New Students
Welcome to Brown University!
Health Services is committed to the concept of wellness. We hope you view us as a wellness center as well as a place to come when you are ill. Think of your health care as an opportunity to keep your body well, and to increase your knowledge and awareness of how your body functions.
Your first interaction with Health Services will be the health requirements that you must meet as an incoming student which will begin our partnership in caring for your health while you are at Brown. Please be sure to take a few minutes to explore our entire website for information about our services and health education.
- Health Requirements Before Entering Brown
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Medical Form
- What to Bring to Campus
- Privacy Notice
- Contact Info
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
The deadline for submission is July 1, 2013.
If you have any questions about your medical forms, please refer to Frequently Asked Questions before contacting us.
Please review and submit the required information listed. Use the pre-addressed Health Services envelope included in your packet from the Admissions Office to submit all of your medical forms or return it to:
Brown University
Health Services
Box 1928
Providence, RI 02912
To expedite the processing of your information, we request that you send all of your forms together. To ensure receipt of your forms by our office, you must send the forms to Health Services directly and not to another department.
- Complete the Online Health History form, then return to this web page to complete steps # 2 - # 5.
All other forms are only accessible from this page.
The information on this form provides our staff with an overview of your health status and past medical history. This will allow us to provide you with the best care possible and to meet your health care needs. All medical information is strictly confidential, and cannot be released to anyone (including your parents, professors) without your authorization.
This form must be completed by the student only. It does not need to be completed nor reviewed by your medical provider. This form cannot be downloaded or printed. You will need to have your Brown user name and password to complete this form.
If you need to activate your Brown account, go to http://activate.brown.edu and follow the instructions provided on the site. You will need your Banner identification number in order to activate your electronic services. This number was assigned to you when you applied for admission to Brown. If you need additional assistance, please contact the Computing Accounts and Passwords Office at 401-863-4357. (Graduate students will be unable to activate their computer account until after June 5th. Please return to complete the online health history form after your Brown account is activated. You may proceed with steps # 2 and # 3 below.)
- Print the Brown Immunization Record and forward it to your medical provider for completion. We will also accept official immunization records from your provider, previous school or health department.
For students who previously attended Brown, print the Immunization Record, complete the demographic information and write the date of your graduation or separation from Brown on the form. Your previous immunization record will be reviewed and we will contact you if further information is required.
In order to attend Brown University, all students must comply with the State of Rhode Island immunization requirements.
- Print and complete the TB/Tuberculosis Screening Form. All students must answer the first 6 questions. Depending upon the answers, some students may be required to have a TB (PPD) skin test. (A TB test within the past 6 months is required for all incoming medical students.) If a test is not required,
return the form.
If a test is required or if you are an incoming medical student, have your provider complete the TB test and document the result on the form and return it.
If a test is required and you reside outside of the United States, return the form and call Health Services at 401-863-1330 upon arrival to schedule an appointment for the test. You must have this test done within 1 month of starting at Brown.
- If you intend to participate in intercollegiate athletics, print and complete the Supplemental Athletic Physical form.
This form is required before you may practice or participate in any intercollegiate sport (including Crew, Equestrian and Fencing). In compliance with NCAA regulations, we cannot clear a student to practice or participate in any team sport without a completed history and physical on file.
A screening test for Sickle Cell is also required. The results must be sent to Health Services along with the physical form.
Completion is recommended even if students do not anticipate participation in intercollegiate athletics.
- If you will not be 18 years old by August 15, 2013, please print and have your parent/guardian complete the Authorization to Treat a Minor form.
Contact Information
For questions:
Email nursing@brown.edu or call the nursing
staff at (401) 863-1330.
We look forward to seeing you!
State of Rhode Island Immunization Requirements
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine, two doses; one on or after 12 months of age and the second at least one month after the first dose (or two individual doses of the Measles and Mumps vaccines; one on or after 12 months of age and the second at least one month after the first dose and one individual dose of the Rubella vaccine on or after 12 months of age)
- Tetanus / Diphtheria (or Tdap) booster within the past 10 years. A Tdap vaccine within the past 10 years is required for all medical students.
