Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) only accepts applications submitted through AAMC’s Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) platform. Students who do not have access to VSLO are NOT able to apply for electives at WUSM.
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Eligible students may only participate in one elective rotation at WUSM (maximum four weeks). This includes any elective rotation that may have been completed in a prior academic year. Students who have had an offer revoked by WUSM in a prior year may not be eligible for consideration in subsequent application cycles.
Students must meet all of the following Eligibility Requirements in order for their application to be considered:
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be currently enrolled in an eligible medical school.
- Eligible medical schools include all institutions in the VSLO network (domestic and global).
- Must have completed at least one year of required clinical training.
- Must have completed the following core clerkships, with at least four weeks of training in each: Internal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Surgery, and either Family Medicine or Neurology.
- Must be in good academic standing and approved by the home institution to receive academic credit for the away rotation.
- Must provide evidence of English language proficiency:
- Evidence that the student is enrolled in medical school in the United States.
- Evidence that the student is enrolled in a medical school where English is the primary language of instruction.
- TOEFL score (minimum of 100; no other language tests are accepted).
In addition, WUSM requires applicants’ home institutions to attest to the following:
Verification Requirements
- The student has been instructed in OSHA safety measures and infection control precautions.
- The student has current BLS or ACLS certification.
- Applicants enrolled at international medical schools are exempt.
- The student has completed an N-95 Respirator Fit Test.
- The student will be covered by sufficient medical liability insurance during the dates of their rotation at WUSM.
- Medical liability insurance coverage must be at least $1 million per instance and $3 million aggregate.
- The student holds personal health insurance that is valid in the United States.
- The student has successfully completed a criminal background check.
- This student has successfully passed a drug test that screens for amphetamines, cannabinoids, cocaine, methamphetamines, opiates, and phencyclidine.
If the home institution cannot attest to any of the above when the application is submitted, students will be required to submit documentation proving that they meet these requirements no later than six weeks after the offer or four weeks before the rotation start date (whichever comes first). Failure to submit this required documentation before the deadline could lead to the rotation being cancelled.
The following application materials are required from all students:
Application Materials
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Current medical school transcript
- AAMC Standardized Immunization Form, plus supplemental documentation:
- TB skin or blood test that will be no more than 12 months old by the end of the latest requested rotation end date, including a lab report if it was a blood test (e.g., QuantiFERON)
- Lab report for your most recent Hepatitis B surface antibody test.
- Lab reports for ALL lab results and titers (e.g., measles, mumps, rubella and Varicella) listed on the AAMC Immunization Form
- COVID-19 Vaccination Documentation
- Photograph (headshot for ID badge)
While Washington University School of Medicine has a baseline set of application requirements, certain departments or individual electives may require additional materials (such as USMLE Step 1 or COMLEX-USA Level 1 scores, a letter of interest, or a letter of recommendation). The most accurate information about current application requirements can be found in the individual course listings in the VSLO Electives Catalog.
All requirements must be submitted in English. Only official (e.g., notarized) translations are accepted.
After accepting the offer of a rotation, students will be asked to submit the following:
Post-Decision Requirements
- $100 administration fee
- Onboarding Paperwork
- BJC HealthCare Confidentiality Agreement
- Confidentiality Non-Disclosure Agreement
- Non-Appointee Acknowledgement and Release
- Influenza vaccine documentation (for rotations in November and December)
The WUSM Visiting Student Program undergoes continuous review and improvement, and requirements and processes are subject to change. This page was last updated on October 11, 2024.