The International Visiting Student Program is currently accepting applications for academic year 24-25. This program is ONLY for international students who have completed their core clinical training and are in their final year of medical education.
All correspondence should be sent directly to the international visiting student coordinators at MSRIS@medschool.pitt.edu. Please do not reach out to UPSOM/UPMC staff/faculty or department coordinators directly with unsolicited emails.
Students from schools participating in the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) Program (only apply once, either by VSLO or paper, not both):
Our AY 24-25 international visiting elective catalog is available in the VSLO system. Please be aware that slot availability changes on a daily and weekly basis and cannot be guaranteed. You may only apply to two electives. If more elective requests are submitted, only your first and second choices will be reviewed. Dates for clinical electives must be in accordance with the UPSOM rotation schedule (period date information can be found on the application form). Pre-requisites are for UPSOM students and not for international visiting students. Once your elective rotation has been confirmed, please be advised that no change/date adjustments will be made. Students whose home institution participate in the program will be able to view our catalog for electives directly through the VSLO® Program for Institutions | AAMC.
Students from schools not participating in the VSLO program (only apply once, either by VSLO or paper, not both):
For students from institutions that are not participants in the VSLO, please complete our paper application process. There is a searchable course catalog for AY 24-25 offered electives and availability on the second page of the application form. International students can only apply to electives that show available to international students. Pre-requisites are for UPSOM students and not for international visiting students. The completed application and required documents should be submitted to MSRIS@medschool.pitt.edu. Click here to view and download the application.
The following are some answers, as well as information, to the most asked questions about our program:
1. We have a searchable course catalog for the offered AY 24-25 electives. You can also access the catalog on the second page of our paper application (downloadable above). Be aware that any available slot can change on a daily and/or weekly basis so we cannot guarantee slot availability. These slots are filled by UPSOM, domestic visiting and international visiting students. We encourage you to apply for the electives in which you plan to make your career. Dates for clinical electives must be in accordance with the UPSOM rotation schedule (dates can be found on application form). You may only apply to two electives. Once your elective has been confirmed, please be advised that no change/date adjustments will be made.
2. The required pro-rated tuition payment is in the amount of $4,500 per elective. This fee is not paid upon submission of an application. Tuition will be paid by Flywire, ONLY after acceptance by both the Global Health Deans and the requested rotation department. If approved, you will receive an acceptance email with payment information, as well as an acceptance letter for Visa purposes. You will be given 48 hours to complete this payment. Please be aware that since this program is only for international visiting students, the payment system set-up with Flywire is only for payment from international banks to US banks and will not work with payments from US bank to US bank. Students can be accepted for up to two 4-week elective experiences. These experiences do not have to be consecutive or in the same department. Our program does not currently offer any financial grants or scholarships. Due to FERPA regulations we will not engage with any family members regarding your elective or payment requirements, we will only engage with students that have applied to our program.
PLEASE NOTE (this is only for approved and paid electives): Cancellations made 60 days prior to the start of any approved and paid elective will result in a 25% administrative fee deducted from the pro-rated tuition paid via Flywire. Therefore, reimbursement will only be for 75% of the paid pro-rated tuition. Cancellations made 30 days prior to the start of any approved and paid elective will result in a 50% administrative fee deducted from the pro-rated tuition paid via Flywire. Therefore, reimbursement will only be for 50% of the paid pro-rated tuition. Reimbursements take up to a month to receive back to the payment platform originally paid via Flywire.
3. The malpractice insurance requirement can be purchased after you have been accepted. This is on the student to purchase and cannot be purchased through MSRIS. Please see additional resources for the malpractice company used by past students. For your application, please include a memo/letter stating that you will purchase the required coverage upon acceptance. Health insurance must cover any necessary hospitalization or doctor’s visit due to illness or injury. Proof of insurance is a requirement and must be provided before an accepted student will be approved to enter the clinical setting.
4. For the State of Pennsylvania clearance requirements, only the completed PA Act 34 and the filled-out application for the PA Act 33 are required when applying. The completed PA Act 33 will need to be submitted to us upon acceptance. Also, upon acceptance, the PA Act 73 will be completed and paid for before your arrival in Pittsburgh. When any completed certificate is received this must be sent to the MSRIS@medschool.pitt.edu email. Instructions for completing these State of Pennsylvania clearances can be found in additional resources. There are links on the instructions to the PA government websites for any issues that you encounter for either completion or payment. Please be aware that each of these clearances require payment and our office cannot help with payment or completion of these clearances. No international medical student has had an issue with providing all three completed clearances. These forms DO NOT get mailed to Scaife Hall.
5. If your medical school’s curriculum is conducted in English, then the English proficiency exam requirement can be disregarded only if your home institution can provide in their letter of credentials that you have strong English proficiency. These scores are an important factor in application review and acceptance, so it is strongly suggested that you submit either report even if your home institution states you have strong English proficiency. Official TOEFL score must be 100 or higher to apply. Official Duolingo report must be 120 or higher to apply. Please make sure that either report is provided without a password. We also accept OET exam reports. You must attain a minimum scores of 350 on the listening, reading and speaking sub-tests, and a minimum score of 300 in writing sub-test, in one test administration.
6. Your completed and signed AAMC Immunization form will need to be submitted with your application. Any vaccine series currently in process can be worked on after you apply, please just include a note on the form to clarify any situations of incomplete records. You can find additional information on the "information for required immunizations" listed in additional resources. Frequently asked questions regarding immunizations can be found on the AAMC website at: https://www.aamc.org/media/23446/download?attachment.
7. Visa information can be found in Additional Resources. If accepted, students will receive an acceptance letter for Visa purposes.
8. All applications are reviewed on the strength of English proficiency, academic standing, statement of interest and the availability of the requested elective. Your statement of interest should be 200 words or less about why you are interested in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the electives in which you are applying. This is another determining factor of acceptance. Please be aware that if you are applying for MED or SURG these are the most requested departments by UPSOM students, domestic visiting students as well as international visiting students. Once your elective has been confirmed, please be advised that no change/date adjustment will be made.
9. The USMLE Step 2 exam is a requirement to apply for a Psychiatric elective. It is suggested that you provide this when applying for other electives as well.
10. You must provide an up-to-date CV with a picture.
11. Neither UPSOM nor UPMC offer housing. This is the responsibility of the student. Offsite housing opportunities can be found under additional resources.
12. The deadline to submit an application is 3 months before the start date of the elective in which you are applying. This is to allow for proper review and preparation of your application by both the Global Health Deans and the requested department. All applications must be received with the required information (see checklist) before they will be reviewed. Be assured that you will receive an acceptance/denial email no less than a month prior to the start date of the elective. Please be aware that we do not reconsider after denial.
Questions that have not been answered above? Contact the International Visiting Student coordinators at MSRIS@medschool.pitt.edu