Where I visit student health four times for one little TB skin test.

One of the last things on my shopping list is to complete my required vaccinations for admittance.  For most incoming students, I imagine this is a simple matter of asking their mom for a copy of their childhood shots.

I called the local clinic where I got my shots as a small child,  (Lookie there!  It's still standing!)  and they informed me that the stone tablets that once bore my vital information were ground into ashtray sand sometime in the 20th century.

On to the backup plan.  This involved piecing together titer and shot records spread across several institutions and about 2.5 decades or 1/4 of a hundred years.  

In order to enter med school you need: (you can skip to the end of this paragraph, it's pretty boring)


Chicken Pox (Varicella): Documentation of two immunizations or a positive Varicella titer.
Hepatitis B: Documentation of three immunizations & a positive Hepatitis B surface antibody titer to show immunity.
If your titer is negative you must repeat the series and titer within the next 2 semesters.
Polio: Documentation of last date of series.
Measles/Mumps/Rubella : Documentation of receiving two MMRs or positive titers.
Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis: Students should have received a vaccination with Tdap.
If Tdap has not been previously administered to the student, an interval of 2 years since the last TD booster
is suggested.
Tuberculosis (TB skin testing):
Documentation of a 2-step PPD which must be administered at least 7 days apart or a negative
QuanteFERON gold within the 6 months prior to registration or documentation of treatment if tested
positive.
All students are required to have
documented proof of a yearly influenza immunization
before December 1.

So after  extensive efforts, excessive mileage and many levels of voice-mail hell, today was the day appointed to take my final TB skin test.

08:30 am - Not here yet.
11:00 am - Meeting!
02:00 pm - Try after four please? (starting to wonder if I should take this personally)
04:30 pm - Finally.

(TB bacilli)