TO: E23 students and students entering clerkships in Spring Quarter 2025
RE: Respiratory Protection Program Requirements (including online training, medical clearance, and respirator fit test)
NOTE: This is from an email sent Oct. 22, 2024, to all E23 students who are entering Patient Care Phase (PCP) clerkships in Spring Quarter 2025. E23 MSTP students are required to complete the medical clearance requirement at this time but are exempt from the N95 online training and in-person fit testing.
All MS2 students must complete the UW School of Medicine’s respiratory barrier protection program, including online training, medical clearance, and respirator fit testing to ensure student and patient safety in clinical settings, including those associated with clerkships, clinical electives, service-learning opportunities, etc. Students are responsible for all expenses related to compliance with this requirement, and students on financial aid may request an adjustment to their aid budget to cover the costs.
Students may be required to wear a respirator for tasks such as entering isolation rooms and other activities involving close contact with potentially infected persons. These are part of standard practices for infection control as recommended by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Washing State Hospital Association. These standard practices also help meet the School of Medicine’s obligations for clinical onboarding and credentialing under its WWAMI clinical affiliate agreements, UW Administrative Policy Statement 10.4, and UW Respiratory Protection Program.
The actual in-person N95 respirator fit test cannot take place until after completing the online training and medical clearance process (i.e., no sooner than 11/8/24 and no later than 12/6/24). The Compliance Office will send you a separate email about the fit testing requirement at a later date.
Below are the two (2) components for respirator protection program that you need to complete no later than 11/08/24.
- Complete the 3M Medical Questionnaire by 11/08/2024 via the following link (required for E23 MSTP students):
**Note: If you have a disability accommodation through UW DRS which may preclude or otherwise effect your ability to wear an N95 respirator, please reply to this email with your request.
**Note: A student may request via email an accommodation to the respirator fit testing and use requirements under this policy for sincerely held faith community / religious beliefs, including dress and grooming. A student will not be prohibited from maintaining their faith community / religious practices under this policy unless doing so would “pose an undue hardship” on maintaining safety in the clinical environment as determined by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
This website will ask students to enter their first name, last name, and employee ID (please enter your UW STUDENT ID in this field)
- The questionnaire will be reviewed by a 3M healthcare professional to make sure you are medically cleared to wear an N95 respirator.
- A nurse may contact you with follow-up questions via email or over the phone; you must respond in order to be cleared and compliant.
- 3M will provide you with your medical clearance letter. Save this letter so you can print it and bring it to your in-person N95 fit test.
- For E23 students, who are registered for Autumn Quarter a course fee for this requirement was included in your tuition. There will be no out of pocket expense for this.
- 3M will provide the SOM with a copy of your clearance letter. We will upload this to Evalue. It will be valid for 5 years.
- Complete the N95 Filtering Facepiece Training Online by 11/08/2024 (not required for E23 MSTP students):https://uw.bridgeapp.com/learner/courses/2c863f8f/enroll – No fee is required.
The first module of this course introduces respirators, covering hazard evaluation, respirator selection, and the UW Respirator Protection Program. The second module focuses on N95 filtering facepiece respirators, detailing their use, design, limitations, and the importance of fit testing. You’ll also learn how to properly don, seal check, and remove an N95 respirator.
- The course will begin after you click Enroll. The course should take less than 30 minutes, but you can quit and resume if needed.
- In the N95 module of the course, there is a slide (pictured below) with a button for Healthcare Workers / Med Students. Students should click this to view the extra healthcare-specific slides they need.
- Keep a copy for your records. After completing the course, it should appear on your EH&S training record the following business day. You can access EH&S training records and print/save certificates of completion by going to the Track Training Progress page, opening the Report by Individual, and entering your UW NetID.
- Alternatively, you can immediately download a completion certificate from your My Learning page in Bridge. Hover over the course, click Details, then click View Certificate.
- The Compliance Office can access these records, so you do not need to send us a copy.
- Sign up for or arrange for respirator fit testing between Nov 8 – Dec 6 – more information to follow (not required for E23 MSTP students)
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- Important: When attending the in person fit testing, you must provide a copy of your medical clearance, provided by 3M after you complete the questionnaire.
- In-person fit testing clinics will be available at the Moscow Foundations campus. Fit testing clinics may be offered in Seattle and Bozeman, but the dates for these are still TBD. Price for fit testing will depend on the vendor but our goal is to make the price less expensive then visiting an outside vendor.
- If you are unable to make one of the in-person fit testing clinics at a regional campus or there is not one available in your region, you will need to schedule an appointment with an outside vendor. The Compliance Office will be provided a list of outside vendors who may conduct fit testing. Price for fit testing will depend on the vendor (usually $65-95). DO NOT pay extra for the medical clearance since you have already completed this.
- No exception will be made for an exemption to the clean-shaven requirement for N95 respirator fit testing that is not based on a medical, religious, or disability-related accommodation. You do not need to maintain a clean-shaven face at all times, but you must be fit tested and then know that respirator will fit you should you choose to shave again within the year.
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You will receive further details on fit testing clinics and vendors at a later date.
Please direct any questions to lbellis@uw.edu.