost me $315. Yeah, I'm a mother of two who managed to get into med school but I'm idiotic enough not to flush my system before getting a drug test I've known about for months. Big waste of money.

I'm not on drugs, by the way. I now realize my above comment seems to imply that...

I dont get it.

Me either.... why would you flush your system if you weren't using drugs? Or does "I'm not on drugs" mean you just aren't using them at this exact moment?

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

Me either.... why would you flush your system if you weren't using drugs? Or does "I'm not on drugs" mean you just aren't using them at this exact moment?

I was saying, it is stupid to require a drug test because anyone competent enough to get into med school would also be competent enough to flush their system. My sarcastic wording was a bit off. I myself am not a drug user and therefore did not need to flush my system. I was merely using a sardonic tone to prove a point. I do, however, abuse ice cream. Luckily there was no cholesterol test

 

[bkpa2med]

Luckily there was no cholesterol test

This is done randomly before or after exams.