$2,973 Medical Insurance Charge
As a student, it is a university requirement that you are insured in a medical insurance plan. ALL UConn Health students are automatically be charged for the university-sponsored Wellfleet/Cigna medical insurance plan. The cost of the coverage, for the full plan year (August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025) is $2,973.
All of your program/tuition/charges/fees will be billed via the UConn student administration system. You should have already received an email notification that your fall 2024 e-bill is available to view. You will not receive a printed/mailed fee bill. The $2,973 student insurance charge will be one of the charges posted on your fall 2024 term fee bill.
You do have the option to choose an alternative medical insurance plan – other than the university-sponsored Wellfleet/Cigna plan. If you choose to be covered by another insurance plan (including a parent’s insurance plan), you MUST complete an online insurance waiver to have the $2,973 insurance charge removed from your fall 2024 fee bill.
If you are considering enrollment in the Wellfleet/Cigna plan and the additional dental coverage, you can find an explanation of the plan benefits/coverage in the attached 2024-2025 Medical Coverage Highlights and Dental Plan Flyer.
The online waiver to decline the Wellfleet/Cigna plan is accessed via the student administration system using your NetID. You can find the instructions on how to complete the waiver on the Waive UConn Health Insurance page. The online waiver is available until the deadline of September 15, 2024. If you have other alternative medical coverage and do not want to be enrolled in the Wellfleet/Cigna plan – you MUST complete an online waiver prior to the September 15, 2024 deadline. Failure to complete an online waiver will result in your enrollment in the plan, and you will NOT be eligible for a refund of the $2,973 premium.
If you have questions related to the plan, benefits, or waiver process, please contact the University of Connecticut Insurance Coordinator Tara Schlagenhauf at tara.schlagenhauf@uconn.edu, 860-486-9239, or Kathy Aldrich at kathy.aldrich@uconn.edu, 860-486-4535.
CLIC SURVEY
Welcome to the UConn School of Medicine Clinical Immersion in the Community (CLIC) Program!
Beginning in mid-September and spanning three years, you will spend half a day per week with one of our community physician faculty members in their practice. The UConn CLIC Program aims to expose you to patients in a continuity setting and enable you to gradually take on more responsibility in patient care as your skills and knowledge progress. This program is a cornerstone of our medical school curriculum, offering students the opportunity to express their preferences for site placements. While we strive to accommodate these preferences, we may not always be able to match students with their top choices due to scheduling and availability constraints. To assist us in the placement process, please complete a brief questionnaire available via the link below by Friday, July 19.
In late July, our office will reach out to arrange mandatory in-person or virtual sessions to meet you and answer any questions you may have about the CLIC Program.
If you have any questions, please contact the CLIC Program directly at UConnSOMCLIC@uchc.edu
Take the Survey – CLASS OF 2028
LAUNCH BOOK DISCUSSION
One of the assignments that should be completed prior to Launch is the reading for the book discussion. The book selected for this year’s orientation is Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century (2011) by Dorothy Roberts. You can find the book as described below.
Please be prepared to discuss the assigned chapters on August 16, 8 a.m. The educational team at UConn chose this book because it both addresses commonly held misconceptions about “race” and because it will serve as an important foundation for later sessions in Stage 1 of the curriculum.
Our choice of the book and instructions for discussion are adapted from a summer curriculum originally developed at University of Washington School of Medicine.
Objectives:
By the end of the summer reading program and small group discussions, incoming medical and dental students will be able to:
- Describe why race is considered a social construct and is not a biological risk factor for disease.
- Describe classification error and the impact it can have on study results and clinical practice.
- Distinguish how race has been used and misused in medical and dental education, scientific research, and clinical care.
- Describe how racism contributes to health inequities.
- Describe some interventions that can be utilized to address the effects of racism in medicine and inequities. We ask that you come ready for a respectful and thoughtful discussion of a topic that is central to understanding health care and health inequities in the twenty-first century.
Assigned readings:
- Chapters 1, 4, and 6.
- Chapter 1 is in Part I of the book: Believing in Race in the Genomic Age
- Chapters 4 & 6 are in Part II of the book: The New Racial Science
- There will be additional journal articles assigned for discussion at this session. You will be able to find those articles along with the full syllabus for the session on HuskyCT, our online curriculum system, using the login and NetID described below.
How to access Fatal Invention:
- E-Book in UConn Health library*: you will need both your UConn Health login (to get into the library) and your NetID and password if it is asked for. Library e-book
*Caution: Only one person can access the e-book at a time. Good times to try include early in the morning.
- Any local library might have a physical or e-copy.
- Buy a paperback, available on Amazon from ~$12.00-$16.00 per copy.
- Probably the easiest way for many is buying Fatal Invention as a Kindle e-book.** The Kindle version costs ~$13.00 on Amazon today. (Amazon) The Kindle version allows you to highlight and take notes on the text, as you would on a physical copy.
