General On-Boarding Requirements

BMS Labs

Return to Year 4 Summer Session

 

General Information

Senior clinical rotations for the Medical Laboratory Sciences and Public Health Microbiology submajors require materials to be submitted for “onboarding” at each clinical affiliate site.  This page is intended to guide you through the general onboarding requirements so that you will be ready to start your clinical rotation.  Failure to complete all required onboarding materials may prevent you from completing a clinical rotation.

We will be using a company called CastleBranch that will conduct a 10-panel drug screen, background check, and collect all of the required documentation that is described below.  The fee for this service is $122.00 (with a service fee of $1.99), which you will pay when you create your account.  Additional fees may apply.  All of the required documentation that you will need to sign and/or submit can be found on this page, or on your personal CastleBranch account . When filling out and submitting documents, please submit good quality documents that are legible (scanned documents are preferred over a picture taken on a phone).  If a document is illegible, CastleBranch may reject the document and require you to submit a better copy.

Students are encouraged to download and utilize the CastleBranch Checklist in order to ensure all requirements are completed prior to the start of clinical rotations.

Visit the BMS CastleBranch Page for instructions on creating an account and uploading files.

School Forms

The following forms can be found below under the appropriate requirement, or downloaded here.  These are the required forms that will be uploaded to CastleBranch.

Handbook Acknowledgment of Clinical Training Policies & Procedures 2023

Background Check Release Authorization Form 2023

Health Records and Student Files Release Authorization Form 2023

Physical Examination Health Status Assessment 2023

The task order found on this page follows the order on the CastleBranch Checklist.  Contact Brad at bkdepons@uwm.edu with any questions

Handbook Acknowledgement Form

Students must review the Biomedical Sciences Policies & Procedures for the Professional Training Year document.  This policy outlines the professional year curriculum, requirements for health insurance, background checks, safety, and others that are needed in order to start your clinical rotation.

Download and sign the Handbook Acknowledgment of Clinical Training Policies & Procedures 2023 document.  This document should be uploaded to your CastleBranch account under the “Handbook Acknowledgment” requirement.

.

Background Check

A Wisconsin State criminal background check is required prior to the start of clinical rotations.  This will be performed automatically by CastleBranch once you create and pay for your account, and is included in the cost of your account.  Instructions on completing this background check can be found on your CastleBranch account page.  Students are required to complete and upload two documents related to the background check; the Wisconsin BID form, and the Background Check Release Authorization Form.

For the Wisconsin BID form (Background Information Disclosure form) can be downloaded directly from your personal castlebranch account.  Once downloaded, there is a spot that says “Check the box that applies to you”.  You can check “other” and type in “Clinical Rotations.  You can leave the “Position Title” spot blank, since you’re not a prospective or current employee.  For the Business Name and Address, you can enter “University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee 2400 E Hartford Ave Milwaukee, WI 53211”.

For the Background Check Release Authorization Form, you must download the Background Check Release Authorization Form 2023.  Sign and date this form, print your name, and upload the document to the “Background Check Release Authorization Form” requirement.

If you have resided outside of Wisconsin in the last 3 years, you may be required to complete a Federal Background Check at an additional charge.  CastleBranch will contact you with instructions if a federal background check is required.

If you anticipate a positive criminal background check, or if the criminal background check is found to be positive by CastleBranch, set up a time to meet with Brad De Pons (bkdepons@uwm.edu) and Zac Lunak (lunak@uwm.edu) as soon as possible to discuss this.  A clinical placement is contingent on acceptance by a clinical site, and this information will need to be provided to the clinical site human resources department for decisions regarding clinical placement acceptance.  Students that are not accepted by a clinical affiliate may not be able to complete clinical rotations with UWM, and may not be able to graduate in the Medical Laboratory Sciences or Public Health Sciences submajor.

.

Initial Immunizations

Students are required to provide documentation of immunization for several communicable diseases (see the Immunization/Infectious Disease Requirements for Clinical Placements page for a complete listing).  If you are from Wisconsin, vaccination records may be found on the Wisconsin Immunization Registry Website.  If you are NOT from Wisconsin, you can speak to your physician about vaccine records, or get them from the state/country where those records can be found.  If you cannot find any official records, you will need to either receive the vaccinations, or have the titer testing performed to show immunity, which would be done through a physician. Once submitted, CastleBranch will review your documentation, and will contact you if you are required to complete any additional doses and/or complete any titer testing.

