Thomas Jefferson University

Information For

Clinical Electives Process

NOTICE: As February 1, 2021 International Visiting Students are limited by the current travel policies of the State of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia, as well as from countries listed as a CDC Level 3 COVID-19 threat risk (or higher). All other policies regarding International Visiting Students are still in effect.

Domestic Visiting Medical students: SKMC has adopted the recommendations from the Coalition for Physician Accountability for the 2021-2022 Clinical  Year. 

  • We will not accept Visiting Students for rotations prior to an August 1st start. We may adjust the date based on conditions at the time.
  • Our application will open on April 15 in VSAS, learners may begin applying for and scheduling in-person away rotations with a start date of August 1, 2021, or later. 
  • We will send acceptances prior to May 1.
  • Visiting Students will be limited to 1 rotation away rotations in any specialty. Home institutions should verify learners have not completed or been accepted to other away rotations opportunities.
  • Some departments may offer Virtual electives.  These are for credit and are full online courses. Those courses will be available for application through VSAS.

For the most recent CDC COVID-19 information, please visit the
CDC's Coronavirus web site

To apply for a clinical elective at Thomas Jefferson University, you must submit:

  1. Visiting Student Application
    1. Domestic: Available through VSAS
    2. International: for Students from International Medical Colleges
  2. Official Transcript
  3. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  4. Proof of Health Insurance
  5. Evidence of Malpractice Insurance
  6. HIPAA Training Certificate
  7. BLS/ACLS Certificate
  8. USMLE Step 1 Test Results (required)
  9. Proof of Mask/Respirator fit
Prior to beginning a rotation at Thomas Jefferson University, Human Resources will work with Visiting Students to complete the following. Please allow time to complete the clearances as you will not permitted to begin unless the results have been obtained:
  1. Criminal Background Check
    (must be within one year of the start of your elective)
  2. Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearance
    (must be within one year of the start of your elective)
  3. Immunization History
  4. Drug Screening
  5. COVID-19 screening, including quarantining in Philadelphia prior to beginning the rotation as currently required by the City of Philadelphia or the University. https://www.jefferson.edu/coronavirus.html

Domestic Medical Visiting Students

Students from U.S. Medical Colleges should apply using the Domestic Medical Student Application in VSAS.  We are unable to give updates as to the status of an application or the availability of space.

The application deadline is six weeks prior to the start of the block.

Once an offer of acceptance is made, students must confirm their attendance in 14 days or the offer is recinded.

Student interested in Pediatrics rotations at A.I. duPont Hospital for Children should send the application and their board scores to Cindy.Chuidian@nemours.org. Applications will be accepted beginning MARCH 1.

The application form can be found at https://www.nemours.org/education/gme/apply.html.
(Please note that NICU rotations take place at Thomas Jefferson University and Christiana Care.)
Rotations will not be assigned until mid-May 2020 at the earliest.

COVID-19 Visiting Student Policy

COVID-19 has interrupted the clinical education of most, if not all, medical students. It is a medical school’s responsibility to regulate away rotations in an effort to maintain safety, promote equity, and promote well-being. The SKMC Policy on visiting students has been formulated in accordance with the recommendations of The Coalition for Physician Accountability’s Work Group on Medical Students in the Class of 2021 Moving Across Institutions for Post Graduate Training.

Visiting rotations are, in general, discouraged for the 2020-2021 academic year. Visiting students who meet the following described conditions may begin away rotations at SKMC no earlier than September 28, 2020. Earlier dates may be considered under extenuating circumstances and must be approved by the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education. Given the uncertainty of the pandemic, visiting rotations may be canceled based on local conditions and/or external regulations. Visiting students may be required to quarantine for two weeks.

Online, four-week virtual visiting rotations may be offered by SKMC Departments.

Conditions: Visiting rotations will be considered for students from geographically proximate home institutions that (1) do not offer specialty training in their field of interest, or (2) who require the away rotation to meet graduation requirements. A Visiting Student Exemption Form must be submitted by the visiting student applicant to the SKMC Office of the Registrar. The SKMC Registrar’s Office will review visiting student applications through VSLO and forward only those that meet these requirements to the appropriate clinical department for academic review.

International Medical Students

All students attending an international medical school, regardless of citizenship status, is considered an international medical student. International medical students will only be accepted from the following medical schools. 

  • West China University (China)
  • Universidad CES  (Colombia - Medellín)
  • KLE University India (India)
  • Ben-Gurion (Israel)
  • Technion Medical College (Israel)
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
  • Cattolica Medical School in Rome (Universitá del Sacro Cuore) (Italy)
  • The University of Bologna (Italy)
  • The University of Minho (Portugal)
  • St. George's University of London (UK)

Application Deadline

International students must apply six (6) months prior to the start of the rotation.

Students interested in research or observerships must work directly with the clinical department of interest.

Available Electives

International visiting clerkships are not available in all the clinical departments.  

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