Students enrolled in the MPH, MSPH (ENH IHY concentration only), and DrPH programs must consent to and complete a criminal background check prior to starting their internship or practicum. Students will be restricted from enrolling in the courses associated with the internship/practicum until the background check is completed; failure to complete the internship/practicum in a timely manner will be considered “failure to progress” and may result in dismissal from the program.
The UAB School of Public Health is working with the third-party vendor, CastleBranch.com, to complete criminal background checks for students in the programs listed above. The cost of the background check is $45.75, which is payable by the student to CastleBranch directly.
Completing the Order for Your Background Check
- Download the student’s background check consent form.
- Students sign and return the consent form to Kelley Swatzell in the SOPH Office of Student and Academic Services at ksw@uab.edu.
- Download the CastleBranch.com instruction sheet.
- Go to the CastleBranch website at mycb.castlebranch.com.
- In the Place Order box at the top right corner of the page, enter the package code IQ40oig.
- Please review the instructions and then click in the checkbox to continue.
- Follow the online instructions to enter all requested information to complete your order.
- If you are not a US citizen and therefore do not have a Social Security Number, please enter 111-11-1111 to proceed with your order.
- Enter your payment information. The cost of the background check is $45.75.
- Students will receive an order confirmation email with directions on how to log in to the MyCB CastleBranch account to check the status of their order.
- Students will receive alerts in the CastleBranch dashboard if additional information is needed.
What Type of Information is Searched by CastleBranch.com?
- County Criminal Records
- Nationwide Sexual Offender Index
- Nationwide Healthcare Fraud and Abuse
- Nationwide Patriot Act
- Social Security Alert
- Residency History
What if I have Questions or Problems?
- If you have general questions about completing the CastleBranch Background Check order, please visit their help page.
- For assistance with the Background Check, please contact CastleBranch’s Customer Service at (888) 723-4263.
Your results will be posted directly to your CastleBranch profile account. You will be notified if there is any missing information needed in order to process your order. The school’s administrator will also securely view your results online with their unique username and password. If you have any additional questions, please contact the Service Desk at (888) 723-4263 or visit the website to submit your question.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about background check waivers as of July 25, 2022.
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Are Medical Students exempt from the background check?
No, MPH students are required to complete an internship.
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If an international student completes his/her degree outside the US (including the completion of the internship) are they exempt from the background check?
Yes, international students completing their program outside the US are exempt from the background check requirement.
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Are UAB employees (part-time and full-time) exempt from the background check?
Yes, UAB employees are exempt from the background check. Student employees are not exempt.
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If a student completes their internship at their place of employment, can they be waived from completing the SOPH background check?
No, unless you are a UAB employee, you are not exempt from the background check.
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Are students who complete their internship remotely exempt from the background check?
No, students who complete their internship remotely are not exempt from the background check.
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Are students in the coordinated programs required to complete a background check If they have already completed one for another program (i.e., Social Work, or Physical Therapy)?
No. If a student in a coordinated degree program has completed a background check for their practicum or internship for that program, they are not required to complete the SOPH background check.
They will need to provide proof of completion of the background check.
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If the student does not pass the background check, what happens?
It was decided that failure to pass the background check will not keep a student from receiving admissions or completing an internship and/or degree.
- If asked by the organization (internship site), the student would need to make the background check report available. Only the student can disclose an offense listed on the report to the organization.
- If the student cannot clear up the offense, it will limit the number of internships available to the student. Nevertheless, it will be up to the organization to determine if they will select the student for that intern.