DO NOT CONTACT UPSOM/UPMC staff/faculty, department coordinators or the Global Health Dean directly with unsolicited emails or phone calls. This program is not associated with the domestic visiting student program housed in UPSOM's Office of Student Affairs. All inquiries and applications must be sent directly to the international visiting student coordinators via the program's email: MSRIS@medschool.pitt.edu
This program is ONLY for international students who have completed their core clinical training and are in their final year of medical education. This program does not offer observerships/externships to medical graduates. All applications will be reviewed and approved by the Global Health Dean before they are sent to any UPMC department for their approval. UPMC staff/faculty are not the origin point for any inquiry or application. Submissions for 9/28/26 – 12/20/26 are no longer open. Applications for the timeframe 1/2/27 - 1/31/27 will close at the end of October 2026. Please be advised that decisions are not immediate and may take up to 3 months to receive a response. Currently applications are only being accepted for AY 26-27.
Applications for AY 27-28 will open around March 2027. When the exact date is provided to our program this information shall be posted to this website. Due to changes in UPSOM's curriculum, international visiting student can no longer apply during the months of February - May of every AY.
All queries must be made by the applicant. Our program will not engage with anyone, other than the student, regarding clinical elective application determination and/or payment requirements.
PREFERRED METHOD OF APPLICATION (only apply once, either by VSLO or paper, not both):
All requirements on the checklist must be provided in one merged PDF document in one email.
Submissions for 9/28/26 – 12/20/26 are no longer open. Applications for the timeframe 1/4/27 – 1/31/27 will close at the end of October 2026. There is a link to the course catalog for AY 26-27 on the second page of the check list and application form. There is also a list of clinical courses that are only available to international visiting student in the additional resources tab, however it is suggested to double check the course catalog since these courses frequently change. International visiting students can only apply to clinical electives that show as available to international visiting students in the course catalog. Pre-requisites noted in the course catalog are ONLY applicable to UPSOM students and are not required for international visiting students. The completed application and required documents will ONLY be reviewed by the Global Health Dean when submitted completely, and in one email, to MSRIS@medschool.pitt.edu.
Students from schools participating in the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) Program (only apply once, either by VSLO or paper, not both):
You can apply via VSLO, however the paper application method above is the preferred method.
Submissions for 9/28/26 – 12/20/26 are no longer open. Applications for the timeframe 1/4/27 – 1/31/27 will close at the end of October 2026. Please be aware that slot availability changes on a daily and weekly basis and cannot be guaranteed. Students whose home institution participate in the program will be able to view our catalog for clinical electives directly through the VSLO® Program for Institutions | AAMC. There is also a list of clinical courses that are only available to international visiting student in the additional resources tab, however it is suggested to double check the course catalog since these courses frequently change. Students may apply for up to two 4-weeks electives, or 8 weeks maximum. If more than two clinical 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 (elective date information can be found on our checklist and application form) and no special accommodations or exceptions will be made to change these dates. Pre-requisites noted in the course catalog are ONLY applicable to UPSOM students and are not required for international visiting students. Once your clinical elective rotation has been confirmed, please be advised that no change/date adjustments will be permitted.
Most common FAQs and UPSOM/UPMC policies regarding our program:
1. We have a searchable course catalog for the offered AY 26-27 clinical electives. There is also a list of clinical courses in the additional resources tab, however it is suggested to double check in the course catalog since available courses change frequently. Submissions for 9/28/26 – 12/20/26 are no longer open. Applications for the timeframe 1/4/27 – 1/31/27 will close at the end of October 2026. Be aware that any timeframe availability changes on a daily and/or weekly basis and therefore is never a guarantee. These clinical electives/timeframes are filled in this order: (1) UPSOM students; (2) domestic visiting students; and (3) international visiting students. We encourage you to apply for the clinical electives in which you plan to make your career. Pre-requisites noted in the course catalog are ONLY applicable to UPSOM students and are not required for international visiting students. Dates for clinical electives must be in accordance with the UPSOM rotation schedule (elective dates can be found on the application form) and no special accommodations or exceptions shall be made to change dates that are not consistent with the UPSOM's rotation schedule. Should you apply with dates that are not congruent with the listed elective dates your application will not be reviewed. Students may apply for up to two 4-weeks electives, or 8 weeks maximum. Please be aware that when you arrive for your approved clinical elective no special arrangements will be made for you to engage in a completely different clinical elective, so please do not ask the Global Health Dean or the UPMC coordinator. Students will only be allowed to engage in the clinical elective in which they were approved. No special accommodations or exceptions will be made. It is not possible to request a future clinical elective after arrival in Pittsburgh. All application submissions and approvals take place ONLY before your arrival and not after. Please do not ask.
2. The required pro-rated tuition payment is in the amount of $4,500 per clinical 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 Dean and the requested UPMC department. If approved, you will receive an acceptance email with payment information, as well as an acceptance letter and invoice for Visa purposes. 2-week electives are only available to UPSOM students and are not available to international visiting students. Students may apply for up to two 4-weeks electives, or 8 weeks maximum. These experiences do not have to be consecutive or in the same department. Our program does not currently offer tuition assistance, scholarships or waivers. All queries must be made by the applicant. If accepted, you will be given 72 hours to complete payment. Please be aware that since this program is only for international visiting students, the payment system set-up with Flywire is only available for payment from international banks to US banks; payments from US bank to US bank cannot be completed. American citizens should only apply if they have an international bank account in which to pay this tuition fee. Please refer to the administrative cancellation fee (below) before you make the decision to accept the clinical elective(s) and complete payment via Flywire.
