Pre-Clinical Requirements

Fulfilling Program and Pre-Clinical Requirements

All students entering the DPT program, regardless of age, are required to meet the program and Health Sciences requirements by completing and providing documentation of a physical examination (recent health assessment) via the Health Sciences Physical Examination Form (including PPD) as well as evidence of immunizations (or proof of immunity by serum titers where acceptable) via the Health Sciences Immunization Requirements Form.

Please do not complete the Health Physical Examination Form or the Immunization Form (including the PPD) prior to May 1, 2025. During the summer, you will receive instructions for setting up your myRecordTracker© account, the secure electronic repository the program utilizes to process and track student compliance with University and program pre-clinical requirements. At that time, you will able to upload your forms to your myRecordTracker© account. Please do not wait until you set up your myRecordTracker© account to get started on completing your immunization requirements plan to begin this process as early during the summer as possible. Please click on the link headers below to review the instructions for completing the program’s pre-clinical requirements.

Your Certiphi myRecordTracker© Account

The DPT program currently 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 their 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

Pre-clinical Immunization and Physical Exam Requirements

Please plan to complete and provide documentation of the following by New Student Orientation in August:

1. COVID-19 - Please see CDC guidelines
2. Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) dose 1 given after age one
3. Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) dose 2 given at least 30 days after MMR dose 1
4. Hepatitis B Series (three vaccinations)
   • Hepatitis B dose 1
   • Hepatitis B dose 2 given at least 30 days after dose 1
   • Hepatitis B dose 3 given at least 4 months after dose 2 
     OR
   • Hepatitis B series given according to the CDC Hepatitis accelerated schedule.
5. Varicella (Chicken Pox) dose 1 given after age one
6. Varicella (Chicken Pox) dose 2 given at least 30 days after Varicella dose 1
7. Tetanus-Diphtheria booster or Tdap vaccine given within the last 10 years as an adult
8. Meningococcal Vaccine (booster required if given before age 16) OR signed Waiver Request Form
9. Annual Tuberculin Skin(PPD) or Blood Test 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. Please do not complete the Health Physical Examination Form (including the PPD) prior to May 1, 2025.

These are common requirements for direct patient care at many healthcare facilities that provide clinical experiences for GW DPT 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 your health-related records 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. 

Instructions for Completing Health and Immunization Forms

You will be asked to complete the following items by Orientation in August (the program will forward instructions for completion):

Required Forms:

• Health Sciences Physical Examination Form
• Health Sciences Immunization Requirements Form
• Optional Meningococcal Waiver Form

Important Instructions for Completing Forms

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 healthcare 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.

Additional Requirement for Students under Age 26

Additional Pre-clinical and Program Requirements

In addition to providing the required documentation of immunizations via their myRecordTracker© account, GW DPT students are required to complete and upload copies of the related documentation for the following items to their myRecordTracker© account:

• Criminal Background Check completed via PTCAS
• Drug Screen completed via Certiphi Screening
• Proof of American Health Association BLS Certification for Healthcare Providers (copy of front and back of card)
• Proof of current personal health insurance coverage (copy of front and back of health insurance card)
• Proof of Annual Flu Vaccination

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

Criminal Background Check/Drug Screen

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 PTCAS third-party vendor, about completing the background check. We ask that students complete the background check process during the summer to minimize the chances of their background check expiring before the start of clinic.

Students have until July 31st, 2025, to complete the background check and drug screen. Over the summer, the program will provide account information and detailed instructions for completing the drug screen through Certiphi Screening’s Application Station website. Students may need to update their criminal background check and 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 DPT 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 DPT 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 DPT program will offer 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/HEARTORG 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.

The GW Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan and Proof of Coverage

All students enrolled in the DPT program are required to maintain adequate health insurance coverage that meets the University requirements throughout the duration of the program. Students are automatically enrolled in the GW Aetna Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) 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 GW Aetna Plan 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. 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 31 days of the “life event."

Additional details on the 2025-2026 GW Aetna Plan and waiver process will be forwarded to students over the summer when updated plan information becomes available. Additionally, proof of insurance (a copy of the back and front of your health insurance card) must be uploaded into your myRecordTracker© account by Orientation. 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. Please note that updated plan information becomes available (and will be forwarded to you) during the summer. If medical attention is required at any point during the program, costs incurred are the responsibility of the student, not the DPT 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 Physical 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.