CRAZY ADMISSIONS QUESTION FOR ANYONE! HELP!

[zilla]

I am considering applying to medical schools, however, I have a problem! I do not want to go through the required immunizations for admission to any of the schools. I know this may seem crazy, but ever since I had a severe allergic reaction to the flu vaccine, I have been extremely leary of putting anything in my system. I am not allergic to eggs, so it was not the protein that triggered the reaction, which left my allergist confused. I received the MMR and the DPT as a child and apparently had no reaction, however, medical schools also require Polio, Hepatitis B, Varicella, and Tuberculosis.
DOES ANYONE KNOW IF I WOULD BE ALLOWED TO GET AN EXEMPTION FROM BEING VACCINATED!! Would this be a right of mine, or would they require it because I potentially could put patients at risk? What do hospitals require? Would not being vaccinated affect my clinicals, residency, etc.? Has anyone ever heard of a dillema like this? Is there an organization which oversees the regulation of this? I really want to be a doctor! Any suggestions? HELP!!!!

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[smc927]

I don't know.
However, being involved in medicine puts you and the patients you work with at greater risk. There is a world-wide increase in tuberculosis and others that were considered to have been wiped out or under control a long time ago.
This is a very serious issue and all hospitals take such things very seriously. My suggestion would be to contact somebody in the administration at your local hospital and/or medical school and ask what their policies are. That'll give you an idea.

 

[njdevil]

You are going to have to get them...#1 for medical school you will need them...#2 any hospital you walk into as a student requires them...#3 residency requires them. I know you have health issues, but if you are not vaccinated you put your patients, particularly in peds and ob/gyn at huge risk.

 

[Jim Picotte]

If it wasn't a severe anaphylactic reaction, or even if it was you should be able to premedicate yourself to avoid this reaction. I don't think I'd get the influenza vacination if I were you again though. Hep B should be no problem, you can also check your titers through a blood test to see if you really need the polio, varicella, mmr (this is more expensive than the vaccine though). For the TB test, just get it or you could get yearly chest X-rays as well.

 

[Sweaty Paul]

Zilla,

You will also put geriatric patients at risk. In addition, you will be at higher risk for illnesses that don't just make you sick, but, some that will stay with and potentially kill you. Furthermore, the odds of getting anything from vaccination is significantly less than if you don't get vaccinated. Side effects to any drug or vaccine are possible. However, you have to weigh the risk:benefit ratio. As a med. student and a patient, I wouldn't be comfortable having a physician who hadn't been vaccinated. The possibilty of you passing infections on to me would be increased, and quite frankly if I'm ill and in a hospital, the last thing I want is even more exposure to other illnesses.

 

[groundhog]

Look, medicine is not the only occupation that has physical entrance requirements. What if you did not like to be required to hold your breath underwater for a long time, but wanted to be a navy diver...well too bad. Suppose you did not like the thought of being exposed to hard jolts to the head, but wanted to be a football player...forget that one too. It goes on and on.