eOTD Pre-Clinical Requirements

Colonial Health Center front desk and sign

Program and Pre-Clinical Requirements

All students entering the Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (eOTD) program, regardless of age, are required to meet the eOTD program and Health Sciences requirements.

Please do not wait to get started on completing your immunization requirements. Plan to begin this process as early during the summer as possible.

It is strongly recommended that students keep all records related to immunizations, health records, and any other clinic requirements on-hand. Clinical sites may ask for additional documentation as part of the clearance processes for clinical experiences.

Health and Immunization Forms

Required forms may be downloaded directly from your myRecordTracker© account:

You will be asked to complete the following items by Orientation in August.

  1. Health Sciences Physical Examination Form
    • Do not complete the Physical Examination Form (including the PPD) prior to May 1, 2025.
  2. Health Sciences Immunization Requirements Form
  3. Optional Meningococcal Waiver Form
About myRecordTracker

The eOTD program utilizes Certiphi’s myRecordTracker© to process and track student compliance with university and program pre-clinical requirements. Students are required to create a myRecordTracker© account and maintain up-to-date copies of your proof of immunization records and program requirements via this account. The myRecordTracker© website also serves as an electronic repository for students to store all required paperwork for easy retrieval for clinical experiences. All health information forms are kept strictly confidential in accordance with HIPAA and FERPA regulations. The program covers the first-year cost for students.

During the summer, you will receive an e-mail from myrecordtracker@verticalscreen.com with instructions on how to create a myRecordTracker© account. Also, during the summer, the program will provide step-by-step instructions for accessing your myRecordTracker© account to upload and track required documentation. Students may not be permitted to begin their clinical experiences without a current health record on file.

Via your myRecordTracker© account, you can:

  • Submit your records by way of digital upload, mail, or fax.
  • Access your health records 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
  • Follow your clinical requirements checklist progress online.
Immunization / Vaccination Requirements

The GW OTD program utilizes regional and national healthcare facilities to meet clinical and educational goals and objectives. Most healthcare facilities require evidence of vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccination (refer to CDC guidelines), in order to participate in clinical experiences/fieldwork at their facilities. All admitted students acknowledge the program may not be able to place a student for clinical education experiences/fieldwork who has not received the required vaccinations, thus delaying your program of study and/or graduation.

  1. COVID-19 (CDC guidelines)
    • COVID-19 vaccinations are not a university requirement at this time. However, the GW OT Program strongly recommends students receive the initial vaccine series and subsequent booster. The majority of our clinical sites require proof of vaccinations, or serology lab testing for communicable diseases, including COVID-19. The Program may not be able to place a student for clinical education experiences who has not received the required vaccinations, thus delaying your program of study and/or graduation.
  2. Tuberculin Skin or Blood Test
    • Annual PPD or documentation of a negative chest X-ray (if there is a history of positive PPD). This test must be performed no sooner than May 1, 2025.
  3. Tetanus/Diphtheria Booster or TDAP
  4. Varicella (Chicken Pox) Vaccines or Proof of Immunity (Varicella titer)
  5. Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccines or Proof of Immunity (MMR titer)
  6. Hepatitis B Series OR Proof of Immunity (Hepatitis B titer)
  7. Meningococcal Vaccine OR signed Waiver Request Form
  8. Annual Flu Vaccine 

These are common requirements for direct patient care at many healthcare facilities that provide clinical experiences for GW eOTD students. However, many clinical sites will have additional health requirements that need to be met, including but not limited to documentation of the polio vaccination. So please be sure to bring copies of all of your health-related records with you when you arrive on campus, even if they are not part of the necessary University or program requirements outlined here. Exemption from any of these requirements, with the exception of the Meningococcal Meningitis vaccine, is NOT permitted.

Forms
Required forms may be downloaded directly from your myRecordTracker© account:

Please provide a copy of the Health Sciences Physical Examination Form and the Health Sciences Immunization Requirements Form to your healthcare provider and note the following:

  1. Your health care provider must complete the Health Immunization Form noting the specific dates each vaccination was administered (noted in the MM/DD/YYYY format).
  2. Important: If you are fulfilling an immunization requirement by providing proof of immunity (where acceptable) your health provider should provide you with copies of your serology (lab) reports.
  3. Keep all of your records, as you will need to upload the completed forms and lab reports (where applicable) to your myRecordTracker© account once you have set up your account.
  4. If by the start of the program, you are still in process with a vaccination series, you should still upload any documentation that you have to date to your myRecordTracker© account, so that compliance with completed requirements can be tracked.

Please note the GW Student Health Services Center, which is staffed by physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, can give any needed vaccinations on a fee-for-service basis. Visit Student Health to view hours of operation.

A completed health record ensures students are compliant with OSHA recommendations and the Joint Commission requirements for all health care workers as it relates to current immunization records and a health physical record verifying that the student is free of communicable disease. Please be sure to retain copies of the completed forms for your personal records.

