Mask Fitting for College of Medicine – Tucson Students
Second-year College of Medicine – Tucson student Emerald Montgomery is fitted with an N95 mask. This test involves bitters being sprayed on and around the hood to determine if Montgomery’s equipment is properly fitted.
Students pursuing a medical degree at the College of Medicine – Tucson are fitted annually with medical-grade personal protective gear, such as N95 masks and powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR hoods), before entering the clinical environment. During this year’s spring fitting, student-volunteers assisted their peers with mask-fit testing, allowing them to get hands-on experience, learn more about occupational health and earn CUP hours, which count towards CUP program credit and additionally a distinction track certificate. A total of 120 students were fitted for masks.
College of Medicine – Tucson Senior Program Coordinators Travis Garner, Jennifer Yelich and Hildi Williams spearheaded the mask fit-testing processes, policies and provision of supplies. Williams is the coordinator for the student-led Commitment to Underserved People (CUP) program, which brought medical students into the mask-fit testing process, training them to ensure protective equipment properly fits users. Additionally, the team at UArizona Occupational Health including Timothy Gustafson and Dr. Harry McDermott (CUP COM Mask Fit Testing Program advisor), provided advice, time and guidance, training students to do mask fit-testing and assisting the students with testing.
How COVID-19 changed the clinical experience
In March 2020, in response to the pandemic, students were taken out of their clinical experiences until June 1, when first- and second-year students resumed patient encounters at the bedside. Program facilitators at the College of Medicine – Tucson worked closely with clinical partners to confirm criteria for students to return to the clinical environment.
Second-year UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson students check in for their N95 mask fitting inside the Health Sciences Innovation Building. The students will soon begin clinical rotations in hospitals, possibly working directly with COVID-19 patients.
Items on a table used for N95 mask fitting.
Students helping students: First and second year College of Medicine – Tucson students volunteer through the CUP Program to help with N95 mask fitting for the second-year medical students.
Bitters are used during the fitting in what is called the “sensitivity check.” If a student can taste them while wearing an N95 mask under the hood, the equipment is not properly fitted and must be further adjusted.
Bitters are sprayed directly into second-year College of Medicine – Tucson student Emerald Montgomery’s hooded mask. Her reaction shows that she is able to taste the bitters. Testers will know her equipment is properly fitted once she is no longer able to taste them.
College of Medicine – Tucson student Emerald Montgomery begins a task while wearing the hooded mask with the N95. Afterward, bitters will again be sprayed into the hooded mask. If she can taste them, the equipment is no longer properly fitted.
First-year College of Medicine – Tucson student Ahmed Al-Shamari sprays bitters into second-year medical student Waheed Asif’s hooded mask so he can identify their taste during subsequent tests in full protective equipment.
First-year College of Medicine – Tucson student Ahmed Al-Shamari checks second-year student Waheed Asif’s N95 mask to ensure it has a good seal.
Second-year College of Medicine – Tucson student Waheed Asif wears an N95 mask under the hood, breathing normally to check for the taste of bitters. Then he will take deep breaths.
Second-year College of Medicine – Tucson student Alexandre Cavalcante adjusts his N95 mask as student-volunteer Billy Evans watches.
Bitters are sprayed directly toward College of Medicine – Tucson second-year student Sanga Shir, who is decked out in a hooded mask and N95 respirator.
First-year College of Medicine – Tucson student Billy Evans observes second-year student Alexandre Cavalcante reading a passage as part of the fitting exercises.
College of Medicine – Tucson students during different phases of their N95 mask fittings.
Under the watchful eye of student-volunteer Billy Evans, second-year College of Medicine – Tucson student Alexandre Cavalcante bends over while wearing a hood and his N95 mask. This is one of seven exercises the students must do during the mask-fit test.