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Student Assistance

Student Outbreak/exposure Management Plan (StOMP)

During your medical training, you may become exposed to COVID-19 while on a placement or within the community. Should this occur, the MD Program has a protocol in place to ensure your utmost safety. The Student Outbreak/exposure Management Plan (StOMP) will guide your navigation of this scenario and mitigate its potential impact on your medical training. 

Exposed to COVID-19? 

If you receive a notification that you have been exposed to COVID-19 while on a placement or within the community, please do the following as soon as possible:  

  1. Submit an Outbreak/exposure Notification Form (for Years 1-2 Students or Years 3-4 Students) to md.outbreak@utoronto.ca with your name in the subject line and include the details regarding your exposure, including details about current and upcoming rotations, using the Notification Form template. 
  2. Contact Occupational Health at the outbreak hospital. Review the “Occupational Health Checklist” listed below for more information as you prepare for this call. 
    • If you do not know the contact information of your site’s Occupational Health, please reach out to your Academy's Medical Education Office for assistance. 
    • If you are currently placed at a community office, contact Occupational Health at your Academy. 
  3. Follow Instructions from StOMP: Upon submitting an Outbreak/exposure Notification Form, you will receive an autoreply email with instructions for immediate, detailed next steps. 

If you are experiencing feelings of distress or would like to talk to someone in confidence, please know that personal counsellors at the Office of Health Professions Student Affairs (OHPSA) are available to provide support. To book an appointment, click here. 

What To Expect Next 

The following steps include instructions from the autoreply email received after submitting an Outbreak/exposure Notification Form. 

  1. Positive COVID-19 Test: In the event of a positive COVID-19 test, contact the University’s Occupational Health Nurse at ehs.occhealth@utoronto.ca for instructions. 
  2. Contact Occupational Health at the Next Placement Site: Notify Occupational Health at your next placement of your exposure and receive instructions about next steps. Do not attend your placement until you have occupation health guidance from the receiving site. 
  3. Meet with an MD Program Leader: You will receive an email invitation from a designated MD Program leader to discuss your next steps, including your curriculum plans.
  4. Keep the MD Program Updated: Please share all updates from Occupational Health Divisions, including your return plan and date, with md.outbreak@utoronto.ca. 

StOMP: A Student's Journey

If you have been exposed to COVID-19 while on core rotation or elective placement, the diagram below outlines what you can expect to occur in upcoming days as the MD Program works with you to ensure your safety and identify an updated curriculum plan for you. 

student_outbreak_management_plan_students_journey

Click here to download the PDF of the diagram.

Occupational Health Checklist

When contacting Occupational Health about a potential COVID-19 exposure, please be prepared to share the following information (if requested):

  1. Contact Information: Your name, program, rotation/elective placement and best contact number
  2. Symptoms: Any symptoms compatible with COVID-19 (e.g. timing of onset, symptoms present, etc.)
  3. Information About the Exposure: Amount of time spent on the outbreak unit, specific dates spent on unit and what you did on that ward
    • If possible, please inform the Occupational Health about the patients you have seen, what you did at the bedside (e.g. history and/or exam) and what precautions were in-place aside from universal mask/face shield (e.g. nothing vs. contact or droplet precautions).  
  4. PPE Breaches: Were there any breaches in PPE on that ward or elsewhere? 
  5. Breaks: Did you break or eat in the same room as others while unmasked?  
  6. Other Potential Exposures to COVID-19: Did you have other potential COVID-19 contacts outside of the officially declared outbreak? (e.g. spent time with someone with respiratory symptoms/fever, ate indoors at a restaurant, etc.) 

Have More Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at md.outbreak@utoronto.ca.