Current Students

Welcome CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Students

This page is for continuing students at the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. Check back often for the most up-to-date information and resources for our current CHSU-COM medical students.

Background Check and Drug Screening

CHSU-COM must authorize accepted students with Certiphi so that the background check and drug screen processes can be initiated. Once a student is authorized, Certiphi will send an email to the student indicating that each of these authorizations (which are separate) has been completed.

Please note: The initial fee for the background check is a deposit. The fee will vary between individuals (e.g. if you have 10 aliases it will cost more than if you have only used one name all your life). Once the background check is complete the remainder of the deposit will be returned.

The drug screen fee pertains to one visit to Quest and the processing of one sample. If, for whatever reason, your sample turns out to be inadequate, you will have to pay for a second screen.

PLEASE NOTE: CHSU expects students to follow Federal Law with respect to drug usage (i.e. NOT the laws of their legal state of residence and NOT California law).

Career Counseling

CHSU-COM provides students with a comprehensive career and residency match advising support that is designed to assist in reaching professional goals. In collaboration with academic advisors and the Office of Clinical Education, students are provided with opportunities for group workshops as well as individualized preparation sessions for career advancement.

CHSU-COM acknowledges the value of a four- year career planning process and strives to provide medical students with the information, resources and experiences that will best equip them for a successful transition from medical school to residency training; and the realization of a successful career in medicine.

A career and residency match counselor is available to assist students in making decisions throughout their medical school trajectory; by providing guidance in developing a curriculum vita, exploring career opportunities, selecting a specialty, providing students with tips and advice to prepare for a successful and effective residency training interview. In addition, CHSU-COM extends complimentary subscriptions to various tools that may assist students in the development of their interests in strategically choosing a medical specialty.

Contact the Career and Residency Match Counselor, Nohemi Barriga, PsyD to schedule an appointment.

Fatigue Mitigation Program

Students participate in learning events relating to the impact of sleep deprivation and fatigue, and are exposed to strategies to better manage and mitigate their effects.

A student’s duty/learning schedule during OMS-III and OMS-IV will be dependent upon their clerkship assignment. Students should seek clarification of their schedule as needed to ensure that they may optimize the clinical experience.

Assigned clinical duties, rounds, and on-site educational programs are considered part of the student’s overall assigned hours. Activities such as independent study, reading for assignments, and preparing for shelf examinations are not and should not be included in a tally of assigned hours.

Students are assigned to no more than 80 hours per week, averaged over a 4-week period, and have at least one day off in every seven-day period or two consecutive days off in every fourteen-day period.

Students are expected to self-monitor their assigned hours. If a student believes that he or she is being asked to exceed these duty hours during any clerkship, he or she must immediately consult the Clinical Education Department.

COM Student Fatigue Mitigation Programming:

COM OMS-I Orientation Week	“Sleep Deprivation and Fatigue – Strategies to Manage”	COM Student Affairs/Counseling Staff
COM OMS-II Orientation Days	“Importance of Sleep on Physical Health – Strategies for Board Prep While Maintaining Sleep”	COM Student Affairs/Counseling Staff
COM OMS-II during EPA 1 Course	“Fatigue Mitigation Training for Clerkships”	Clinical Education Department Staff
COM OMS-III during EPA 2 Course	“Patient Care and Fatigue – How to Self-Regulate”	Clinical Education Department Staff
COM OMS-IV during EPA 3 Course	“Fatigue Mitigation in Residency: Techniques/Tips”	GME Department Staff

Get to Know the Fresno/Clovis Area

The Central Valley is home to nearly 1.88 million acres of the world’s most productive farmland and boasts a multitude of recreational, educational, and commerce opportunities that make it a great place to live. Fresno is the fifth largest city in California and is a metropolitan hub for the Central Valley, centered between three national parks (Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia). The Fresno Yosemite International Airport is the regional airport for the Central Valley, providing more than 100 daily flights to more than 25 cities.

Clovis is known as the “Gateway to the Sierras” and offers shopping, museums, restaurants and art galleries in the quaint Old Town Clovis area, where CHSU is located. CHSU students enjoy the unique combination of high quality of life, affordable cost of living by California standards, and plentiful career opportunities in health care that the Valley provides.

Unique benefits of the Central Valley include:

Three nearby National Parks (Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia)
Local farmers markets
Family-friendly fun at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, the Clovis Rodeo, or the Big Fresno Fair
Local art at ArtHop on historic Fulton Street in Downtown Fresno
Shopping at our River Park Shopping Center, Fashion Fair Mall, or Fig Garden Village
Local sports teams like the Fresno State Bulldogs, Fresno Grizzlies baseball, or Fresno Football Club “Los Zoros”

Here are a few resources that can help you explore our area:

Fresno/Clovis Convention and Visitor’s Bureau

Learn more about the region and the lifestyle of our community. Discover all that Fresno County has to offer families and individuals alike!

