{"id":4922,"date":"2020-08-27T17:32:51","date_gmt":"2020-08-27T21:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/?page_id=4922"},"modified":"2025-11-18T13:58:26","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T18:58:26","slug":"student-orientation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/student-resources\/student-orientation\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Orientation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the Physician Assistant Studies Program! We look forward to having you in Chapel Hill. Below are initial steps to take as you prepare to begin the program.<\/p>\n<div role=\"tablist\" class=\"panel-group accordion-blue oscitas-bootstrap-container\" id=\"unc-accordion-0\">\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-0\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-0\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-0\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-0\">\n                Getting Started            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-0\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<h3 class=\" oscitas-bootstrap-container\" > <span class=\" fa fa-unlock\" style=\"color:#4b9cd3;\"><\/span> ONYEN (Only Name You\u2019ll Ever Need)<\/h3>\n<p>Create an\u00a0<u><a href=\"http:\/\/its.unc.edu\/services\/onyen-services\/\">ONYEN<\/a>\u00a0<\/u>if you haven\u2019t already done so. You will need this to access your student portal including information about registration, financial aid and billing.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\" oscitas-bootstrap-container\" > <span class=\" fa fa-envelope-o\" style=\"color:#4b9cd3;\"><\/span> UNC Email<\/h3>\n<p>Once you have created an Onyen and Onyen password, you need to manually signup for the email service by visiting the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/selfservice.unc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Email Self Service Tool (selfservice.unc.edu)<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/selfservice.unc.edu\/\">.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For more information, visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/admissions.unc.edu\/set-unc-email\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How do I get a UNC e-mail account?<\/a>\u00a0or contact the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/help.unc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ITS Help Desk<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNC School of Medicine Email<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is important for our students to create an @med.unc.edu email account to correspond with faculty, staff, peers, and preceptors due to the added layers of protection and HIPAA compliance measures for communications throughout the School of Medicine. Please wait 24-48 hours after creation of your UNC email before beginning this step.<\/p>\n<p>The School of Medicine email account will provide a secure server for email exchange. <strong><em>This will be your primary email address and used for all correspondence upon matriculation<\/em>. <\/strong><em>Additionally, many software and system components are tied to this email, therefore it is important to accurately establish your SOM email address<\/em><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/482\/2021\/11\/MED.UNC_.EDU_Email_Account_Creation_Instructions.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@med.unc.edu Email Account Instructions<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Upon creation of your @med.unc.edu email account, please email the program, <a href=\"mailto:paprogram@unc.edu\">paprogram@unc.edu<\/a>, using your SOM email account.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-1\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-1\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-1\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-1\">\n                On-Boarding Checklist            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-1\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\nAll new students will need to create an account with a third party platform, Exxat, and complete on-boarding tasks prior to orientation. An invitation will be sent to UNC med email addresses to create an account and sign in. Instructions for completion of these tasks will be provided in Exxat.<\/p>\n<p>Tasks include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>BLS certification<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Students must maintain current BLS certification throughout the pre-clinical phase of the program (January &#8211; December of the matriculating year). Refresher courses including BLS, ACLS and PALS are scheduled during clinical phase orientation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Background Check<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Urine Drug Screen<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>A urine drug screen is required prior to matriculation to the program and prior to start of clinical rotations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Immunizations<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Documentation of required immunizations is a standard for all healthcare professionals, including physician assistants. Students at the UNC School of Medicine are required to meet immunization requirements set forth by the state of North Carolina. Additional requirements are established by the UNC School of Medicine, UNC Healthcare System, and the CDC:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/campushealth.unc.edu\/services\/immunizations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NC required immunization information<\/a> and\u00a0UNC Health Science student immunization information <a href=\"https:\/\/campushealth.unc.edu\/services\/immunizations\/health-science-students-immunizations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UNC Health Science student immunization information<\/a> . Of note, UNC Health no longer mandates employees or matriculated students complete a COVID-19 vaccination series, however, individual clinical sites may require for rotations. Please email the program with any questions or concerns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Health Insurance<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>All students enrolled in the UNC system colleges and universities, including UNC-Chapel Hill, are required to have health insurance coverage. The UNC System endorses a\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/studentbluenc.com\/#\/uncch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cost-effective Student Health Insurance Plan<\/a>\u00a0to cover most health care expenses not covered by the Campus Health Fee.\n<ul>\n<li>A completed, verified and accepted WAIVER is required each semester if you do not wish to participate in the UNC System-Wide Student Health Insurance Plan.<\/li>\n<li>To waive or enroll visit the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/studentbluenc.com\/#\/uncch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blue Cross Blue Shield Student Blue website for UNC Chapel Hill<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>For more information call 1-888-351-8283 or email:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcbsnc.com\/content\/studentblue\/uncch\/index.htm?page=contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">email@studentbluenc.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>You will be automatically enrolled and billed for the UNC System-Wide Student Health Insurance plan unless you submit a waiver to show that you have an alternate health insurance plan. Please visit the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/campushealth.unc.edu\/charges-insurance\/mandatory-student-health-insurance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Campus Health Services website\u00a0for information on the waiver process<\/a>. <\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Verification of health care coverage is required by the program.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Student Handbook Acknowledgement<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>School of Medicine Training<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Code of Conduct<\/li>\n<li>Honor Code<\/li>\n<li>Plagiarism<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class = \"alert alert-info  oscitas-bootstrap-container\"><h3 class=\" oscitas-bootstrap-container\" >Students not in compliance by the provided deadline may forfeit their seat. Please email paprogram@unc.edu if you have any questions regarding any requirements.