- Hepatitis B vaccine - three doses (must have started the series with at least one dose - remaining doses may be completed with the Nursing Staff at Health Services)
- Varicella (chickenpox) - history of disease or vaccine, two doses
Brown University also strongly recommends that all incoming students, especially freshmen living in the residence halls, receive the meningococcal vaccine.
What to bring to campus
(click here for a coupon from our pharmacy)
- Prescription medications (with written prescription from your physician if possible)
- Over the counter medications: Tylenol, Advil, cold medications, vitamins, sunblock (Our pharmacy stocks many of these items, often at lower cost than the area stores; we can also bill the charges to your student account.)
- Thermometer
- Our Nursing staff is available to administer allergy injections. The allergy serum and written instructions must be provided by your physician. Allergy medication will be stored at Health Services for your convenience. All injections are given by appointment only.
- Please use FedEx or UPS Next Day (not USPS Express Mail) to send your allergy serum to:
Brown Health Services
Attention: 2nd Floor Nursing Station
13 Brown Street
Providence, RI 02906
Medical Advice
Once you arrive on campus, medical advice is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call (401-863-1330) anytime for questions or advice on what to do when you are feeling ill or have a health related question. Please visit our homepage for more information on all of our services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I cannot meet the July 1st deadline?
To ensure that your medical record is ready when you arrive on campus, we request that you make every effort to submit the online health form and mail the other required forms by July 1st. If you cannot complete the forms by this date, please complete them as soon as possible. We cannot begin processing your record until we receive the online health form, Brown Immunization Record and TB Screening Form (if applicable). All of these forms must also be submitted before we can clear you for participation in sports.
Do I need to notify Health Services that my forms will be late?
It is not necessary to notify us that your forms will be late, unless you expect it to be after 7/31/13.
We request that you submit forms after this date only in extreme circumstances. We want to ensure that your medical record is complete when you arrive on campus. If you cannot comply by 7/31/13, please notify nursing@brown.edu. Please note that students who do not submit the health forms will be charged a non-compliance fee of $100 and are subject to disciplinary action by the Office of Student Life or the Graduate School.
Where do I send the health forms?
Please send all the forms together in the preaddressed envelope contained in the packet from the Admissions Office. If you do not have this envelope, please mail the forms to:Brown Health Services, Box 1928, Providence, RI 02912.
(If sending via UPS, Fedex or DHL, please be sure to include our street address: 13 Brown Street.)
I am unable to locate my immunization records. What should I do?
If you cannot locate immunization records, you have several options:
a) You can be re-immunized, or
b) You can have a blood test to determine immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B or Varicella. Please note that if your blood test indicates you are not immune, you will need to be re-immunized.
If you do not have a record of Tetanus / Diphtheria, you will need to be re-immunized.
Can I have the immunizations I need at Health Services when I arrive on campus?
The required vaccines will need to be administered prior to your arrival on campus. Meningococcal vaccine is strongly recommended which we offer at Health Services.
Why is Health Services recommending the meningococcal vaccine?
Studies found students residing in dormitories appear to be at higher risk for meningococcal disease than college students overall. Further research released by the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in October of 1999 shows freshmen living in dormitories have a six times higher risk of meningococcal disease than college students overall. We strongly recommend that you receive the meningococcal vaccine prior to starting at Brown, but it is also available through Health Services. Additional recommendation information can be found on the American College Health Association website.
How does Health Services protect my privacy?
We respect the confidentiality of your health information, and it is our ongoing commitment to ensure that it is protected. For more information, our full confidentiality and privacy policies are available at Health Services and on our website.
Where can I find out more about Health Services?
Our website has information about hours of service, available services, associated costs, health education, the pharmacy, nursing services, EMS and emergency care and much more.