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School of Medicine Columbia

Visiting Senior Medical Students

USC SOM Columbia accepts applications for senior medical students from any United States or Canadian medical school fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association (AMA) or by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Currently,  international visiting students are not eligible to apply. Any updates on the eligibility status of international students will be posted on this page.

USC SOM processes applications through the AAMC's Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) program. The service allows students to browse and apply for electives.

The applicant applies during the third year of medical school.  The elective catalog opens for viewing on March 15. Applications open around April 15. Application decisions will be processed in early May and no later than four weeks prior to the elective's starting date. The applicant will be notified when departmental approval has been received by the Visiting Student Coordinator.

2023-2024 Rotation Dates

Our electives are four weeks in duration.  Not all electives are available for these rotations.

Block Start Date End Date
1 July 3, 2023 July 28, 2023
2 July 31, 2023 August 25, 2023
3 August 28, 2023 September 22, 2023
4 September 25, 2023 October 20, 2023
5 October 23, 2023 November 17, 2023
6 November 20, 2023 December 15, 2023
7 January 2, 2024 January 26, 2024
8 January 29, 2024 February 23, 2024
9 February 26, 2024 March 22, 2024

Additional Information

  • Students must be currently enrolled and in good academic standing as a candidate for the M.D. or  D.O. degree at his/her home school.
  • Students must have completed all required clerkships at the home school prior to initiating elective work at USC SOM Columbia.
  • Students are scheduled on a space-available basis.
  • A maximum of two four-week electives may be scheduled.
  • Tuition is not required. However, after a rotation has been offered and accepted, a non-refundable processing fee of one hundred and seventy-five dollars ($175) per elective is due as confirmation.
  • Students are required to provide a criminal background report and malpractice liability insurance.
  • Students are responsible for their own personal health care costs and must provide current documentation of immunization status.
  • Students are responsible for securing their own housing. Students in the past have contacted local hotels and/or have utilized Airbnb. Students may also try furnished apartments or traveling professionals.
  • Please notify us as soon as possible if you are unable to attend an approved elective.

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