CANCELLATION ADMINISTRATIVE FEES (this is only for approved and paid electives): Cancellations made 120 days prior to the start of any approved and paid clinical elective will result in a 40% administrative fee deducted from the pro-rated tuition paid via Flywire. Therefore, reimbursement will be for 60% of the paid pro-rated tuition. Cancellations made 90 days prior to the start of any approved and paid clinical elective will result in a 60% administrative fee deducted from the pro-rated tuition paid via Flywire. Therefore, reimbursement will be for 40% of the paid pro-rated tuition. Cancellations made 60 days, or less, prior to the start of any approved and paid clinical elective will result in an 80% administrative fee deducted from the pro-rated tuition paid via Flywire. Therefore, reimbursement will be for 20% of the paid pro-rated tuition. Reimbursements take up to 3 months to receive back to the payment platform originally used via Flywire.
3. Malpractice and health insurance do not need to be purchased until after you have been accepted. When submitting your application, please include a memo/letter stating that you will purchase the required coverage. Upon acceptance, neither MSRIS/UPMC will review the insurance you intend to purchase to make sure it is acceptable. Obtaining the correct insurance is the sole responsibility of the student and cannot be purchased through MSRIS/UPMC. Health insurance must cover any necessary hospitalization or doctor’s visit due to illness or injury during the full clinical elective timeframe. Malpractice insurance coverage needs to cover $1M per occurrence/$3M aggregate (USD or currency equivalent) during the full clinical elective timeframe. Please see additional resources tab for the malpractice company used by past students. Both health and malpractice insurance must be provided before arrival in Pittsburgh. Without this paperwork the accepted student shall not be able to engage in the clinical elective.
4. There are three State of Pennsylvania clearance requirements. However, only the completed Pennsylvania Act 34 (PA state criminal background check for employment) and filled-out Act 33 (PA state child abuse clearance) application are required for application submission. Instructions on how to complete these clearances can be found in the additional resources tab. Upon acceptance, you will need to submit and pay for completion of the PA Act 33. Make sure to submit in enough time to receive the completed clearance before arrival in Pittsburgh. You must also pay and schedule an appointment to coincide with your arrival in Pittsburgh for the PA Act 73 (FBI fingerprinting clearance). Please be aware that each of these Pennsylvania clearances require payment and neither UPSOM or UPMC can help with payment nor completion of these Pennsylvania clearances. It is the student's responsibility to follow the links on the instructions to the Pennsylvania government websites for any issues, including payment, that you encounter. You may have to change your VPN to America instead of your country when completing these documents. No international medical student has had an issue with providing all three completed clearances. These forms DO NOT get mailed to Scaife Hall.
5. Unless your medical school is located in Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, you must provide one of the four listed test scores. Scores must be within the past two years.
(a) Official TOEFL score must be 106 or higher to apply. The new TOEFL scoring system currently shows both the old and new scoring, both of which are accepted
(b) Official Duolingo report must be 120 or higher to apply
(c) IELTS scores must be between 6-9
(d) OET reports must have a minimum score of 350 on the listening, reading and speaking sub-tests, and a minimum score of 300 in writing sub-test, in one test administration
At this time these four English proficiency documents are the only reports that our office accepts. These scores are an important factor in application review and acceptance.
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 include a note on the form to clarify any situations of incomplete records. You can find additional information regarding required immunizations in the additional resources tab. Frequently asked questions regarding immunizations can be found on the AAMC website at: https://www.aamc.org/media/23446/download?attachment. Neither UPSOM nor UPMC can help you complete these forms.
7. Visa information can be found in the additional resources tab. If accepted, students will receive an acceptance letter and invoice for Visa purposes. Neither UPSOM nor UPMC can provide information on Visa requirements regarding your country or institution. This information would be obtained from your institution.
8. All applications are reviewed on the strength of English proficiency, academic standing, statement of interest and the availability of the requested clinical 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 UPMC clinical elective(s) in which you apply. 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. It is suggested to apply for the clinical electives in which you plan to make your career. If accepted, be aware that no special accommodations or exceptions will be made to change elective dates or the clinical elective in which you were accepted.
9. The USMLE Step 2 exam (do not provide Step 1 scores) is a requirement to apply for a Psychiatric clinical elective. However, it is suggested that you provide this when applying for other clinical electives as well.
10. You must provide an up-to-date CV that includes a recent picture.
11. You will need to know your mask size if you are accepted for a UPMC clinical elective. You will not be mask fitted at UPMC. Your mask size information can be obtained from your institution.
12. UPSOM does not provide letters of recommendation at the end of approved clinical electives. If approved, you may be able to request this during your UPMC clinical elective, however, be advised that this is not a guarantee.
13. Neither UPSOM nor UPMC offer housing. This is the responsibility of the student. Offsite housing opportunities can be found under the additional resources tab. A usual range that previous students have paid for housing is between $800 - $1,500/month USD.
14. The deadline to submit an application is 3 months before the start date of the clinical elective in which you are applying. This is to allow for proper application preparation and review of your application by both the Global Health Dean and the requested department. All applications must be received, in one email, with the required documentation (checklist and application form) or the application will be returned. Be assured that you will receive an acceptance/denial email no less than a month prior to the start date of the clinical elective. If denied, you will need to wait until the next academic year to apply. Applications are not reconsidered after denial and there are no waitlists.