7-11 Post-Admission Substance Abuse- College of Medicine

• Effective date of this revision: July 1, 2016
• Contact for more information:  Office of Medical Education

PURPOSE

The Central Michigan University College of Medicine is committed to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of its students, staff, and patients. To carry out this commitment, the medical school seeks to assure that a drug-free workplace is maintained and that students perform their duties unimpaired by the effects of alcohol and controlled substances (including but not limited to cannabis).

A critical part of medical education involves learning experience in hospital and other health care facilities. Use of these facilities in training is essential, and students must be able to complete their assigned rotations. Many hospital and health care facilities have policies requiring substance use policies. Facilities that provide instruction to the College of Medicine students rely on the College to conduct the testing prior to placing students in their facilities.

POLICY

The College of Medicine shall require substance abuse testing of any or all students at any time, including testing of students by affiliates, as a condition of participation with the affiliate and continued enrollment in the College of Medicine.

PROCEDURE

Individual students may be tested for substances or alcohol at any time based upon a reasonable cause as determined solely by the College including but not limited to:

• Any concern about student conduct that is consistent with alcohol or substance use.
• Any concern about student academic performance, including but not limited to a failing grade in any course/clerkship.
• Administrative evaluation such as when any student returns from a leave of absence or extended rotation away from the College.
• Information provided to and deemed credible by the College by other students, faculty, or staff, or obtained by the College such as police reports.
• Any student who self-reports a concern or problem that is consistent with alcohol or substance use.

Students shall be notified of the required testing for controlled substances. Students who test positive on the initial test may request a second test using the same specimen.

Students who refuse to be tested will be considered to have a positive result for the tests.

Any students whose initial and second test results are positive (either through an actual test or refusal to undergo a test) and who do not have a prescription for the substance for which they have tested positive, are in violation of this policy, will be referred to the Substance Use Review Committee (SURC), a subcommittee of the Student Performance and Conduct Committee (SPCC). Notwithstanding the forgoing, initial and second positive test results for cannabis will constitute a violation of this policy, as such possession and use continues to be a violation of federal law. This committee will review the report and allow the student an opportunity to address the results. The student will have an opportunity to provide written documentation to respond to the report.

If the SURC finds the documentation meets an unacceptable level of severity, the students will be referred to the College of Medicine SPCC for treatment options or for possible dismissal. In the case of dismissal, the College of Medicine shall follow the established University policies and procedures.

The College of Medicine recognizes that medical students may bring with them, or develop, alcohol or other psychoactive drug use patterns and behaviors that may be diagnosed as abuse or dependence. The College of Medicine is committed to a program that will assist impaired students in regaining their health while protecting the well-being of patients as well as classmates, faculty, staff, and residents.

Educational programs and resources information will be posted and made available through the Office of Student affairs. CMU and community resources include, but are not limited to, University Health Services, CMU Counseling Office, and Addiction Solutions.

Students with any specific concerns are encouraged to meet with the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. Discussions will be confidential and, depending on the circumstance, efforts will be made to assist the student with continuation of their schooling.

Central Michigan University reserves the right to make exceptions to, modify or eliminate this policy and or its content. This document supersedes all previous policies, procedures or guidelines relative to this subject.