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Medical Student Eligibility Requirements

UTHSC Policy concerning Visiting Medical Student Rotations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In keeping with the spirit of the recommendations of the Association of American Medical College and the Coalition for Physician Accountability to promote fairness across the country, and to reinforce our commitment to an equitable process for all, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Medicine (COM) and its campuses will adhere to the following policy for the Academic Year 2020-2021. The COM suspended all in-person Visiting Medical Student rotations for the months of June and July 2020.  Visiting medical students were able to apply for rotations at UTHSC starting Block 8 (July 27, 2020).

Priority for visiting rotations will be given to:

  • Learners who have a specialty interest and do not have access to a clinical experience with a residency program in that specialty in their school’s system. An attestation letter from the student’s medical school will be required. 
  • Learners for whom an away rotation is required for graduation or accreditation requirements.
  • Students meeting the above criteria :
    • May not begin visiting rotations at UTHSC COM earlier than July 27, 2020.
    • Must be aware that UTHSC COM reserves the right to cancel a visiting rotation at any time.
    • Information regarding the pandemic is rapidly changing, so visiting rotations may be canceled based on current conditions at UTHSC COM on a campus-by-campus basis. cancellation will be based on prevailing university guidelines, municipal regulations, state mandates, and guidelines of our clinical affiliates.
    • UTHSC COM reserves the right to refuse or quarantine any visiting student entering from another state.
  • Will be required to be tested by RT-PCR and have a negative COVID test within 96-72 hours prior to starting the rotation. Documentation of this negative test must be submitted to the rotation coordinator prior to the start of the rotation.

Process to apply for a visiting rotation at the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga:

  1. The visiting student will submit an application through VSLO. For school’s that do not participate in VSLO, the visiting student must contact Courtney Orloski, Medical Student Specialist to determine if the shool has a formal exchange program with UTHSC or has an approved affiliation agreement with UTHSC.  Ms. Orloski's email address is MSE@erlanger.org. 
  2. The UT College of Medicine Chattanooga and UTHSC COM Office of Medical Education will review visiting student applications submitted through VSLO and approve eligibility only for those meeting the above criteria.
  3. The application will be reviewed by the appropriate clinical department for final approval.

This policy will be applied in conjunction with the guidelines established in the UT College of Medicine Visiting Student Policy #104 below:

POLICY

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Medicine (COM) will provide elective opportunities at its sites in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and Jackson for students from other medical schools. This policy outlines eligibility criteria, procedural requirements and availability limitations for visiting students.

RATIONALE AND PROCEDURE

  1. Eligibility for a visiting elective is based on academic qualifications.  
    1. A visiting student must be a candidate for the M.D. or D.O. degree in good standing in his/her final year of training at an accredited medical school or from institutions with which UTHSC has a formal exchange program.
    2. A visiting student must have completed instruction in the basic history and physical examination, and have a working knowledge of general ward procedures.
    3. All electives require that the student has completed five core clerkships. 
    4. A student must have met the prerequisites of the elective to which they are applying.
    5. A student must have passed USMLE Step 1 or COMLEX Part 1.

  2. To be accepted as a visiting student, an individual must also:
    1. Pass a criminal background check;
    2. Pass a drug screen;
    3. Carry malpractice/liability insurance coverage in the amount of $1 million per incident and $3 million aggregate, through his/her home institution or other acceptable sources;
    4. Have health insurance;
    5. Have been immunized against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, influenza, varicella and hepatitis B;
    6. Have two negative TB skin tests in the prior 12 months, and undergone TB mask fitting;
    7. Have been certified in CPR within the past year;
    8. Have completed HIPAA compliance and security training. 

  3. Electives will be made available to visiting students only after all UTHSC students have been scheduled which may occur up until 30 days before the start of the rotation. In aggregate, the elective experience for a visiting student at all campuses is limited to a maximum of 12 weeks during a medical school career.

  4. Any exception to this policy must be approved by the Dean of the respective COM campus at the recommendation of the Department Chair, or their designees, who will assume responsibility for verifying that the above requirements have been met.

  5. Academic credit for the elective will be awarded by the visiting student’s home institution. No academic credit will be awarded by UTHSC. 

 Currently, students who are regularly enrolled in another medical school and paying tuition at that school are not charged tuition at The University of Tennessee for brief elective periods. This policy may change in the future, and the school reserves the right to charge tuition at any time.

Criminal Background Check:  If your school already requires a criminal background check, whether applying via VSAS or through our paper pdf application, the UT College of Medicine requires that you submit a copy to Kimberlee Norwood, MA, Medical Educator with the Office of Medical Education at the main medical school campus in Memphis.  You can email Ms. Norwood with any questions about the criminal background check at knorwood@uthsc.edu or call her at 901.448.5506.  Her mailing address is:

Kimberlee Norwood, MA, Medical Educator
UT Health Science Center College of Medicine
Office of Medical Education
910 Madison Ave., Suite 1031
Memphis, TN 38163

If your school does not require criminal background checks and your Dean's Office is not familiar with how to request one, visit this link to obtain instructions for a criminal background check for medical students. 

The visiting student will be responsible for the cost of the background check.  If your medical school is not listed in the drop down list as you follow the directions, select UT Health Sciences Center - Memphis/College of Medicine.

 

Sep 16, 2022