How To Apply

Eligibility Requirements

Stanford students always have priority on available clerkships. Visiting Students are eligible to apply for a maximum of three months of elective clerkships.

  1. The student must be in good academic standing and a currently registered senior year student in the M.D. or D.O. degree program at a school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or Education Department of the American Osteopathic Association. For all other students, please see “International Medical Students” below.
  2. The student is covered by malpractice/liability insurance at a level of at least $1,000,000 primary/$3,000,000 aggregate by his/her home school.
  3. The student has completed the core clinical clerkships in Medicine, Pediatrics, and Surgery.
  4. The student has passed Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination or the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners certifying exam.
  5. The student has completed HIPAA Training.
  6. The student has passed the Respiratory Mask Fit Test. It is a measurement for mask size, ask your Office of Student Affairs about this. (Stanford University Hospital and Clinics stock 3M 1860 or 1860S type N95 disposable respirators for TB control.)
  7. Proof of required immunizations:
    1. Positive rubella and mumps titers or immunizations.
    2. Positive measles titer or immunization with two doses of measles vaccination with live vaccine since 1967. Person with documentation of a negative measles antibody titer must be vaccinated:
      1. With two doses of live vaccine if born after 1957.
      2. With one dose of live vaccine if born before 1957, and have written documentation of one dose of measles vaccine given before 1963 or after 1967.
      3. With two doses of vaccine if born before 1957 and have no documentation of measles vaccination.
    3. Positive Varicella (Chicken pox) titer or Varicella vaccine given 4 to 8 weeks apart.
    4. Hepatitis B vaccination or documentation of declination or waiver.
    5. Tuberculin status:
      1. Persons with a history of a negative PPD must provide documentation of a PPD test within the past 6 months.
      2. Persons with a history of a positive PPD must provide documentation of a recent chest x-ray and a review of symptoms within the past 6 months. If chest x-ray is abnormal, clinician clearance must be provided.
  8. A non-refundable application fee of $100 will be charged once your application form is received by our office. Do not send a check to the Clerkship Office. See here for details: Application Fee.

International Medical Students

If you are attending a Foreign Medical School, unfortunately we are currently unable to accommodate your request for a clinical rotation here at Stanford. We regret that the demands on our resources allow us only to consider students who are currently enrolled in their fourth or final year in the M.D. or D.O. program at a school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or Education Department of the American Osteopathic Association. We wish you well in obtaining a suitable clinical experience.

Application Checklist

All students applying must use the Visiting Clerkship Application Form and Dean’s Statement Form. Your application will not be considered complete until all of the required documentation is received. The following checklist will help ensure that you do not forget anything during the application process.

  1. Review the online electives catalog.
    Clerkship Descriptions

  2. Check application deadlines.
    Visiting applications for each quarter are accepted ONLY during the one month window listed below. Please refer to the dates indicated and apply at that time. Do not mail applications before the first day of each acceptance period. Any applications received outside the application acceptance period will not be processed.

    Quarter

    Application Acceptance
    Period & Deadline

    		Notified by Mail
    Summer (Periods 1, 2, 3) April 1 - April 30 May 15
    Autumn (Periods 4, 5, 6) July 1 - July 31 August 15
    Winter (Periods 7, 8, 9) October 1 - October 31 November 15
    Spring (Periods 10, 11, 12) January 1 - January 31 February 15

    Students are scheduled on a first come first served basis, based on the completion date of their file. If all required materials are received, your application will be considered complete as of the postmark date on your package. Students are notified regarding the status of their application, by email, as applications are received by the Clerkship Office.

  3. Complete the Application Form.
    • The application form must be received by the application deadline. Please complete the form and list your clerkship choices in order of preference, including which period you prefer for each elective.
    • Print the application form.
    • Do not send in more than one copy of the application form for each quarter. Any clerkship preference changes should be made by sending us an e-mail instead.

  4. Gather the following supporting documentation.
    These documents may be sent after the application deadline, provided that your application is received by the deadline:
    • Print the Dean's Statement Form, and then have it completed and signed by your Dean/ Registrar’s Office.
    • Provide a letter or a copy of your mask fit certification to show that you have successfully passed the Respiratory Mask Fit Test.
    • Provide a copy of the records/ dates of the following required immunizations: Rubella and mumps, Measles, Varicella, Hepatitis B, and Tuberculosis. (Can be obtained from your school’s health office or your primary physician.)

  5. Done!
    Mail the following items to the address below:
    1. Application Form
    2. Dean's Statement Form
    3. Respiratory Mask Fit Test proof
    4. Proof of immunizations

      Clerkship Office
      Office of Student Services
      Stanford University School of Medicine
      251 Campus Drive, MSOB Room X373
      Stanford, CA 94305-5404

    Note: We do not accept applications by fax or email.

If you have concerns which have not been clarified, you may send an e-mail to Jared Shields at jshields@stanford.edu.

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