This is for the Temple Campus only
The following is information for incoming students that will make your entry into Baylor College of Medicine smooth. You are expected to review our information and meet the stated requirements.
First, you should register on our website. The information you provide is used by the BCM-Temple Occupational Health Program and is unrelated to your course schedule. It simply allows us to process your records and initiate the process of submitting documentation.
You will need to provide immunization records and complete other paperwork. The State of Texas requires students in healthcare-related fields to have been immunized against certain diseases. You may not be allowed to complete registration and start classes on time unless your complete vaccination information is on file with BCM-Temple OHP by the deadline.
You’ll receive communication from BCM-Temple OHP about how to share your completed forms and records. Records are confidential. Please do not send them to your program, the Office of Student Affairs, or the Registrar.
Keep in mind that some vaccination requirements can take months to complete, so plan accordingly. If you will be traveling or unavailable for large blocks of time, please do not wait until returning to address your vaccine requirements. For example, hepatitis B is a three-shots series over six months. If you wait until the deadline to start the series, even if you start classes on time, you will not be able to participate in certain aspects of your required courses.
The expectation is that you will have completed all the shots in a particular vaccine series before starting.
Deadlines for Vaccines
You will not be allowed to complete registration or start classes on time unless we have received your complete vaccination records.
- For medical students, the deadline is May 31, 2023.
Pointers for Submitting Records
You must submit copies of your actual immunization record or actual lab test immunity. Titers are preferred over vaccines. Although vaccination does meet our requirements, some hospitals require proof of immunity (positive titer). We do not accept undocumented statements that you have been vaccinated or are immune; you need to submit copies of the records. Some electronic record systems print vaccine summaries with dates, but do not indicate if there was documentation of the vaccine (e.g., some of the EPIC MyChart Summaries). Some of these printouts might not be sufficient.
If you do not have copies of your records, get them. You can get copies from the clinic that administered the service. Schools that you have attended should provide you with a copy of your records. Many of these are good-quality records. As a healthcare professional, you should have good records of your health. The issue of immunizations will arise throughout the rest of your career.
Indicate "Incoming Student First and Last Name 2023" on all correspondence. (Example: Sam Smith 2023). This will help us properly route your records.
You can send partial records to us as they are available (e.g., copy of tetanus records now and hepatitis B titer later) rather than waiting until all of them are available.
If you have additional questions regarding vaccine record submission, please see our FAQ page.
Your TB Test
You will be required to receive a TB test (skin or blood test) from the BCM-Temple OHP during student orientation unless you provide proof of a negative TB skin test performed within the last three months or a negative TB blood test (IGRA) performed within the last six months. We will not test you if you provide adequate documentation of having had a positive test in the past. If you have a history of positive TST (PPD) > 10mm or a positive IGRA blood test, please supply information regarding any evaluation and/or treatment.
Processing of Your Records
Typical processing time is two weeks once we have received the records. Be sure to register with us (described above) so we can communicate with you.
BCM-Temple OHP will send you an email after the records are reviewed and will send a notification once records have been reviewed.
Communicating with BCM-Temple OHP
We realize that you have many deadlines, forms, and matters to complete before starting. Most of the questions or issues you will encounter involving vaccination requirements are addressed on our website.
However, do contact us if you have questions or concerns that are not addressed elsewhere on our site. Our email for inquiries or general correspondence is BCMTOHP@BSWHealth.org. Please note that we typically will not respond to messages where the answer is readily available on our website. So, please review our information. Further, if you do contact us, please ensure that your message has a specific question to address. Messages such as "Please call me, I had a question about vaccine records" will usually get a response that simply refers you to our website.
Student Forms
The forms in this section must be completed and returned to BCM-Temple OHP with proper documentation.
Forms for medical students:
