Coronavirus (COVID-19) information

Updated Jan. 15, 2020, 9:30 a.m.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) is committed to the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff. This Health and Safety Plan provides details on strategies developed to safely reopen our Medical Sciences Building (MSB) located at 525 Pine Street, Scranton, Pa., and return students to in-person learning using a phased approach.

Click here for our complete Health and Safety Plan for the reopening of the MSB.

• Strict social distancing will be maintained (keep a distance of six feet from colleagues and students).
• Frequent hand washing will be encouraged.
• Face coverings/masks will be required.
• A rigorous screening process will be observed. Everyone who wishes to enter the MSB must take Geisinger's screening survey. To gain entrance, you need to show your phone with the green check mark from the screening survey. If you access the link via your phone, you can save it to your home page. Employees will need their Lawson number to take the survey. If you do not know your Lawson number, you can find it on the Geisinger employee portal page under the Info/Lawson tab. Students and visitors do not need a Lawson number to complete the survey.
• Temperatures will be taken as you enter the building. 

GCSOM event and food guidelines

Offered previously by our pandemic safety officer and director of special events

Geisinger’s policy restricting gatherings to 25 people or fewer remains in effect. For practical purposes, this means our school environment will look much like it did in the fall. Some classes and learning will take place in person and student club meetings will be allowed provided the number of persons in attendance is fewer than 25 and masking and social distancing are observed.

The School of Medicine will adhere to these event and food guidelines until further notice.

General event guidelines:

1. A group may include no more than 25 individuals/participants at any time.
2. All attendees must complete the COVID-19 survey questions upon entry and will have their temperature taken.
3. Hand sanitizer must be available for all participants.
4. Social distancing signage must be clearly visible.
5. Extra masks must be available for those who do not have them.
6. Sanitizer wipes must be used to sanitize all pens, materials, etc.

Food guidelines:

1. Serving food at student events will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Please submit an event ticket describing what is needed. The preference is for food options to be grab-and-go.
2. Per recent guidelines from Geisinger, faculty, staff and students may eat in following locations:
   • Private offices
   • Designated break rooms/kitchen areas (maintain social distancing)
   • Four east lounge (maintain social distancing)
   • Four west lounge (maintain social distancing)
   • Lobby (maintain social distancing)
   • Café (maintain social distancing)
   • Team rooms: Students are permitted to eat in the team rooms, however, please admit no more than three students to each team room when eating. Students must be seated at separate desks/tables and maintain social distancing. Students are to self-monitor this guideline.
   • Outside spaces (maintain social distancing)

There are also additional guidelines that may apply depending on the event. Contact Kara Badyrka, director of special events, at kbadyrka@som.geisinger.edu with any questions.

CARES Act

GCSOM medical students

Visiting students

Visiting students can contact Stacey Fenstermacher, clerkship coordinator, at sefenstermacher@geisinger.edu or 570-271-6697 or Megan Longenberger, medical education coordinator, at mrlongenberger@geisinger.edu or 570-271-8121 for information. 

MD admissions

Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) admissions

Residencies and fellowships

Prospective residents and fellows can check individual program pages or contact individual programs for COVID-19-related updates.