Visiting Student Overview

This application is for students from U.S. and Canadian medical schools that have been accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or by the American Osteopathic Association. Students from international medical schools can find eligibility and application information on the Center for Global Health website.

Applications for 2023 will open on January 3, 2023 through VSLO.  First available rotation month will be April (3/27/2023 – 4/21/2023). 

NOTE: All students will be contacted either way (offer or no offer). If you have not heard from us, it means we are still in the process of placing students.

How to Apply

A student in good standing is eligible to apply for up to four (4) weeks of electives after completing the majority of the clerkships. Minimum requirements are medicine, surgery, and the core clerkship in the area of interest. Elective offerings are visible in VSLO for visiting MD and DO students.

Only completed applications will be considered. Elective placements will be made according to the needs and interests of individual departments, and on a space-available basis.  Due to the rotating nature of electives, we will be unable to respond to inquiries regarding availability.  Visiting students should not contact departments or course directors regarding the application process.

Review the elective dates to be sure that Penn's elective schedule fits with the schedule at your institution. You must abide by our standard, 4-week rotation dates. Shortened or altered dates are not available. This policy is non-negotiable. If a date option does not appear for a particular month, the course is currently full.

Student Health Requirements

Submit the immunization record (review form and update) to be completed in full by a healthcare provider.

Provide documentation of personal health insurance (a photocopy of your insurance card is sufficient).  In the event of illness, or the need for consultation regarding health care, visiting students must seek the services of a physician. In the event of an emergency, visiting students are advised to proceed immediately to the nearest emergency room.  Any questions related to coverage (including costs) should be addressed by a student directly with their insurance provider.

Pediatrics Patient Contact Requirements

If your selected courses have pediatric patient contact (site location will be listed as CHOP or Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) the State of Pennsylvania requires the following:

• PA Child Abuse Clearance Child Welfare Portal, select "Employee of a Child Care Setting"
• Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal History Check (PATCH)  
• FBI Fingerprint Criminal History Clearance via IdentoGo.  
  • Enter your 6-character service code 1KG738 
  • Read detailed instructions

COVID-19 Requirements

• Students coming to Penn for a visiting rotation are expected to adhere to the following guidelines:
  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 
  • City of Philadelphia
  • University of Pennsylvania
• COVID-19 Patient Encounter Readiness Checklist Prep Course: this required Canvas course will help you become ready for encounters with patients who are confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 (link provided post-application).

Acceptance Fee & Costs

If your selected course is available, you will receive an acceptance email. To confirm your enrollment, you must submit a non-refundable registration fee of $175 per elective within 10 days of receiving the acceptance notification. Please do not send a check with your initial application materials. Please be aware that this is a registration fee and cannot be refunded if you later choose to drop the course.

Checks should be made payable to:
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

Housing, Meals, Transportation & Parking

You are responsible for locating and paying for your own housing, meals, transportation, and parking. Since parking is scarce and expensive, you may want to contact Penn Transportation and Parking.

Final housing arrangements should be deferred until enrollment has been confirmed, in the event we are unable to accommodate your course request.

Short-term Housing Opportunities

• You may locate student-to-student sublets, which is ideal for away rotations.
• You may consider on-campus housing at Samson Place.

Public Transportation

Local and regional public transportation options are available through SEPTA.

Performance Evaluation

Upon the completion of your elective, you will be evaluated via OASIS (online evaluation system). Once your performance evaluation is available, you can log into the system using your OASIS username and password to view and print a copy for your school.

NOTE: Our faculty are not required to complete non-Penn evaluation forms.

Correspondence

Questions about the visiting student process can be emailed to the Perelman School of Medicine registrar’s office.