Matriculation Requirements

These requirements are provided as general information only.  Specific requirements and deadlines for completing the requirements are provided to matriculating students after acceptance into the program.

Immunizations

OHSU requires immunizations for its students in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and from the State of Oregon. Students must comply with OHSU pre-entrance immunization requirements per Policy 03-30-150 and Policy 02-90-010, and remain in compliance for the duration of their enrollment at OHSU.

OHSU strongly recommends that all OHSU members, regardless of their work location or job function, remain “up-to-date” with COVID-19 vaccines, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under the revised policy as of June 12, 2023, all students must be “fully vaccinated” or “up-to-date” with COVID-19 vaccinations OR they must submit a declination form via Enterprise Health and adhere to Student Health’s current requirements designed to minimize COVID-19 transmission.

Background check

Prospective students are not required to disclose criminal convictions prior to receiving an offer of admission. Following a conditional admission offer, prospective students will undergo a pre-matriculation background check pursuant to policy and procedures available on the OHSU Public Safety website.  However, OHSU is a university of health professions, and it is possible that professional and occupational licensure requirements may prohibit individuals with criminal convictions from ultimately obtaining a professional license. Licensure requirements vary by state and prospective students are encouraged to consult their state licensing agency for more information.

If a prospective student is denied admission due to a criminal conviction, they may appeal the final admissions decision to the Office of the Provost at provost@ohsu.edu.

Student drug and alcohol testing

To promote the health, safety and productivity of students and clients in their care, OHSU policy (OHSU Student Drug and Alcohol Testing No. 7-90-025) states all students accepted to education programs with a clinical component must successfully pass an initial drug screening. The drug testing program will consist of  pre-clinical experience testing of students and "for cause" testing for any student suspected of being under the influence of unlawful drugs or alcohol during their course of study. All PA students accepted to the MPAS program must successfully pass an initial drug screening at matriculation.  Additional drug testing may be required dependent upon the program policies for individual clinical placements and 'for cause' testing during the 26-month course of study.

Information Privacy and Security Essentials (IPSE)

This is required training for all workforce members. Topics include: an introduction to IPS concepts, password management, disclosure rules surrounding PHI, cloud computing, and IPS incident reporting.

Respect at the University (RAU)

Everyone at OHSU, including employees, students, faculty, and volunteers, is required to complete the Respect at the University education. OHSU is legally obligated to train its workforce and student population regarding the prohibition against unlawful discrimination and harassment in the workplace and educational environment. Consistent with this obligation, OHSU maintains policies that prohibit unlawful discrimination and provide for a complaint procedure to address concerns. This course is one of several mechanisms used to disseminate OHSU's expectations to prevent unlawful discrimination and harassment and to reinforce OHSU's Code of Conduct, which requires everyone at the university to engage in respectful behavior.

Integrity Foundations

OHSU employees, students, faculty, and volunteers, are required to complete an Integrity Foundations module annually. 

Basic Life Support certification (BLS)

All entering students are required to have current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification designed for Health Care Providers.   The BLS certification is required to enable you to participate in these clinical practice settings during both the academic and clinical phases of the program. Proof of current certification will be required on or before the first day of summer term.  If you have never been BLS certified, you can contact your local chapter of the American Heart Association to inquire about registering for potential classes.  You can do this through the AHA website and entering your zip code to contact your local chapter.