Records for the following immunizations should be submitted by the end of June:

Measles, Mumps, & Rubella – Varicella (Chicken Pox) – Hepatitis B – Tetanus,Diphtheria & Pertussis (TDaP or Td) – COVID-19

There are spots on the CastleBranch page to submit documentation for each of the required infectious diseases/vaccinations.  If you have multiple records on one form (i.e. a printed page from the Wisconsin Immunization Registry Website), you can submit the same document in each spot for all of the immunizations that are found on that document.  If you do this, please make sure that each document contains your information (i.e. your name).  The cost of any additional immunizations that need to be completed, as well as the cost for any titer testing, is not covered in your CaslteBranch fee.  Contact the Student Health and Wellness Center or your personal physician to determine if there will be any charges for these services.

Some sites may be offering vaccine waivers for medical and/or religious reasons. If you have not received one of the required vaccinations and do not plan to, please contact us right away so that we can get you in touch with your site education coordinator and site HR department to see if you are able to submit a waiver. The waiver approval process would go through your clinical site, and they will have the final say regarding placement if you choose not to receive the vaccination.  If a waiver is not approved by your clinical placement site and you do not comply with the policies set by the location, you may be required to switch to a major that does not include a clinical rotation.

Submitting immunization documentation to CastleBranch
.
If you have already completed the vaccination/vaccine series or titer testing, you will only need to submit one document that includes all doses and/or test results.
.
If you are in the process of receiving a vaccination that required multiple doses, or are completing titer testing, please submit documentation and/or titer testing results as you complete them.  If multiple doses or test results are required, a new spot will be created on CastleBranch for you to provide additional documentation as needed.
If multiple vaccinations are included on the same page (i.e. a copy of your Wisconsin Immunization Record that includes all of your vaccinations), you should submit the entire document in each of the required spots.
.

Health Records and Student Files Release Authorization Form

Download and complete the Health Records and Student Files Release Authorization Form 2023 and upload this to CastleBranch under the “Health Records and Student Files Release Authorization Form” requirement.  This form is pre-filled out with all required release information, and only needs to be signed and dated.

There is an option given on the form to give permission to additional people to disclose records to, such as future employers, or to indicate any files that you do NOT want to disclose.  You may fill these spots out if you know of any additional people you want information disclosed to or know of any information you do not want disclosed, but it is not required (most students just leave these spots blank).  All of the required disclosures that we need for clinical rotations are stated in the paragraphs at the top of each section.

 

Health Insurance Coverage

Students are required by the clinical affiliates to carry health insurance coverage during the entire clinical rotation.  Each student must provide a copy of their current health insurance card or proof of coverage, and this information must be submitted to CastleBranch under the Health Insurance requirement.

Proof of coverage should include your name on the documentation.  You should verify that you have health insurance coverage as soon as possible to avoid delays in acquiring health insurance if it is found you are not covered and need to get a plan through the state or another carrier.

 

OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens and HIPAA training

To meet the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens and HIPAA training required by the clinical sites, we will use MediaLab training modules, which can be found at www.medialab.com.

If you do not currently have a MediaLab account, follow the MediaLab Registration instructions.  Make sure to use your UWM email address when making an account.  If you are not sure if you already have an account or do not remember your password, contact Brad (bkdepons@uwm.edu).

Adding courses

From the home page, click OPEN ENROLLMENT at the top of the page

Scroll down to HIPAA

Add the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules training module to your courses by clicking “Add to My Courses” (2 CE credit hours)

Return to the Open Enrollment page and scroll down to OSHA Compliance

Add the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens training module to your courses by clicking “Add to My Courses” (1.5 CE credit hours)

Taking courses

Click My Courses at the top of the page.  The HIPAA and OSHA modules should display.  Click “Start Course” to the right of the module to begin.  There will be a short quiz at the end of each module, and a 70% or higher is required to pass the course.  If you do not pass on your first attempt, re-add the course by following the instructions above, and retake until you achieve a passing score.  Contact Brad at bkdepons@uwm.edu if you have any issues.

Submiting Certificates

When you complete the quizzes, print out the certificate by clicking “Print Certificate” on the completion page.  You may also find a copy of this certificate next to the module name under “My Courses”.  Once you click Print Certificate, you will have access to another link that says “View / Print Certificate of Completion PDF”.  This is in the form of a PDF file, and can be saved to your computer instead of physically printing the document. Certificates for each course can then be uploaded to your CastleBranch account under the appropriate spot for each training module.