**Note: Users do NOT need to own a Kindle device. Kindle has an app that works on smartphones, tablets, and both PCs and Macs (Free Kindle apps). The app is free. You can add the “audible” version and listen to the assignment for an additional ~ $3-$8.
PARKING PERMITS
Please complete the parking form below and email it to parking.transportation@uchc.edu with “Student Parking – first name last name” in the subject line.
- Form is due by 5 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, July 16
- Under category, check SOM 1st year
- Leave payment type and payroll deduction sections blank
- Even if you are not parking on campus, you still need to complete the form and check off the decline box!
EMAIL ACCOUNTS
New student network accounts have been created! Please use the UConn Health information in the list below to log in to http://itowa.uchc.edu. You will be prompted to change your temporary password.
The initial password is set to First Initial First Name Uppercased + First Initial Last Name Lowercase + DOB (formatted YYYYMMDD). For example, John Doe with DOB 12/31/1999 would have an initial password of Jd19991231. You must enter leading zeros. For example, if John Doe were born on May 6, 1989, it would be: Jd19890506
After you change your temporary password, you can access your UConn Health email by visiting http://itowa.uchc.edu with your new password. As a student, it is your responsibility to check this account on a daily basis.
You will also see your uconn.edu “Storrs” email account on the list. You will need this information during Launch for when you use Office 360. All emails sent to your uconn.edu email will be automatically forwarded to your uchc.edu account.
WELLNESS CENTER
As a student, you will have a free membership to the Wellness Center, as well as access to free wellness classes. Located in LM034 (around the corner from the Financial Aid Office), you will have 24/7 badge access. For questions, email the Wellness Center at wellnesscenter@uchc.edu. In order to gain access, register for the Wellness Center and click submit. After you submit your registration, your student ID badge will be activated and you will be able to swipe it for access to the Center.
FINAL TRANSCRIPTS
We require final transcripts from anyone who received a bachelor’s degree in the Fall of 2023 or Spring of 2024. If this applies to you, you should have already received an email from Antonella Pagani with the request to send us your final official transcript showing the degree granted. 0 If you finished your undergraduate degree in Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 and did not receive an email from Antonella regarding your final transcripts, please email her immediately atadmissions@uchc.edu.
PREPARE FOR LAUNCH
Preparatory materials for Orientation/Launch have been posted on HuskyCT. Instructions on how to access these materials are below. You can expect that a significant amount of preparation will be required for a number of sessions during this period.
While formal grades will not be issued during the Launch period, there will be a practice examination in the final week of Launch. Those passing this examination will be exempted from completing one or more major graded homework assignments in VITAL 1.1 Block A (in September-October) as well as released from two mandatory review sessions also held in September. This material will also be included in the LEAP A examination in November.
Please Note: You will need to check back prior to the start of Launch as some syllabi and preparatory materials will be added in an ongoing basis until the Launch begins.
HuskyCT is our curricular management system, and it is where you will find information on your courses and assignments. The navigation toolbar on the left is identical for all courses. You will need your NetID in order to log into HuskyCT at lms.uconn.edu.
Schedule & Required Preparation: The schedule for Orientation/Launch has not been finalized yet. However, below is a list of all of the sessions that have required preparatory assignments IN ADVANCE of the session. You can find the preparation for the August 15 and August 16 sessions by following the instructions below after logging into HuskyCT. Click on Courses in the left menu, click on EXPL-8000-SEC001-BSCI-9000-SEC001-003-1248 (Launch):
- Launch > Curricular Materials (on left) > AITS Introduction > Syllabus. Required ReALM Materials lists the required preparation assignments.
- Launch > Curricular Materials (on left) > TBL and How to Succeed > Syllabus. Required ReALM Materials lists the required preparation assignments.
- Launch > Curricular Materials (on left) > Delivery of Clinical Care (DoCC) Pre-Sessions/Clinical Skills & Simulation Activities > DoCC 1 (or 2, 3) > Syllabus. The Recommended ReALMS in these syllabi are the required preparation for the sessions. Launch Session with required prep assignments
INTRO TO CURRICULAR SOFTWARE SYSTEMS
Please watch the video below regarding navigation of HuskyCT and Oasis in advance of the start of Launch. This information will be helpful as you prepare for your advance assignments.
*Note: The schedules in Oasis are not yet complete! While you will have some down time during your Launch schedule, you should still plan on being at the Health Center all-day for each day of Launch.
MATRICULATING STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) surveys all medical students in the U.S. three times during their educational career – once at matriculation, once during the second year, and once at graduation. You have been receiving an email from the AAMC regarding the matriculating student questionnaire (MSQ) with your personalized survey link, but very few of you have completed the survey. This survey is very important to the School of Medicine, as the data helps us to assess our program and be better prepared to meet student needs, as well as being a critical factor with our national accreditation reviews. Please take the time to complete the MSQ, and if you can’t locate the email (it may have ended up in your spam filter), please contact MSQ@aamc.org so they can re-send.
