Dean's Office Communication on COVID-19 - 2020-09-18

Greetings MSUCOM students,

The college has decided to pause on-campus clinical skills instruction for the East Lansing campus in the OPC and OMM courses for a two-week period. This decision was based on an increase in the number of our students in East Lansing reporting symptoms, close contacts or a positive COVID-19 antigen test, as well as aligning the flow of lab experiences in the first- and second-year curriculum.

In addition, we ask that all of our East Lansing-based students who currently volunteer avoid engaging in any community work during this time. This pause will reduce the risk of further spread between students, faculty, staff and our community.

During this time, OMM and OPC facilities also will undergo additional cleaning measures as a precaution.

We would like to stress that we have no indication that there have been cases or exposures associated with on-campus course activities, and that this intervention is precautionary and preemptive. It is also limited to the East Lansing campus. All on-campus course sessions at DMC and Macomb will continue as scheduled.

Virtual townhalls with students will be scheduled next week to discuss and answer any questions many of you might have.

While our first priority is the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, our second priority is continuing progress for all students in our curriculum. Faculty are developing strategies for additional sessions so that you receive the planned educational content. As soon as these plans are finalized, they will be shared with all of you.

We also want to stress that COVID-19 remains a highly contagious infection and your diligence in following social distancing guidelines as outlined in MSU’s Community Compact is needed. We know these measures can be difficult to sustain and we urge you to do your part to help us maintain continuity in your medical education experience.

By participating in various surveillance strategies including the MSU early detection program, you also can assist the entire university to better navigate these situations.

Sincerely,

Andrea Amalfitano
Dean

Kirsten Waarala
Associate Dean for Medical Education

Katherine Ruger
Associate Dean of Admissions and Student Life