Application Process
Positions
Each year, the Visiting Medical Student Clerkship Program at Mayo Clinic receives more applications than it has educational opportunities. Selection is determined by the clinical departments and based on medical school transcript grades, successful completion of USMLE/COMLEX Step 1, space availability, and competitiveness for a Mayo Clinic residency.
Qualifications
Candidates for the Visiting Medical Student Clerkship Program at Mayo Clinic must:
- Have passed the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX) Level 1, or National Board Dental Examination (NBDE); international applicants must have passed USMLE Step 1
- Be in the final year of medical school at the time of the clerkship. Dental students must be in the junior or senior year of dental school or enrolled in an advanced dental education or prosthodontics certificate program in the U.S. or Canada
- Be in good academic standing at their medical school
- Have received the required immunizations by the start of their clerkship rotation (proof of immunizations do not need to be submitted with the online application)
International students
In addition to the above requirements, international students must:
- Have personal health insurance coverage in the amount of a minimum of $50,000 (USD)
- If instruction at the home medical school is not in English, applicants must show demonstrated fluency in English with successful completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination within the last two years. Eligible students must show proof of a minimum score of no lower than 104.
- Have completed approximately 48 weeks of actual patient care clinical experiences before the start of the clerkship — six to eight weeks each of medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and surgery, and approximately 20 weeks of electives (verification by your medical school is required)
- Be enrolled in the final year of medical school at the time of their clerkship. For international medical schools that require an internship for the final year, students who will be enrolled in their medical school at the time of their clerkship are eligible to apply.
- Submit a $350 (USD) non-refundable application fee
Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, is only able to accept international medical students from institutions that are licensed by the Florida Commission for Independent Education. At this time, the only international medical schools approved for Florida rotations are:
- American University of Antigua, Antigua
- American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, St. Maarten
- Medical University of the Americas, Nevis
- Ross University School of Medicine, Barbados
- Saba University School of Medicine, Netherlands
- St. George's University School of Medicine, Grenada
- St. Matthew's University School of Medicine, Cayman Islands
- UNIBE School of Medicine, Dominican Republic
- University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Saint Kitts
International medical students interested in our Florida rotations who attend medical schools not on the approved list must have their medical schools contact the Florida Commission for Independent Education to apply for approval. Although the above schools are licensed by the state of Florida, Mayo Clinic’s Visiting Medical Student Clerkship Program only accepts applications via AAMC’s Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO). If you attend a licensed school that does not participate in AAMC, you would not be eligible to apply for a clerkship.
Note: Mayo Clinic's campuses in Rochester, Minnesota, and Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, can accept medical students from all international medical schools.
Vaccinations
You do not need to submit any immunizations with your VSLO application. Immunization documentation will be required as part of your onboarding process should you be invited for a clerkship rotation. Immunizations required include:
- Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chicken pox)
- Hepatitis B
- Tetanus/Pertussis
- Seasonal influenza (only required for students who will be on clerkship rotations from Oct. 1 through March 31)
- SARS-CoV-2 (proof of vaccination or complete declination process)
- Tuberculosis. This program requires documentation of TB status. Students will be required to submit either:
- Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) blood test completed within three months of your rotations start date (preferred method), or
- Two-step TB skin test. If a two-step skin test is submitted, the first test should be done not more than 12 months prior to the start of your rotation and a second test within three months prior to the start of your rotation.
Malpractice insurance
Mayo Clinic provides professional liability (malpractice) insurance for any visiting medical student participating in an approved clinical clerkship in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota at no cost to the student. The Verification of Medical School Information form must be completed by the home institution and indicate whether or not liability insurance is provided by the home institution. Students participating in approved clinical clerkships in Wisconsin must provide proof of liability insurance coverage.
How to apply
The Mayo Clinic Visiting Medical Student Clerkship Program uses the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) portal for accepting and processing clerkship applications. Visit Visiting Student Learning Opportunities™ (VSLO®) for additional information on our program and to complete an application.
If you are experiencing any technical issues in completing or submitting your application, contact AAMC's VSLO support for assistance.
The Visiting Medical Student Clerkship program will not be accepting any applications outside of the VSLO portal. For international students whose medical school is not currently an AAMC participating institution, please see the AAMC website for information on how to initiate the process of having your institution enroll in the application service.
Academic year application timelines
| Application opens | Application closes | Clerkship period desired |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 1, (noon ET) | Dec. 30, (8 p.m. ET) | For rotations beginning April-June |
| March 1, (noon ET) | March 31, (8 p.m. ET) | For rotations beginning July-Sept. |
| June 1, (noon ET) | June 30, (8 p.m. ET) | For rotations beginning Oct.-Dec. |
| Sept. 1, (noon ET) | Sept. 30, (8 p.m. ET) | For rotations beginning Jan.-March |
| Dec. 1, (noon ET) | Dec. 30, (8 p.m. ET) | For rotations beginning April-June |
Important notice: In addition to submitting student applications by the specified deadline, your home institution should also submit all required documentation by the deadline to expedite the review process. Clinical departments will begin making decisions to accept applications promptly on the first of the month following the deadline. Applications released by home institutions after the deadline may not be reviewed by the clinical departments.
Clerkships are always four weeks in length, beginning on a Monday and concluding four weeks later on a Friday in full-week increments (with the exception of holidays).
Application details
You may apply to only one Mayo Clinic location. Candidates may submit up to four total applications. Applications submitted for the same department with four different date ranges count as four applications.
To prepare for applications opening in VSLO, you should anticipate the following requirements necessary to apply:
- Personal statement
- CV
- Medical school transcript
- Board scores (USMLE/COMLEX)
- Letter(s) of recommendation
- Letters of recommendation should be written by a physician with whom you have worked with that is familiar with your clinical abilities and career goals. Most programs require one letter of recommendation for domestic candidates and two letters of recommendation for global candidates. Exceptions to this include:
| Elective rotation | Required # of letters of recommendation |
|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Diseases (Arizona) | 2 letters of recommendation are required for all candidates. |
| General/Vascular/Colorectal Surgery (Florida) | 2 letters of recommendation are required for all candidates. |
| Neurology (Arizona) | 2 letters of recommendation are required for all candidates. |
| Oncology Surgery (Florida) | 2 letters of recommendation are required for all candidates. |
| Radiation Oncology (Florida) | No letters of recommendation are required to apply to this clerkship. |
| Women's Health (Arizona) | 2 letters of recommendation are required for all candidates. |
| Radiation Oncology (Minnesota) | 4 letters of recommendation are required for all candidates. |
Once clerkships have been confirmed, changes in or rescheduling of clerkship assignments are not permitted.
Submission
Submit the online application by the appropriate deadline as indicated. It is strongly encouraged to have your home institution follow the same deadline. Clinical departments begin reviewing applications and making decisions promptly on the first of the month following the deadline. Applications released by home institutions after the deadline may not be reviewed by the clinical departments. You will receive a decision approximately six weeks following the submission deadline.
Applications are not processed prior to the submission deadline.
Acceptance
Students accepted for a clerkship must successfully complete all post-decision requirements and adhere to all Mayo Clinic policies, including, but not limited to background checks, immunizations, and required documentation. Failure to complete or adhere to any post-decision requirements will result in the cancellation of the clerkship. Acceptance and participation in Mayo Clinic’s Visiting Medical Student Clerkship Program does not guarantee a letter of recommendation or residency interview.
Due to the large volume of requests received and limited clinical capacity, students accepted to our clerkship program are limited to one, one-month experience. Additional rotations or extending rotations beyond the allotted time is not permitted.