Background Check Policy

PURPOSE
To inform students of the requirements for background checks and potential consequences of results arising from background check findings

AUDIENCE
All medical students

LCME STANDARD
6.2 Required Clinical Experiences

POLICY

DEFINITIONS

  • Background check: an investigation into an individual's history that encompasses these elements:
    • Seven-year criminal court history
    • Address verification
    • Sex offender database search
    • Two names verification (current legal and one other name [AKA[)
    • Three county check of records
    • Search of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General database of excluded persons
    • Social security number verification
  • Clinical Affiliate: Institutions providing inpatient medical care that have formal agreements with a medical school to provide clinical experiences for the education of its medical students

Admission Background Check

  1. Background checks are administered by Certiphi Screening, Inc. or another background check provider designated by the School at the time of admission offer acceptance; results are submitted to the Office of Admissions.
  2. Admitted students are required to immediately report (within 72 hours) all changes in their criminal record which occur from the time of conditional acceptance to matriculation. 
  3. Failure to report any change in status will result in referral to the Admissions Committee and may lead to a rescinded admission.

Post-Matriculation Background Checks

  1. Criminal background checks and/or drug testing may be required by clinical affiliates of the UC Davis School of Medicine (the School); post-matriculation background checks are submitted to the Office of Medical Education.
  2. Additional requirements such as fingerprinting may be required by a clinical affiliate site.
  3. Students are required to immediately report (within 72 hours) all changes in their criminal record to the Associate Dean for Students.
  4. Failure to report any change in status will result in a referral to the Vice Dean of the School of Medicine and/or the Chair of the Committee on Student Promotions and may lead to disciplinary action up to dismissal.
  5. Background checks that include discovery of criminal activity may result in the inability of the student to rotate through various affiliate sites, delayed graduation, suspension and/or dismissal at the discretion of the Committee on Student Promotion.
  6. The School can provide attestation of a confirmed successful background completion to clinical affiliate sites.
  7. Additional background checks may be required for longitudinal clinical experiences, clerkship rotations, and away rotations if identified as an onboarding requirement of outside institutions or if a break in enrollment occurs.

PROCEDURE

  1. The fees incurred while obtaining a background check and any additional tests post-matriculation for a required course will be covered by the School.
  2. Elective courses that require background checks, etc., which incur fees, are the sole responsibility of the student. 
  3. Students must authorize release of the results of the background check to the School and its clinical affiliates.
  4. If there is any information in the report that the clinical facility determines disqualifies the student from participating, the student will be responsible for obtaining the necessary documents to correct/explain the information. If the issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of the clinical facility, an alternate clinical experience will be determined by the Associate Dean for Students, the Clerkship Directors, and curriculum management. Determination made as part of this process may result in a deferment or delayed graduation. 

RESPONSIBILITY
Office of Medical Education
Office of Admissions

REFERENCES
UC Davis Health Human Resources

RELATED POLICY/POLICIES
Compliance Policy

POLICY OWNER
Office of Medical Education

REVIEWED BY
Admissions Committee
Committee on Student Promotions
Office of Medical Education*

REVIEWED DATE and REVIEW CYCLE
June 2024; 3-year cycle

* Indicates the Policy Owner