Old Town Clovis

Check out the events happening in Clovis!

Downtown Fresno Partnership

Check out the events happening in Fresno!

Clovis Rodeo

Learn more about this longstanding community event that has become tradition in our region for the past century.

Plan It Fresno

A guide to events happening in the Central Valley.

Mental Health and Wellness

Announcing CHSU WellConnect – a mental health service for students

CHSU has purchased WellConnect, a confidential mental health service for students. The service is now available; there is no cost to students to use the WellConnect service. Individual counseling by licensed professionals is available 24/7. Students have access to a therapist by phone, message, chat, or video.

The WellConnect website features information and assistance with:

Relationships
Emotional well-being
Addiction
Wellness assessments and screening
Legal and financial resources
Suicide prevention
Other health and wellness topics

Referrals to local mental health, financial, legal, housing, and childcare resources are also available.

How to reach WellConnect:

Access Code: CHSU-STU
Student Support Line: 866-640-4777
WellConnectForYou.com

All contact with WellConnect is completely confidential. Our mission is to fully support the personal, social, and emotional well-being of CHSU students. You will need the CHSU access code every time you call or use the website.

Contact your Office of Student Affairs with questions or for additional information.

Office of the Registrar

California Health Sciences University’s Office of the Registrar is responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the University’s official student records and safeguards the privacy and security of those records in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

We support CHSU students, alumni, faculty and staff by:

- Maintaining academic records and ensuring student data privacy standards are met
- Creating student course creation and registration in the student management system
- Processing student grades and grade changes
- Preparing transcripts and diplomas
- Completing degree audits to ensure students meet graduation requirements
- Supporting commencement planning
- Supporting students with professional & licensing documentation
- Maintaining the University Catalog, Academic Calendar and course schedules
- Maintaining curricular compliance
- Maintaining policies and procedures concerning student enrollment and academic record management

Visit the Office of the Registrar

Quick Links

Catalog (2020-2021)

Faculty and Staff

Simulation Center

Scholarship, Student Loans, and Financial Aid

For any questions regarding scholarships, student loans, or other financial aid, please contact our Financial Aid department or visit our CHSU-COM Financial Aid page. Please note that we are using Certiphi™ screening services to collect and verify social security numbers; for more information please see the “Background Check, Drug Screen and Required Immunizations” tab below.

CHSU-COM Financial Aid

CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Financial Aid Presentation:

Student Health Insurance

California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine requires all students to maintain an acceptable health insurance policy. Students must provide proof of insurance coverage each year throughout enrollment in the program. For the 2020/2021 school year California Health Sciences University (CHSU) will be implementing a new Student Insurance Waiver/Enrollment Process through HSA Consulting, Inc. (HSAC), our Student Insurance Plan Administrator. HSAC will be processing your insurance enrollment and waiver submissions through an online process in the new CHSU Insurance Plan Portal.

The Open Enrollment and Waiver Period for the 2020/2021 CHSU Student Health Insurance Plan has closed. Once enrolled or waived, your status can not change during the policy year unless you have a loss of coverage because of a Qualifying Life Event and need to enroll in the student plan. If you are enrolled in the student plan you will remain enrolled for the entire policy year. Insurance premiums will also be billed to your student account by semesters as determined by CHSU.

CHSU Student Health Insurance Website

Here you will find all the information for the CHSU Student Insurance Plan, Enrollment and Waiver Process, and essential documents for the insurance plan.

HSAC will be your source for all insurance related questions, enrollment requests, waiver submissions and approvals, assistance with your insurance if you are enrolled in the CHSU student insurance plan including ID cards, coverage questions, claims issues, checking for provider networks.

CHSU Student Health Insurance Website

CHSU Student Health Insurance Plan Provider

The 2020/2021 CHSU Student Health Insurance Plan will continue to be offered by United Healthcare Student Resources (UHCSR).

Questions Regarding Student Health Insurance?

Please feel free to contact Apryl Cowher or Karin Swanson at HSA Consulting, Inc. (888-978-8355) or email chsu@hsac.com with any questions regarding the waiver/enrollment process or the CHSU Student Health Insurance plan.

Student Government Association

Matthew Lansman
President

Samantha Phillips
Vice President

William Kim
Treasurer

Natalie Pardo
Secretary

Student Organizations

Please contact the Office of Student Affairs:

Tom Thao, COM Student Affairs Program Manager, tthao@chsu.edu, (559) 712-4170
Dr. Susan Ely, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Admission, sely@chsu.edu, (559) 712-4200

Student Liaisons:

Class of 2024 Student Liaison Focus Group for Academic Year 2020-2021:

Mia Hirsh (Academic Representative)
Jon Schulze (Academic Representative)
Saloni Patel
Seaver Stoll
Sarah Holzman

COM Current Students

Get to Know the Fresno/Clovis Area