CPR certification required prior to matriculation?

[SuperSlacker]

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1. Is this required?
2. If I were certified...say...4 years ago, could I just take a "refresher" course or do I have to do the whole thing over 😕

 

[mongrel]

Where did you hear this?

 

[armybound]

I've heard it's one of those things you do prior to matriculation, but I'm sure it depends on the school and when you actually get into the clinic. If you don't step foot into the hospital until 3rd year, what's the point of being CPR certified during years 1 & 2?

 

[GuitarHero1]

You probably have to take the certification course before classes start, but the program is offered through the school. That's at least for SLU - I'm starting in August and during orientation week, the week before, there is a mandatory 1 day cpr cert course.

 

[Yehosh]

It depends on the school, some require it and some don't.

my school requires it. It's usually a 2 day course for CPR and standard first aid.

 

[GuzzyRon]

An overwhelming majority of schools don't require it mainly because when you start out you won't have any responsibility for patient care. For the first couple of years you're not expected to be around patients all by yourself and whoever you're with should be certified and so that should take care of any emergency situation that might arise. Most schools start requiring certification beginning 3rd year when you've been OK'd to be roaming the hospital all by yourself.

However, pre-matriculation, most schools do require immunization for certain deadly air-borne diseases - TB, MMR easily comes to mind.

 

[jazzman84]

My school requires CPR for Healthcare Professionals certification. It's about a three to four hour class that gets offered several times a month. If your school requires it, they'll let you know through their website or the orientation materials.

 

[Mbekweni]

An overwhelming majority of schools don't require it mainly because when you start out you won't have any responsibility for patient care. For the first couple of years you're not expected to be around patients all by yourself and whoever you're with should be certified and so that should take care of any emergency situation that might arise. Most schools start requiring certification beginning 3rd year when you've been OK'd to be roaming the hospital all by yourself.

However, pre-matriculation, most schools do require immunization for certain deadly air-borne diseases - TB, MMR easily comes to mind.

BCG vaccine isn't required for TB (or even recommended) in the US. MMR is a must though. I think that many school ask students to get the CPR cert, and others even offer EMT-B courses in the first semester so that students know something that can be applied in an emergency situation during the first two years. These skills probably wouldn't be applied in a hospital setting, but BLS skills are important for everybody to have, and there's no excuse for someone in medical school for the first two years to not be able to do CPR.

 

[gotmeds?]

1. Is this required?
2. If I were certified...say...4 years ago, could I just take a "refresher" course or do I have to do the whole thing over 😕

1. No. But check with your school. Most schools teach it to you during the first week (pretty embarassing if med students don't know CPR).
2. No. If your card is expired, you'll need to the whole class.

 

[melissainsd]

During my interview day at Baylor one of the M4s mentioned that you can actually graduate without having CPR certification.

 

[GuzzyRon]

BCG vaccine isn't required for TB (or even recommended) in the US. MMR is a must though.

Well, I meant to say proof that you're free of active TB infection. But yeah, you're right, BCG vaccine is not recommended because it hasn't been shown to be highly effective anyway. Plus, once you take that vaccine, it screws up any future PPD/TB/Mantoux tests you take.

and there's no excuse for someone in medical school for the first two years to not be able to do CPR.

Well there is. If one goes to a school that doesn't provide any patient contacts the first two years then I don't see why having this skill would be any necessary (or useful).

 

[BigRedPremed]

The couple of CPR/First Aid certification classes I've taken have been 1-2 day ordeals. I don't see what the big deal is.