PSA: Immunizations for med school

[nestlebunny]

Hi all -- I have found many things helpful on this site so I thought I would pass this along.

If you are accepted to medical school, consider doing your antibody titer (what proves you are immunized in addition to your vaccine record) now!

I had a doctors appt scheduled and I figured I should just get it out of the way now, and it turns out that some of my immunities have significantly depreciated over the years and I need boosters, one of which is a 6 month shot series. If I hadn't realized this now, this could've keep me from matriculating to my chosen med school in the fall (!!!!) (ie had I gotten this checked in June, that would be a problem!)

this is the AAMC immunization form: (it won't let me post the link, but its the first thing that appears when you google that, and my schools have linked it in acceptance packets)
(I printed this off and gave it to the nurse, she is keeping it with my records until I meet the criteria)

As in many things in med school app cycle -- don't procrastinate!

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[Med Ed]

If I hadn't realized this now, this could've keep me from matriculating to my chosen med school in the fall (!!!!) (ie had I gotten this checked in June, that would be a problem!)

This is not true. Every year every medical school takes students who need to significant work to get their immunizations up to date. And every year the student affairs deans get driven a little crazier cajoling some of these students to get it taken care of. The worst that would happen is that you may be barred from certain early clinical exposures until your series are complete and your titers reported.

The only conceivable way that immunizations would prevent matriculation is if the accepted applicant refused to get them.

 

[nestlebunny]

This is not true. Every year every medical school takes students who need to significant work to get their immunizations up to date. And every year the student affairs deans get driven a little crazier cajoling some of these students to get it taken care of. The worst that would happen is that you may be barred from certain early clinical exposures until your series are complete and your titers reported.

The only conceivable way that immunizations would prevent matriculation is if the accepted applicant refuses to get them.

Good to know! haha I am only looking at the language that they gave me on the portal, and it's pretty "...or else"

Regardless, I want to show up prepared 🙂

 

[Med Ed]

Good to know! haha I am only looking at the language that they gave me on the portal, and it's pretty "...or else"

That's the level of threat they need to deploy in order to corral the herd.

 

[mcat33]

I'm confused about this vaccination stuff... l0l

For example, For the Hep B, I have 3 previous shots from when I was a child. Would I just need to get the titer for Hep B now and that's it?

 

[Med Ed]

For example, For the Hep B, I have 3 previous shots from when I was a child. Would I just need to get the titer for Hep B now and that's it?

Rules may vary somewhat, but if you have had the series then you will likely just have to get a titer and prove current immunity. If the titer is acceptable then you're done.

 

[Bacchus]

Rules may vary somewhat, but if you have had the series then you will likely just have to get a titer and prove current immunity. If the titer is acceptable then you're done.

Agree. Hope the poster is better than I. I had a titer 7 months after a booster (for attendingship) and made the cutoff by 0.3.