Visiting Students from U.S. Medical Schools: Medical School Student Support Services

Application Requirements

Before your application will be reviewed by the department, you must submit your application and upload the following documentation into the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO). If you or your institution have questions about VSLO authorizations or access to their system, please contact AAMC. visitingstudents@aamc.org

Application – VSLO
Curriculum vitae
Essential functions form – Visiting students must attest to their ability to perform the essential functions before starting a rotation. If applying through VSLO, the form can be uploaded as a supplemental document.
Immunization record – Must be verified by your home school in VSLO and be up to date before you will be allowed to start a rotation at UT Southwestern.
Medical school transcript
Photo

Additional “Surgery – Thoracic/Cardiology – SUR 1604” Department Requirement

The following documents are required as well. These should be uploaded into VSLO for review by the sponsoring department’s visiting student coordinator.

USMLE Step 1 Test Scores
One letter of recommendation (LOR) that includes: name, title, and institution of a physician faculty member who has supervised you in a medical or surgical rotation.
Student applicants must have successfully passed the equivalent of a third-year medical school surgery rotation.
Student applicants must have already had a successful rotation at an American medical school with a letter of recommendation from that institution. There will be no exceptions. No applications will be considered without this, including “contingency” LORs (for example, a student wanting to set up two back-to-back U.S. rotations with UT Southwestern as the second of two and the LOR will be provided to UTSW on the day they show up).

Additional “SUR1605 – Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery” Department Requirement

USMLE Step 1 Transcript
One letter of recommendation from a faculty of choice; application will not be reviewed without letter.

Additional Anesthesiology and Pain Management Department Requirements

USMLE Step 1 Test Scores

Additional Obstetrics and Gynecology Department Requirements

USMLE Step 1 Transcript
One letter of recommendation that includes: name, title, signature, and institution of a physician faculty member who has supervised you during your third-year Ob/Gyn clerkship or the Ob/Gyn clerkship director.

Additional Pediatrics Department Requirements can be found on the Pediatrics Visiting Student site.

Additional Department of Emergency Medicine Requirements can be found on the Emergency Medicine Visiting Student webpage.

Post-Acceptance Requirements

Once you have been accepted by the department to complete a rotation, the following must be completed/verified before you will be allowed to start the rotation at UT Southwestern. Questions about these requirements can be directed to the department coordinator for the rotation.

Good standing – Must be verified by your home school in VSLO. You must be in “Good Standing” at your home institution to be considered for a rotation.
BLS and/or ACLS Certification – Must be completed within 12 months of the requested elective start date and verified by your home school in VSLO.
Standard Precautions Training (recommended by CDC) – Must be completed within 12 months of the requested elective start date and verified by your home school in VSLO. If this cannot be completed at your home institution, then you may complete our online training and provide us with a signed “Attestation of Completion.”
UT Southwestern HIPAA Training – Must be completed through the online UT Southwestern HIPAA training program. The training should not be completed prior to two weeks of the start date.

Once you accept an offer and are set up in our student system, you can log in to the training site to complete your online HIPAA training.
Upon successful completion of the online course, print the certificate of completion and provide it to the department.
You will not be allowed to start your rotation without proof of this training. If you have any questions about the online HIPAA training, please contact the department coordinator or the HIPAA Office at 214-648-6003.

Health Insurance Coverage – Must be covered by a health insurance plan, provide proof of coverage, and be verified by your home school in VSLO.
Professional Liability/Malpractice Insurance Coverage – Must be no less than the amounts provided by the University of Texas System for its own students. Must be verified by your home school in VSLO. Our coverage is currently:

$25,000 per claim
$75,000 per aggregate
$75,000 per participant

TB Skin Test – Must be completed within the last 12 months and cover the period of the clinical assignment. (This may be part of your immunization record.)
Mask Fit Test – Must be completed and verified by home school in VSLO prior to arrival. A copy of your certificate should also be uploaded into VSLO.
Drug Testing – Must meet the minimum standard drug screen panel. The minimum standard drug screen panel is a Health Care Professional 10-panel with integrity checks and Creatinine and pH levels. Acceptable and unacceptable test ranges will follow the 49 CFR Part 40 Federal Standards. To complete this requirement you must do one of the following:

Provide an Attestation Letter – If your drug testing at your home school meets the minimum standards, they must provide an attestation letter that the drug testing met the minimum standards. You or your home school can upload this letter as a supplemental document in VSLO.
Complete Drug Testing (completed in the U.S. at least five business days prior to the elective start date ) – If your drug testing did not meet the minimum standards or you have not completed a drug test, you must complete one through our vendor, Castle Branch, using the “Drug Test Only Package” code. If you need to complete a background check and drug test, use the “Background Check + Drug Test Package” code.

Background Check – Must include a search of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General’s List of Excluded Individuals/Entities. To complete this requirement you must do one of the following:

Provide an Attestation Letter – If the background check at your home school meets the search criteria, your home school must verify completion of the background check in VSLO and provide an attestation letter that the background check included the search criteria above. You or your home school can upload this letter as a supplemental document in VSLO.
Complete a Background Check (completed at least five business days prior to the elective start date ) – If your background check did not meet the search criteria or you have not completed a background check, you must complete one through our vendor, Castle Branch, using the “Background Check Only Package” code. If you need to complete a background check and drug test, use the “Background Check + Drug Test Package” code.

Affiliation Agreements

UT Southwestern does not require an affiliation agreement to complete a visiting student rotation at our school. If your school requires an agreement, then UT Southwestern uses the AAMC Uniform Clinical Training Affiliation Agreement. Once you are approved to complete a rotation, please have your home institution complete the Information Form and email your affiliation agreement. stuinfo@utsouthwestern.edu.

Other Information for Students

Housing – Accommodations must be secured by the visiting student. UT Southwestern does not provide temporary housing but Visiting Student Housing Information can be found on the VSLO/AAMC website.

Computer Login – We request logins 45 days prior to the start of a rotation. Once we receive the information, it will be forwarded to the department of the clinical elective to give to you.

To learn more about the visiting student experience at UT Southwestern, contact the visiting student coordinator for the rotation you are interested in completing. Department contact information, course information, and availability can be found in the Senior Electives Catalog.

For general questions, contact the Office of the Registrar at 214-648-3606 or stuinfo@utsouthwestern.edu.

Visiting Medical Students from U.S. Medical Schools

Electives