For Students Under Age 26 - Submit Documents to GW Health Center

For students under the age of 26, the University also requires an immunization record on file at the GW Health Center to comply with the District of Columbia Immunization Law requirements. If you are a student under the age of 26, in addition to uploading the Health Sciences Immunization Requirements Form (and related proof of immunizations via your myRecordTracker© account), you must submit a copy of the same Health Sciences Immunization Requirements Form (signed by your healthcare provider), applicable serology reports showing positive immunity, and/or the Meningococcal Waiver Form (if applicable) to the GW Health Center by Orientation in August. In the spring before you enroll, the program will forward instructions for completing this additional step and submitting your documentation to the GW Health Center at the following link: https://healthcenter.gwu.edu/immunizations.

If your completed form is not received by the GW Health Center by the start of Orientation, a hold may be placed on your account, and you will not be able to register for future semesters. Please note that this guidance for students under the age of 26 is ONLY applicable to the Health Sciences Immunization Requirements Form; you do NOT need to submit your Physical Examination Form to the GW Health Center (you only need to upload the Physical Examination Form to your myRecordTracker© account).

Additional Requirements

In addition to providing the required documentation of immunizations via your myRecordTracker© account, GW eOTD students are required to complete and upload copies of the following documentation.

Criminal Background Check (Completed via Certiphi Screening)

Prior to matriculation, students will need to complete a criminal background check and drug screen, as per program policy. You should have already received an email from Certiphi Screening, a OTCAS third-party vendor, about completing the background check. We ask that students complete the background check process during the summer, so as to minimize the chances of your background check becoming expired prior to the start of clinic.

Students have until July 31, 2025, to complete the background check. Students may need to update criminal background check records during the program, depending upon the requirements of their individual clinical sites.

Drug Screen (Completed via Certiphi Screening)

Prior to matriculation, students will need to complete a drug screen, as per program policy. You should have already received an email from Certiphi Screening, a OTCAS third-party vendor.

Students have until July 31, 2025, to complete the drug screen. Account information and detailed instructions for completing the drug screen through Certiphi Screening’s Application Station website will be provided by the program over the summer. Students may need to update drug screen records during the program, depending upon the requirements of their individual clinical sites.

Proof of BLS CPR Certification for Healthcare Providers (American Heart Association only)

All students entering the eOTD program are required to earn current professional-level certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by the start of the program and are required to maintain this certification throughout the duration of the eOTD program. The program will ONLY accept the American Heart Association’s Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers (a 2-year certification) in fulfillment of this requirement. Each student is required to upload a copy of their CPR certification card (both the front and back of the card) to their myRecordTracker© account. No other certifications will be accepted due to contractual obligations with our clinical sites.

For students who do not currently have this certification, the eOTD program will be offering a discounted course on campus. Course details including cost and registration instructions will be forwarded to students over the summer. For those who would like to complete their certification before then, recommended locations for training are available through the American Heart Association by visiting their website www.heart.org/ and selecting “CPR” from the menu. We recommend completing this over the summer (and not too early) so that your certification will be up to date in time for clinic.

Proof of Health Insurance

All students enrolled in the eOTD program are required to maintain adequate health insurance coverage that meets the University requirements throughout the duration of the program.

  • Proof of insurance (a copy of the back and front of your health insurance card) must be uploaded into your myRecordTracker© account by Orientation.
GW Student Health Insurance Plan (GWSHIP)

Students are automatically enrolled in the GW Student Health Insurance Plan (GWSHIP) through Aetna Student Health each academic year.

  • A health insurance fee is assessed to each student account and students are billed separately in the fall and spring semesters.
  • The coverage period for the Aetna Plan spans the entire academic year and extends through the summer.

Students are able to opt-out of the GWSHIP, by submitting a waiver during the waiver period in the fall if they are covered by another health insurance plan AND if their current coverage meets the specific minimum health insurance requirements outlined in GW's waiver criteria.

  • You must be registered for the Fall term before you are able to waive the plan
  • Be sure to have the necessary information about your alternative coverage at hand if you plan to opt-out.
    • Please note that students are not permitted to waive the GW Aetna Plan in the spring or summer unless they have a qualifying “life event.”
    • Students who are removed from parental health insurance plans due to turning 26 must contact Student Health Services within 31 days of this event in order to enroll in GW SHIP during the year. This is considered a “life event” and enrollment will be permitted outside of the typical enrollment schedule but must be done within the 31 days of the “life event."

You may visit GW Student Health Services website to familiarize yourself with details on the health insurance plan, what is covered, adding dependents, and more. 

If medical attention is required at any point during the program, costs incurred are the responsibility of the student, not the eOTD program or the University.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Training/Patient Confidentiality

During Orientation, students complete an online course on HIPAA (which is an annual requirement), Protected Health Information (PHI), and the responsibility to protect a patient’s right to privacy. The course introduces the students to concepts of confidentiality, accessing information from the medical record used for Occupational Therapy purposes only, and appropriate release of information procedures to ensure confidentiality compliance. The course is followed by a test in which successful completion results in HIPAA certification. This certification ensures students have appropriate knowledge to prevent violation of patient’s privacy rights. Students are also reminded throughout the curriculum of HIPAA to ensure integration as they prepare for clinical experiences.

Annual Respirator FIT Test

This requirement will be completed annually and is organized by the GW OTD Program.