 

Physical Examination

Students are required to have a physical examination to be completed within 90 days of clinical start date if rotating with Froedtert Health (Froedtert Holy Family Manitowoc, Froedtert Menomonee Falls, Froedtert West Bend, Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories), or within 12 months if rotating with any other sites.  It is recommended that you schedule this examination to be completed in August if rotating with Froedtert Health, and may be scheduled any time for all other sites.
.
The physical examination can be obtained through the UWM Student Health and Wellness Center, or through your private physician.  Results from this examination must be documented on the Physical Examination Health Status Assessment 2023 form (you do not need to submit any other documentation from your health care provider, only the UWM form).  This form should be downloaded and brought with you to your physical examination and filled out by whoever is examining you, and must be submitted to CastleBranch under the “Physical Examination” requirement.  The cost of a physical exam is not covered in your CastleBranch fee, so you will need to contact the Student Health and Wellness Center or your personal physician to determine if there will be any charges for this service.
.
NOTE:  If you have recently had a physical exam and do not want to have another one, you may contact the healthcare provider that completed the exam and ask if they will retroactively fill out your Physical Examination Health Status Assessment form based on the previous examination.
.

Tuberculosis Testing

A tuberculosis test must be completed within 90 days of clinical start date if rotating with Froedtert Health (Froedtert Holy Family Manitowoc, Froedtert Menomonee Falls, Froedtert West Bend, Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories), or within 12 months if rotating with any other sites.  It is recommended that you schedule this examination to be completed in August if rotating with Froedtert Health, and may be scheduled any time for all other sites.  You may need to schedule this through your physician’s office, so we recommend that this is done along with your physical exam.
.
Acceptable tuberculosis tests include a blood test (Quantiferon TB Gold) and TB skin testing (see the Immunization/Infectious Disease Requirements for Clinical Placements page for more information) .  Most students prefer the Quantiferon blood test, as it only requires a single visit, but this may be more expensive.  Any questions about the differences between these tests can be directed towards Brad at bkdepons@uwm.edu.  Once completed, students must submit the test results to their CastleBranch account under the “Tuberculosis (TB)” requirement.  CastleBranch will review the results, and will contact the student if any additional testing is required.  The cost of a Tuberculosis Test is not covered in your CastleBranch fee, so you will need to contact the Student Health and Wellness Center or your personal physician to determine if there will be any charges for this service.
.

Drug Screen

A 10 panel drug screen including amphetamine, barbiturates, benzodiazepine, cocaine, marijuana, methadone, methaqualone, opiates, phencyclidine, and propoxyphene is required prior to the start of clinical rotations. The drug screen must be completed within 90 days of clinical start date if rotating with Froedtert Health (Froedtert Holy Family Manitowoc, Froedtert Menomonee Falls, Froedtert West Bend, Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories), or within 12 months if rotating with any other sites.  It is recommended that you schedule this examination to be completed in August if rotating with Froedtert Health, and may be scheduled any time for all other sites.

The cost of the drug screen is included with your CastleBranch account, and this will be performed through Quest Diagnostics.  Students will be provided a copy of a drug screen form through CastleBranch when you create your account, and students must bring this form to a Quest Diagnostics testing site in order to complete the test.  They do accept walk-in appointments, but we recommend calling your preferred testing site to schedule an appointment if they recommend (testing site locations can be found on the form).  If you anticipate a positive drug screen, set up a time to meet with Brad De Pons (bkdepons@uwm.edu) and Zac Lunak (lunak@uwm.edu) as soon as possible to discuss this.

If you are currently taking a prescription medication that results in a positive drug screen, CastleBranch will provide instructions to you and may require additional documentation from your physician.

If it is found that you have a positive drug screen that is not related to medications prescribed by a physician, contact Brad De Pons and Zac Lunak for further instruction.  A clinical placement is contingent on acceptance by a clinical site, and this information will need to be provided to the clinical site human resources department for decisions regarding clinical placement acceptance.  Students that are not accepted by a clinical affiliate may not be able to complete clinical rotations with UWM, and may not be able to graduate in the Medical Laboratory Sciences or Public Health Sciences submajor.

 

Influenza Vaccination

Students are required to receive the annual Influenza vaccination for the current year prior to beginning clinical rotations.  The annual Influenza vaccination is typically released in August or September, and we recommend that students complete this as soon as these become available and upload documentation as soon as possible to CastleBranch under the “Influenza (flu)” requirement.
.
NOTE: Students rotating with ACL Laboratories will be required to fill out an additional Influenza Vaccination Verification Form, which is available under the ACL Laboratories, Advocate Aurora Health section of the Clinical Site On-Boarding Instructions page.  Students rotating with ACL should bring this form along when they receive their influenza vaccination and have it filled out by whoever administers the vaccination.  A copy of this form must be submitted to Brad along with the other ACL onboarding paperwork outlined on that webpage (this form is NOT submitted to CastleBranch).
.

Return to Year 4 Summer Session