Current Students

Medical Insurance

Sufficient health insurance coverage, which includes hospitalization and medication coverage, is required of all physician assistant students. All students are automatically enrolled in the BU Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) unless they are granted a waiver based on comparable insurance coverage with another carrier.

In the course of the clinical education, there are times when students may be exposed to infectious agents and environmental hazards. At the beginning of the Clinical Practicum, students will be trained to prevent exposure to health hazards as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Strategies for prevention and risk reduction will be reviewed again prior to beginning the program’s clinical phase.

In the event that a student is exposed to a health hazard, we encourage them to seek care at the BU Student Health Services. If they are on rotation away from the Charles River Campus, they should go to the nearest health care provider, which may be the emergency room. Treatment for these exposures will be covered by the student health insurance. With the exception of an emergency situation, the PA faculty are not permitted to provide medical care to the PA students. More information is available in the Clinical Handbook, which will be distributed to all students about to begin the clinical portion of the program.

Treatment Options

Boston University Student Health Services

http://www.bu.edu/shs
881 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston MA 02215
Phone: 617-353-3575
Fax: 617-353-3557
Email: shshelp@bu.edu

Boston University Behavioral Medicine (Mental Health)

http://www.bu.edu/shs/behavioral/
881 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston MA 02215
Phone: 617-353-3569

BUSM Behavioral Health Center (Medical Campus)

http://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/student-life/student-life/health/behavioral-health/
Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Building
85 E. Newton St., Suite 816, Boston, MA 02118
Phone: 617-353-3569

Aetna Student Health

https://www.aetnastudenthealth.com/

Search “Boston University” on the homepage to view health plans available to Boston University students.

Student Health Services offers medical and behavioral health care on the Charles River Campus and the Medical campus. They maintain your BU admission health record and review compliance with immunization policies which are reported to the University Registrar.

General university requirements include compliance with the immunization policies for health professionals. Students are not permitted to register for classes if they are not compliant with the policies. Please visit the BU Student Health Services website for more information: https://www.bu.edu/shs/getting-started/incoming-health-requirements/#gf_31   To check your compliance with the immunization policies and download a copy of your immunization record, please see the Personal tab>Compliance> on your Student Link page. Please note most clinical sites require up-to-date documentation of immunizations. If you fail to keep your immunizations current, you will be unable to continue in the clinical phase until the Student Health Services deems your record to be satisfactory.

Behavioral health services are available for student on the Charles River and Medical campuses. To contact behavioral health, please call 617-353-3569 to schedule an appointment. If you need assistance scheduling an appointment, please contact your academic advisor or any faculty member who can assist you in obtaining a same day appointment.

SHS also offers wellness and prevention programs for students.

Class schedules for Semesters 1-8 are maintained on a Google Calendar that is shared with your BU account. Please contact the PA Office if you have difficulty accessing the schedule.

The PISCEs class schedule for School of Medicine classes taken during the didactic phase can be found here. PA students do not take the other medical school courses listed on the block schedule. This schedule is added to the PA student Google Calendar, however, please use to the School of Medicine schedule, if there appear to be discrepancies.

Students who are admitted routinely participate in clinical education experiences as a part of the PA program. Most clinical sites require criminal background checks and drug testing to define the student’s eligibility for participation. History of a criminal background or a positive drug screen may disqualify students from participating in these experiences, which are required for successful completion of the PA program. Please review the Student Handbook for more information about how background checks and drug screens are performed.

PA Program Policies can be found here.

Expectations of Students can be found here.

Students enrolled in the PA Program are advised not work while in the program; employment would put the student at academic risk due to the program’s rigor and pace. PA students are considered full time students. Students are not required to work for the program and they are not allowed to substitute for or function as instructional faculty or clinical or administrative staff.

When possible, students should attempt to resolve academic-related conflicts with the PA faculty members and the program director. If the conflict is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student, the student may wish to contact the Office of the Ombuds which is an independent, impartial and confidential place where persons can bring issues related to life and study at BU. Talking to the Ombuds can be a good first step if you have a concern and you don’t know where to turn for help. If informal conflict resolution does not occur, PA students are encouraged to utilize the processes and resources of the Office of Student Affairs.

The BU PA program believes that the learning environment should be safe for all students and free from discrimination. Please use the links below to learn more about reporting safety or discrimination concerns.

BU Equal Opportunity Office for general policies

Discrimination based on disability  reporting

Sexual misconduct policies and resources

BUSM Title IX coordinators

Karen Symes, PhD
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs
(617) 638-4196
symes@bu.edu

Gwynneth Offner, PhD
Assistant Dean of Admissions, BUSM
(617) 638-8221
goffner@bu.edu