WHAT TO BRING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL
- Students need to purchase this textbook which they need for LAUNCH, as well as for DoCC A-E: Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking (13th ed.)
- Be prepared with plenty of professional clothing (not suits, but business casual).
- You may want to purchase a cheap pair of scrubs for Anatomy Lab.
- During orientation, you will be given a laptop to keep (included in tuition/fees), parking pass for the year, a stethoscope (a generous gift from the Alumni Association), a membership to the Wellness Center, and spacious locker.
- Bring a combination lock to use on your assigned locker.
- Your portrait will be taken on the first day or Orientation, so look sharp (professional dress)!
WHAT TO WEAR
Most of the Orientation/Launch requires you to be in professional dress. Suits are not necessary, but business casual is considered professional. Professional dress is required on the 15th (photos will be taken) and for the White Coat Ceremony on the 23rd. In addition, professional dress is expected on any day that your schedule shows DoCC or Clinical Skills, and that is most days. We are waiting for the schedule to be finalized, and will post it as soon as it’s ready.
COACHING ASSIGNMENT
Write a brief biography to introduce yourself to your coaches and coaching group. Feel free to include your interests and hobbies, as well as anything you are looking forward to about your medical school journey. The introductory discussion thread can be found in HuskyCT, in the Launch Course, in the Meet Your Coach folder. Find your name on the coaching group list there and respond in the corresponding group thread before August 26.
FORMS TO COMPLETE
There are two forms below that you need to fill out, sign, and upload in OASIS by 12:00 noon on Wednesday, August 14.
- Photo release form – We will be taking pictures during orientation and other times during the year, and would like your permission to use them for our website and brochures.
- Academic Policies and Procedures Attestation – Please review the Academic Policies and Procedures manual (APP) and make yourself familiar with its contents.
To upload these forms into OASIS: Log into OASIS. Your username is your UConn Health email address and password is the same as your UConn Health information. The instructions for OASIS are also attached.
Photo Release Form
APP Attestation
OASIS Upload Instructions
**You will also need to sign the Honor Code Attestation directly in OASIS. Directions to do this are below.
- In order to complete the Honor Code Attestation, enter OASIS in the 24/25 Academic Year.
- Click the Academic History link under Announcements, and navigate to the General Student Information tab.
- You’ll need to scroll to the bottom to the navigate to the “Honor Code Attestation” section
- Be sure that it says “Edit Off” in the top right corner.
- Read the Honor Code and initial next in the box at the bottom of the page to initial , click save at the bottom of it, or it won’t upload.
FAMILY & PARENT SESSION AUGUST 23
We will host an in-person parent and family session on Friday, August 23 at 9 a.m. with Drs. Katz and Regan. Each student is allowed to bring a maximum of two guests to this session. The session will be immediately followed by the White Coat Ceremony. Remember that a link to the live stream of the ceremony will be provided for you to share with family and friends who are not able to attend, and the ceremony will be recorded in case anyone wants to watch at a later time.
ARRIVAL & PARKING ON AUGUST 15
When you arrive on Thursday, August 15, you will park in Garage 1, entering on Level 6 (the gate will be open for you). You can refer to the student parking map & there will be signs directing you as well. Enter the campus on Farmington Avenue. At the rotary go straight up the hill, then bear left. You will see Garage 1 on the left. Enter and exit Garage 1 at the Level 6 rooftop entrance. You can park on levels 4, 5, or 6. You will receive your parking permit in your orientation bag, and after August 15, your parking hang tag needs to be on your rearview mirror. You will need to swipe your student ID card to exit the garage on Thursday, as well as entering the parking garage after August 15. You should always enter Garage 1 at Level 6 to avoid impacting patient traffic.
You will be contacted by your orientation group leader regarding the time your group will be meeting on Thursday, August 15. Everyone will meet their groups on the sidewalk just outside of the Level 6 entrance to Garage 1, and you will walk up to the University Tower as a group.
LAUNCH/ORIENTATION SCHEDULE
The schedule for Launch/Orientation is final and will be posted to the Launch page in HuskyCT. You will also get a paper copy on Thursday. Please note that many of the sessions are rotations, so your own personal schedule will be different from the next person. You should consult OASIS for your own personal schedule. If you see a room or time discrepancy between the paper copy and OASIS, please follow your OASIS schedule. Prompt attendance at all of the activities are required, except for the optional social events (August 13, August 17, August 20, August 25, and August 28).
COVID CONCERS OR SYMPTOMS
If you have any respiratory symptoms:
- If you feel well enough, you may come to class masked (N95 or KN95) and should strongly consider home testing for COVID.
- If you test positive for COVID, call the COVID Call Center (860-679-3199) for instructions and notify Dr. Katz at mkatz@uchc.edu and Dr. Manger at manger@uchc.edu.
- If your symptoms constitute the need to stay home, your absence will be excused, but please notify the above leadership as well.
More information to come on…
New Student Orientation
Summer Assignments
White Coat Ordering
…and more!