Dr. Leslie Parent, vice dean for research and graduate studies; Dr. Terry Wolpaw, vice dean for educational affairs; Dr. Charles Lang, associate dean for graduate studies; and Dr. Neal Thomas, associate dean for clinical research, updated faculty, staff and students on Aug. 21 about the College of Medicine’s continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Exposure protocols
If you think you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or have symptoms yourself, please do not come on campus. Instead, follow this protocol:
- Medical, physician assistant and graduate students: Call Student Health at 717-531-5998.
- Student Health will provide screening and schedule a COVID screening test as needed with a short turnaround time. While awaiting results, please quarantine and alert any roommates and other close contacts.
- Postdoctoral fellows and employees: Call Employee Health at 717-531-4208.
Research update
Laboratory staff, postdoctoral fellows and students who are COVID-positive: To assure transparency in reporting and facilitate contact tracing, it is the responsibility of lab supervisors to report suspected or documented cases of COVID infection in their research group to Dr. Chuck Lang (chl1@psu.edu) and Ray Scheetz (BioSafetyOfficer@pennstatehealth.psu.edu). Confidentially of health information will be maintained. Lab supervisors should report any postdoctoral fellow with COVID symptoms or positive test results to Dr. Gail Thomas (gthomas4@pennstatehealth.psu.edu). Failure to report persons under investigation will be viewed as a serious violation of biosafety protocols and may result in closure of the lab.
Safety precautions in labs: A reminder to guard against complacency in maintaining safety precautions in lab. It is critical for everyone in lab to wear a type 1 procedure mask (no cloth masks) and maintain at least 6 feet of physical distance between workers. This keeps everyone safe and will minimize viral spread if someone in the lab becomes infected. Even if you are the only person in lab, please wear a mask to prevent possible contamination. Failure of individuals or groups to follow safety guidance may have their lab activities reduced preemptively for noncompliance.
Comparative Medicine and Animal Resources Program: We are currently approving and processing animal orders to complete existing work, resume work that was stopped during the reduction, and imports and exports that had been on hold. Orders for starting new projects involving animals will continue to be prioritized during phase 3 with priority given to time-sensitive work. Those seeking approval for animal orders should contact Dr. Ron Wilson (rwilson2@pennstatehealth.psu.edu). We appreciate research staff utilizing the Outlook calendars to schedule their work in the animal facilities.
Education update
Graduate Education: We are excited to welcome our new graduate students to the College of Medicine. Welcome Week and orientation started on Monday, Aug. 17, and proceeded without any major technical issues. Classes of first-year students start Monday, Aug. 24. Please remember to wear your mask while on campus and give yourself a bit of extra time to check in and find your instructional room.
Medical education: All four classes of medical students are now back in Hershey and fully involved in hybrid classes and clinical rotations. This week, the first-year students completed their third week of Scientific Principles of Medicine, their first foundational science course and continued Health Systems Science and Medical Humanities. They also continued the Foundations of Patient-Centered Care, their longitudinal clinical medicine course. Second-year MD students are in their gastrointestinal medicine, health systems science and medical ethics and professionalism courses. In-person anatomy dissection sessions, adhering to all carefully planned safety measures, have gone well.
On Aug. 14, each of the four College of Medicine medical societies held meetings with the first-year students and panels of peers in Years 2, 3 and 4. They came together to discuss safe actions on- and off-campus that can still help create the learning community we value.
Physician assistant (PA) program: First-year PA students begin their two-week intensive History and Physical Examination hybrid course on Aug.24. Second-year PA students continue their clinical rotations throughout the Penn State Health system. All students are completing rotations throughout the Penn State Health system. Their final week of this rotation closes with their Call-Back Day Aug. 21.
Undergraduates on campus: Given the limited capacity within our research facilities, the need to maintain physical distancing and the updates we’ve included in our laboratory standard operating procedures, undergraduate and high school students are currently not permitted to have an on-campus research experience. We are prioritizing resources and capacity in labs for our graduate and medical student research endeavors. Remote internships are encouraged throughout the summer months.
Flu shots: In the coming weeks, you will receive emails about free flu shots being offered to faculty, staff and students. Unless there is an overriding medical reason, we strongly recommend that ALL students be vaccinated against the flu in September. Doing so will help prevent our COVID testing capabilities from being overwhelmed by those with flu symptoms.
Additional news and information
Reminder: University Fitness Center moved to next phase of capacity on Monday, Aug. 17
On Aug. 17, the University Fitness Center (UFC) moved to the next level in capacity by allowing spouses and family members to also use the facilities. Hershey campus employees and their family members as well as students are eligible to return during phase 2. The center will maintain the current hours of operation, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit times are restricted to a maximum of 75 minutes. For additional information, please visit the UFC website.
Harrell Health Sciences Library open with limited capacity
The Harrell Health Sciences Library at the College of Medicine is open to faculty, staff and students. It is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed on weekends until further notice. In this first phase, the library will restrict its capacity to 50% and implement new safety precautions.