The answers to the most common questions that visiting medical students have can be found on this page. Topics are listed in alphabetical order.
Review all of the information on this page before contacting the Electives Office.
Washington University School of Medicine does not require affiliation agreements for any student applying via VSLO.
If a student’s home institution requires an affiliation agreement, please note that Washington University will only accept the AAMC Uniform Clinical Training Affiliation Agreement. An appropriate representative of the requesting institution should send an Implementation Letter for the AAMC Uniform Clinical Training Affiliation Agreement that has already been filled out and signed by the dean or dean’s designee to wusmelectives@wustl.edu.
The medical campus is accessible from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, either by car or public transportation.
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport website »
Directions from Lambert Airport to the WUSM Medical Campus »
Once a student has accepted an offered rotation and paid the $100 administration fee, the Electives Office will send a welcome email with general onboarding information and contact details for the faculty and staff associated with the particular elective course.
When visiting students arrive on the first day of their rotation, they will need to come to the Office of Medical Student Education (OMSE) to pick up their ID badge before reporting to the department.
The Electives Office sends an email with much more detailed first-day registration information in the week before the rotation start date.
Washington University School of Medicine declines to participate in credentialing processes that require preceptors to submit documentation such as their CV, personal malpractice insurance, board certification, or medical license information. All WUSM faculty are vetted in excruciating detail and none hold individual malpractice insurance. The only documentation WUSM is able to provide for preceptors is a letter saying that all Washington University physicians are covered by malpractice insurance. Requests for such a letter should be submitted to wusmelectives@wustl.edu.
Visiting medical students or representatives of their home institutions should not contact WUSM departments or faculty directly.
Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) does not have a standardized dress code for all elective rotations. Once a visiting student has accepted an offered rotation and received contact information for their course director and coordinator, the student should contact the course director and coordinator about their expectations regarding attire during the rotation.
WUSM does not have short white coats available for visiting medical students. If a student is required by their medical team to wear a short white coat and does not have one, they will need to purchase one from the WUSM Campus Store.
Several dining options are available on the WUSM Medical Campus:
- WUSM Campus Dining Services
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital Dining & Restaurants
- Edison Café (St. Louis Children’s Hospital)
Visiting medical students are not given access to the gym on the Washington University Medical Campus. There are several other nearby recreational facilities available to visiting medical students:
- Move by BJC is located in the Cortex district, directly adjacent to the WUSM Medical Campus.
- Gary M. Sumers Recreation Center is located on the Washington University undergraduate campus (a 10-minute drive or half-hour Metrolink trip from the medical campus).
- Forest Park is directly adjacent to the medical campus and has extensive trails for running, walking, and biking, as well as a number of sports grounds.
- There is an outdoor exercise park a short walk from the medical campus (along Chouteau Ave between Newstead Ave and Tower Grove Ave) that includes several stations with workout areas, including a dip bar, pull-up bar, monkey bars, ladders, and more, as well as a basketball court.
Learn about the COVID-19 Exposure & Illness Guidelines, Needle Stick and Blood and Body Fluid Policy and Procedure, and other university policies that are highly relevant to visiting medical students on the Policies page »
Visiting medical students are responsible for finding their own housing in St. Louis. Some resources to aid in this process will be provided by the Electives Office once a student has accepted an offered rotation and paid the administration fee.
Participation in an away rotation at Washington University School of Medicine does not guarantee that a student will be offered an interview with the respective residency program at WUSM.
WUSM faculty are not obligated to provide letters of recommendation for visiting medical students, and they may determine that a single four-week rotation does not provide sufficient evaluative information to write a strong letter of recommendation.
Maps of the WUSM Medical Campus in multiple language options can be downloaded from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital website.
Any visiting student rotating at WUSM must be covered by sufficient medical liability insurance during their rotation (coverage must be at least $1 million per instance and $3 million aggregate).
If a student does not have sufficient liability insurance coverage when their application is submitted, they will be required to submit documentation proving they have acquired sufficient coverage 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 Electives Office cannot recommend medical liability insurance providers.
Learn about the Student Mistreatment Reporting and Monitoring Policy and other university policies that are highly relevant to visiting medical students on the Policies page »
Before their rotation at Washington University School of Medicine, visiting medical students are required to complete a mandatory Epic training, HIPAA training, and, for some rotations, Surgical Hand Antisepsis training.
The Electives Office provides visiting medical students with an ID badge that includes general campus access and two scrub credits. The Electives Office also handles account set-up for Epic. If additional physical or systems access is required for a specific rotation, that access must be requested by the department that is hosting the visiting student.
More details about the onboarding process are sent to all accepted visiting students in the month prior to their rotation start date.
Visiting medical students who drive to the Medical Campus must park in the Clayton Taylor Garage (located at Clayton Ave & Taylor Ave). Once their rotation begins, visiting students have the opportunity to purchase a monthly parking permit.
Parking is non-transferable, non-refundable and is not prorated. No refunds will be issued.
Public transportation in St. Louis is offered through Metro Transit. The MetroLink train stops in the heart of campus at the Central West End Station, and 10 Metro Bus routes provide convenient access to campus.
Discounted public transportation fare is not available to visiting medical students.
Research rotations are not coordinated by the Electives Office. Visiting Researchers are handled at the department level, with each department or division having its own set of policies and requirements.
Visiting medical students are given ID badge access to scrub machines and have access to the locker room (but are not assigned a locker). Visiting students receive instructions for accessing scrub machines via email prior to their elective start date.
Complimentary shuttle bus service is provided on the WUSM Medical Campus, and visiting medical students are able to use this service.
Learn more about medical campus shuttles »
Students may download a shuttle map and route information at the link above.
Washington University does not sponsor visas for visiting medical students.
If requested, the Electives Office will provide accepted students with a letter that they can use to apply for a visa on their own once all required documentation and fees have been submitted and approved.
For questions regarding the type of visa to apply for, contact your local United States consulate.
The WUSM Visiting Student Program undergoes continuous review and improvement, and requirements and processes are subject to change. This page was last updated on March 12, 2024.