Eligibility Requirements

Students must be a 4th year or final year medical student, in an accredited medical school, at the time of their elective rotations.

Eligibility Requirements for Medical School Elective Rotations

All students must:

• Complete 4 weeks in each elective and schedule no more than 4 electives total
• Be in good standing at their home medical school
• Have their medical school's approval to participate in the desired electives
• Students must have completed all of their Core Clinical Clerkships to be eligible to apply for electives in our Visiting Student Program, including:
  • Medicine
  • OB/GYN
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Surgery
• Provide documented proof of passing USMLE Step 1, COMLEX or IFOM-BSE
• Provide documented proof of the required background check
• Provide proof of professional liability insurance
• Provide proof of current healthcare insurance
• Have satisfied the required immunizations, including flu shots during flu season
• International Students must provide proof of a valid visa
• Provide a current Curriculum Vitae

Documented Proof of USMLE Step 1 Required

The student must provide documented proof of passing Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Osteopathic students may use COMLEX.

International visiting students may use the International Foundations of Medicine Basic Science Exam (IFOM-BSE) if the USMLE Step 1 is not taken. No waivers, no exceptions - these are basic requirements of the program.

Certain electives have a minimal Step score for acceptance which are listed in the elective description.

Criminal Background Check Requirements

U.S. Citizen Visiting Medical Students: We accept FCRA compliant National Criminal Database Search or Ohio BCI&I and FBI reports.

Please note: Background checks must be completed within one year of the requested elective dates. Some of our visiting medical students have used the following online services with success:

• SentryLink
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation

Required Immunizations for Visiting Medical Students

Visiting medical students must submit the Immunization Form with supporting documentation for the following:

• Hepatitis B - series of 3 doses; serology, if available.
• Measles, mumps and rubella immunization or titer - in the case of measles, if the visiting medical student had the disease, a doctor's signature is required to confirm office record.
• Varicella (chicken pox) - if no documented history, an antibody titer to measure immunity is strongly recommended.
• Diphtheria/tetanus - record of booster within the past 10 years.
• Polio - completed series of immunization indicating type of vaccine, as well as date of the last booster.
• Tuberculosis - PPD by Mantoux method or interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs), with date 12 months before the completion of your Case elective. If positive, chest X-ray results are required. Students who have received BCG vaccine must specify the date and may be required to provide chest X-ray results.
• The seasonal flu vaccine is mandatory. Flu season runs November through April, and the new vaccine for each year is available in August. If you are requesting an elective clinical rotation between November 1 and April 1, you may apply without proof of the vaccine but must provide proof of compliance before the start of the rotation or you will not be permitted to start the elective rotations.

Insurance Requirements

Professional Liability Insurance

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center requires students to have Professional Liability Insurance (malpractice insurance) covering $1,000,000 per claim and $3,000,000 aggregate in U.S. currency, with amounts indicated on the document proofs.

Health Insurance

All visiting medical students are required to have valid personal health insurance, whether through their medical school or via personal coverage. University Hospitals does not provide personal health insurance for visiting medical students. Documented proof must be provided. Please attach a copy of your medical insurance card, but only if coverage dates are indicated on the card.

International Visiting Medical Students

Due to limited course availability, our international student elective program is very limited. Because of that, we only invite pre-identified students from schools with which we have an established affiliation agreement. We hope to be able to increase our offerings as our program grows.

Required Visas

Accepted International visiting medical students who currently hold a valid J-1 visa may be eligible to schedule an elective rotation at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. You may also be eligible to travel to the U.S. for business on a B-1 visa for stays of 90 days or less. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain the appropriate visa to enter the U.S.

Learn more about U.S. Visas through the U.S. Department of State.

For additional resources on getting a U.S. Student Visa, visit Visaguide.World.

Criminal Background Check Requirements

For accepted international medical students, we accept background check reports from the local magistrate/police department in the city and country where you are currently attending medical school.