Rationale

Students with impairment due to active substance abuse or a record of activity unsuitable for patient contact should not be placed in a patient-care environment for the protection of patients.

Most hospitals, child-care facilities, and nursing homes now require criminal background checks of all people working in their settings due to state legislation and accreditation requirements. These institutions also require medical students to undergo a criminal background check before participating in any educational activities at their sites. Many of these sites also require toxicology screens.

The Ohio State University College of Medicine is committed to providing high-quality education in the foundational and clinical sciences. An integral part of this commitment requires that students behave in a professional manner. Professional behavior dictates that an individual will not function when their judgment is altered by the use of legal and/or illegal substances. A drug-free and safe environment is an expectation for the delivery of both educational experiences and patient care.

Graduates of the College of Medicine must apply for a medical training certificate (a temporary license to practice medicine) until they pass USMLE Step 3 and are eligible for regular licensure. These applications require self-disclosure of arrests, convictions, court appearances; psychiatric diagnosis, treatment, or hospitalization; medical conditions including drug addiction and alcoholism; use of any chemical substance, including prescribed medications, which may impair ability to practice; and illegal use of controlled substances.

Any criminal conviction or guilty plea which is related to substance use may be deemed by the state medical board as an indication of substance abuse. These types of convictions are likely to appear on a criminal background check. Evidence of substance abuse often times will prevent an applicant from getting a license to practice, even a temporary one, unless it is also accompanied by evidence of rehabilitation and ongoing sobriety through monitoring in a formal aftercare program.

Based on the College’s desire to facilitate the ability of our graduates to ultimately become licensed physicians and the requirements of affiliated health care institutions, a system of self-disclosure, criminal background checks, and toxicology screening is in effect.

Criminal background checks and self disclosure

Toxicology testing of medical students