Visiting Students

Thank you for your interest in rotating at at the University of Michigan! We are committed to providing the best possible experience for our visiting students. Learn more about opportunities and requirements below.

Group of doctors in white coat looking on as one doctor holds an instrument up to a patient's face
Resources
Contact Us
U-M Medical School Visiting Student Program
Who Is Eligible?

Our VMSP is not available to individuals who have already received an MD degree.

UMMS offers clinical electives to visiting medical students who are in their final year and attending either:

  • A U.S. medical school that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

 Or:

UMMS VMSP

  • Accepts applications through the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) Domestic Network
  • Runs May-April (elective rotation blocks offered vary per elective)
  • Offers clinical electives to visiting medical students in their final year of medical student education
  • Is not available to individuals who have already received an MD degree

International Students

We are committed to providing the best possible experience for our visiting students. Because space is limited, UMMS generally hosts international students only from partner institutions where we have active exchange agreements. If you're attending an international (non-U.S.) medical school, please visit the Global REACH website to determine your eligibility.

Health Equity Visiting Clerkship

Michigan Medicine’s Office for Health Equity & Inclusion sponsors a 4-week Health Equity Visiting Student Clerkship. The aim is to promote the development of medical student’s interest in health equity and inclusion work. Learn more about the Health Equity Visiting Clerkship.

U.S. Medical Students

To be considered eligible for a clinical elective, a U.S. medical school student MUST:

  • Be in their final year of medical studies
  • Be in good academic and professional standing
  • Have completed 48 weeks of required rotations in the same medical school where they completed their basic science (M1 and M2) training
  • Meet requirements and prerequisites of the requested elective(s)
  • Apply using the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO); no applications are accepted outside of AAMC VSLO
  • Application documentation required:
    • Pre-decision documents (must be submitted when you submit your application):
      • Curriculum Vitae/Resume
      • Personal Statement
      • Transcript (must be an inventory of the medical school courses medical students have taken towards their degree and the grades they have received from the start of medical school to the present.)
      • Supplemental Document – With this requirement, you can upload any additional information you would like to share with the department. If there is no additional information you would like to share, then you will have to upload a blank document
    • The following are considered application requirements but occur after an applicant accepts an offer made by a UMMS department and is managed outside of the AAMC VSLO application. Instructions for submission will be provided after an offer is accepted via confirmation email from the UMMS VSLO Specialist. You will have one week to provide the information below, or a confirmed offer could be revoked.
      • AAMC Standardized Immunization Form (completed), please follow the instructions on the form, making sure all required documentation has been added or attached
      • Photo
      • $125.00 UMMS processing fee (non-refundable)

Application Details

See UMMS Visiting Student Program Application Requirements

Application Timeline

2023-2024 Electives Catalog Published in AAMC VSLO (GY2024). For students graduating from medical school in 2024:

  • Will close on January 29, 2024. This will be the last day that applications will be accepted for the 2023-2024 cycle

2024-2025 Electives Catalog Published in AAMC VSLO (GY2025). For students graduating from medical school in 2025:

  • Will be available for viewing their VSLO electives beginning January 2, 2024
  • Will begin accepting applications on February 1, 2024
  • Application Deadline:  45 days prior to the start of the rotation

Applications Processed:  Applications are reviewed for eligibility in the order they are received. Once eligibility is determined, the individual departments review their applications and determine availability in the elective. UMMS students are scheduled into the various department electives, and the departments must balance the number of learners at the clinical sites including the core clerkship students. It is a delicate balance the departments strive to achieve to allow for an optimal learning environment for all the students involved. Departments have up to 45 days prior to the elective start date to post their application decision. 

Rotating off-cycle or off-block is not permitted:  You must rotate according to the 4-week rotation dates specified in the appropriate Visiting Student Clinical Calendar listed in the RESOURCE section above.

Elective Limits:  A maximum of 8 weeks may be completed.  Research electives are not permitted.  Only the electives listed in our visiting student catalog are available and only during the periods indicated in AAMC VSLO.  Some electives are not available to osteopathic medical students.  Please review the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) electives catalog for more information.

Questions About Electives?

Under no circumstances shall an interested student make independent arrangements with a program or faculty. All inquiries regarding UMMS elective opportunities or the VMSP should be directed to [email protected] (U.S. medical students) or Global REACH (international medical students).