<\/h3><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-2\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-2\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-2\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-2\">\n                Preparing for Orientation            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-2\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<h3 class=\" oscitas-bootstrap-container\" > <span class=\" glyphicon glyphicon-credit-card\" style=\"color:#4b9cd3;\"><\/span> OneCard<\/h3>\n<p>Obtain your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/onecard.unc.edu\/\">OneCard<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>ONE cards can only be created after registration for courses<\/li>\n<li>You must submit your photo for your OneCard to be printed. Please follow\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/csgold.onecard.unc.edu\/\">this link<\/a>\u00a0to upload your photo.<\/li>\n<li>You will be given further instructions about card pickup and distribution at Orientation. Please do not contact the OneCard office about picking up your card.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Note:<\/strong>\u00a0You must have DUO set up to submit your photo and sign the electronic agreement (see DUO instructions in OneCard photo link). If you do not sign the agreement, you\u00a0<u>will not<\/u>\u00a0be issued a OneCard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\" oscitas-bootstrap-container\" > <span class=\" glyphicon glyphicon-map-marker\" style=\"color:#4b9cd3;\"><\/span> Residency<\/h3>\n<p>Return to your supplemental application portal to view\u00a0your residency status for tuition purposes. If you have an \u201cundetermined\u201d or \u201cnon-resident\u201d status, you will be charged out-of-state tuition.<\/p>\n<p>Students who wish to be considered for in-state tuition benefits will need to complete the Residency Determination Service (RDS) interview process (for initial requests, reconsideration requests, and appeals).\u00a0Please visit your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/connectcarolina.unc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ConnectCarolina StudentCenter<\/a>\u00a0and click the NC Residency Reconsideration or Appeal link under the Personal Information tab. Once you complete the RDS process you must enter your Residency Certification Number (RCN) in your StudentCenter.<\/p>\n<p>To access RDS directly, please visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ncresidency.cfnc.org\/residencyInfo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>ncresidency.org<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\" oscitas-bootstrap-container\" > <span class=\" fa fa-institution\" style=\"color:#4b9cd3;\"><\/span> Review Policies and Procedures<\/h3>\n<p>As part of the Department of Health Sciences, it is essential for you to be familiar with the required policies of the department and resources available to you as a student. Please visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/students\/resources\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Student Resources<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/students\/policies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Student Policies<\/a> pages\u00a0and review the material and links provided.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\" oscitas-bootstrap-container\" > <span class=\" fa fa-shopping-cart\" style=\"color:#4b9cd3;\"><\/span> Supplies<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Purchase Textbooks<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A list of required and recommended textbooks can be found at the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/guides.lib.unc.edu\/c.php?g=110823&amp;p=5025675\">UNC Health Sciences Library<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Textbooks are available at the UNC Student Stores beginning in December and many are available in an electronic format for <b>free<\/b> through the Health Sciences Library.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Purchase Items for Patient Assessment Course<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stethoscope<\/li>\n<li>Reflex Hammer<\/li>\n<li>Tuning Fork (Frequency 256 or 512)<\/li>\n<li>Diagnostic Kit (Otoscope, Ophthalmoscope)<\/li>\n<li>BP Cuff (Adult size)<\/li>\n<li>Medical Tape Measure<\/li>\n<li>Handheld Eye Chart<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The estimated cost of supplies can range from $300-$750, depending on brand purchased. Please reach out to the program with any questions regarding minimum requirements.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Computer Purchase and Requirements<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Decide if you will purchase a laptop through\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/cci.unc.edu\/new-students\/laptops\/\">Carolina Computing Initiative<\/a>\u00a0(CCI) or bring your own device.<\/li>\n<li>Please see the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/md\/computing\/laptop-info\">Computer Requirements<\/a> for information about purchasing a CCI Computer versus bringing your own device. Several devices on the market are not compatible with UNC systems (i.e. Chromebook)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-3\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-3\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-3\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-3\">\n                Arriving on Campus            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-3\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<h3 class=\" oscitas-bootstrap-container\" > <span class=\" glyphicon glyphicon-home\" style=\"color:#4b9cd3;\"><\/span> Life in Chapel Hill<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/housing.unc.edu\/live\/explore-the-halls\/graduate-and-family-housing\/\">Baity Hill Community for Graduate\/Professional Students and Families<\/a>: Live on campus! Combining the distinct advantages and freedom of apartment living with the robust culture of the Carolina campus, Baity Hill offers the best of both worlds.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/offcampushousing.unc.edu\/\">Off-Campus Housing &amp; Community Living<\/a>: Check out local rental listings around Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and find roommates to offset housing costs<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/registrar.unc.edu\/academic-services\/residency\/\">UNC Registrar: Residency<\/a>: Review important information from the Registrar\u2019s Office on the steps that you need to take if you wish to apply for in-state resident status (which is necessary for in-state resident tuition)\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/gradschool.unc.edu\/studentlife\/resources\/residency\">Residency Requirements<\/a>: Review guidance from The Graduate School, which includes information on deadlines and workshops, as well as details on actions to be taken at least 12 months in advance of residency applications, including: NC driver\u2019s license\/state ID, NC vehicle registration, NC voter registration, NC state income tax filing, and establishment of financial independence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncahec.net\/student-services\/student-housing\/\">AHEC Housing<\/a>: Housing opportunities for medical students while at distant clinical experiences<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.youcanvote.org\/\">You Can Vote<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcovotes.com\/voters\/registration\">Voter Registration: Durham County<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ocvote.com\/registration\/\">Voter Registration: Orange County<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wakegov.com\/elections\/voters\/Pages\/register.aspx\">Voter Registration: Wake County<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the Physician Assistant Studies Program! We look forward to having you in Chapel Hill. Below are initial steps to take as you prepare to begin the program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42438,"featured_media":0,"parent":7034,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-4922","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"_links_to":[],"_links_to_target":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4922","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42438"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4922"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4922\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7036,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4922\/revisions\/7036"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}