Home > Departments >  Sports Medicine > 

Medical Clearance for Athletics

Quick Links

• Sports Medicine Main Page
• Staff Directory
• In the News
• Medical Clearance for Athletics
• Visiting AT Information
• Emergency Action Plan
• Health Services
• Dartmouth Athletics

Clearance information for incoming first year, transfer, and upperclass walk-on student-athletes:

The following information pertains to the Athletic Medical Clearance process for incoming first year, transfer, and upperclass walk-on student-athletes.  This process is sometimes confusing, so please read through this information carefully and completely.  It is your responsibility to complete this paperwork correctly and on time. 

Due by **JUNE 28, 2013** 
If the required paperwork is not received in full by June 28, 2013, your medical clearance for sports participation may be delayed.  This may result in your inability to participate in team activities upon your arrival to campus, including team testing and practices.  If you have a physical exam appointment scheduled with your home physician in August or September, it is ok to submit the forms after that appointment. The following items are required:

1.) Complete the Athletic History & Physical Exam for NCAA Intercollegiate Teams & Rugby form:

The full packet can be accessed here.

The form must be filled out COMPLETELY by your physician.  

• If there are any unanswered questions, your forms will not be accepted (both left and right arm blood pressures are required).
• The form must be signed by your physician.

2.) Satisfy the Sickle Cell Testing Requirements:

Per the NCAA, all student-athletes must do one of the following to comply with the NCAA.  More detailed instructions are included in the Athletic History & Physical Exam packet. 

• Provide test results of prior Sickle Cell Trait testing to the Health Service, or
• Get tested for Sickle Cell Trait and submit the test results to the Health Service (do not wait until you get to campus to get tested), or
• Sign a waiver form declining to be tested or declining to submit proof of prior testing for Sickle Cell Trait (waiver included in Athletic History & Physical Exam packet)

In accordance with the NCAA recommendation, we encourage all students to be tested for Sickle Cell Trait if they have not already been tested.  Knowing your Sickle Cell Trait status is helpful information for the Sports Medicine staff.

3.) Complete the Medical Exception ADD/ADHD form, and provide documentation for any Banned Prescription Medications (if applicable):

The NCAA bans performance enhancing drugs to protect student-athlete health and safety and ensure a level playing field, and it also recognizes that some of these substances may be legitimately used as medications to treat student-athletes with learning disabilities and other medical conditions. 

Accordingly, the NCAA allows exceptions to be made for those student-athletes with a documented medical history demonstrating the need for regular use of such a drug.

Exceptions may be granted for the following classes of banned drugs: stimulants, beta blockers, diuretics, anti-estrogens, anabolic agents, and peptide hormones. 

Student-athletes taking medications to treat ADD/ADHD will be particularly affected. The NCAA requires student-athletes taking stimulant medications for the treatment of ADD/ADHD to provide adequate documentation of diagnosis and treatment plan to qualify for a medical exception. Therefore, if you are taking any medications banned by the NCAA you MUST provide documentation from the treating physician, outlining in specific detail the diagnosis, treatment plan and medications, to the Dartmouth College Health Services PRIOR to participation in your chosen sport. Failure to comply with this requirement could keep you from participating in your sport for up to one year should you have a positive drug test, as a result of the NCAA’s Year Round Drug Testing Program.

A detailed explanation of who must complete this paperwork, and what is required can be found in the Athletic History & Physical Exam packet.  For more information on this NCAA requirement please visit the NCAA Health & Safety website.

If you are taking a banned prescription medication related to the treatment of ADHD/ADD you can download the form here (pdf) and have your treating physician complete it for you.

 

All completed forms must be received by the Health Service prior to June 28, 2013. 

The mailing address is:
     ATTN: Jessica Duffy
     HB 6143 
     Dartmouth College
     Hanover, NH 03755

Alternatively, scanned forms can be emailed to: medical.records@dartmouth.edu
Or, faxed to Jessica Duffy at: 603-646-9410.

 

**Please note that this clearance status is different from the requirements for the NCAA Clearinghouse.  You may follow this link to the Dartmouth Athletic Department Compliance website for more information on the NCAA Clearance. 

