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Medical Student Eligibility Requirements

  1. All visiting students must submit an application through VSLO.  All US Allopathic and Osteopathic Schools do participate in VSLO, and some International Medical Schools participate.  We cannot consider any medical student for a visiting rotation if your school does not participate in VSLO.  Contact your Dean's Office if you questions about the VSLO process.

  2. The UTHSC College of Medicine - Chattanooga and UTHSC COM Office of Medical Education in Memphis will review applications once they have been processed through VSLO.  Students must meet all VSLO and UTHSC 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 UTHSC 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 MD or DO 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/BLS 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 senior medical 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 visiting@uthsc.edu.  You can email with any questions about the criminal background check at visiting@uthsc.edu.  The mailing address is:

UT Health Science Center College of Medicine
Office of Medical Education
910 Madison Ave., Suite 1002
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, instructions are provided to request and pay 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 College of Medicine Memphis.

Mar 14, 2025