**It is also separate from the Pre-Matriculation medical clearance required of the College Health Service (including such items as immunization records and proof of insurance).  The above clearance paperwork is ONLY valid for your clearance to participate in Varsity Athletics at Dartmouth College.   For more information on Pre-Matriculation requirements, visit the College Health Service.

Clearance information for returning upperclassmen:

Each year the Dartmouth Sports Medicine Staff is responsible for updating each student-athlete's medical history in order for you to become eligible to participate in athletics, as is required by NCAA regulations.  The following instructions are for RETURNING upperclass student-athletes.

If you are a returning student-athlete and you did not have a physical exam prior to your first year at Dartmouth, you are required to do so!  Please contact Jessica Duffy, Administrative Assistant to Sports Medicine at the Dartmouth College Health Service (jessica.duffy@dartmouth.edu), if you are uncertain if you have an athletic physical on file.  If you are a transfer student or upperclass walk-on and you know you need an athletic physical, please go back to the top of this page and follow the instructions for transfer and walk-on student-athletes.

Due by **AUGUST 6, 2012**
If the required components are not complete by August 6, 2012, your medical clearance for sports participation will be delayed. This may result in your inability to participate in team activities upon your arrival to campus, including team testing and practices. The following two items are required:

1.) Complete our Online Medical History Questionnaire:

All returning Dartmouth student-athletes must complete the Online Questionnaire in order to be cleared to participate in your chosen sport.

To access the 2012-2013 Medical History Questionnaire:

1. Login to your Banner Page
2. Scroll Down to the Health Services link: "Health Services Online"
3. On the left side of the screen select: "Forms"
4. From the list of Forms select: "NCAA Sports Medicine Form for Returning Athletes"
5. Complete the questionnaire, being sure to answer all required questions, and where appropriate provide as much detail as possible regarding previous injuries or illnesses.
6. Once completed, click "Submit Final" at the bottom of the questionnaire.
7. You will get a message that the questionnaire has been successfully completed.

Reminders:

• The program in which our form was developed has not seemed to work well with Macintosh computers in the past. We think the problem has been corrected. However, to prevent problems with saving the questionnaires we suggest you complete the form using a PC, or a Mac operating in the Windows environment, which many of the newer Macs offer.
• Questions with a red asterisk (**) are required questions. You will not be able to save the questionnaire without answering each of these questions.
• You are able save your work before completing the entire form!
• Make sure you have all the information you need in order to complete the questionnaire, such as insurance company contact information, policy numbers, names of prescription medications, and dates of previous injuries or illnesses.

2.) Provide documentation for any Banned Prescription Medications you are taking (if applicable):

The NCAA bans performance enhancing drugs to protect student-athlete health and safety and ensure a level playing field, and it also recognizes that some of these substances may be legitimately used as medications to treat student-athletes with learning disabilities and other medical conditions.

Accordingly, the NCAA allows exceptions to be made for those student-athletes with a documented medical history demonstrating the need for regular use of such a drug.

Exceptions may be granted for the following classes of banned drugs: stimulants, beta blockers, diuretics, anti-estrogens, anabolic agents, and peptide hormones.

Student-athletes taking medications to treat ADD/ADHD will be particularly affected. The NCAA requires student-athletes taking stimulant medications for the treatment of ADD/ADHD to provide adequate documentation of diagnosis and treatment plan to qualify for a medical exception. Therefore, if you are taking any medications banned by the NCAA you MUST provide documentation from the treating physician, outlining in specific detail the diagnosis, treatment plan and medications, to the Dartmouth College Health Services prior to participation in your chosen sport. Failure to comply with this requirement could keep you from participating in your sport for up to one year should you have a positive drug test, as a result of the NCAA’s Year Round Drug Testing Program.

For more information on this NCAA requirement please visit the NCAA Health & Safety website.

If you are taking a banned prescription medication related to the treatment of ADHD/ADD you can download the form here (pdf) and have the treating physician complete it for you.

 

Please send any documentation to;
     ATTN: Jessica Duffy
     HB 6083 Alumni Hall
     Dartmouth College
     Hanover, NH 03755

Questions should be directed to;
     Jeff Frechette
     Head Athletic Trainer
     Dartmouth College
     Hanover, NH 03755
     jeff.frechette@dartmouth.edu