The Visiting Observer program is primarily for:

• Medical Students
• Medical Residents
• Medical Doctors and similar medical professionals

Other types of observers may be allowed to observe but ONLY in clinics, not in the operating rooms.

Some faculty may be observed only in the OR but NOT in the clinic while other faculty may only be observed in the clinic but NOT in the OR.

No one under 18 years old is allowed to observe.

All observers must be hosted by a specific faculty member.

Stanford Hospital and Clinics visiting observer program only allows:

• one period of observing during a 12-month period
• the observing period cannot be more than 30 consecutive calendar days, total, per year, per person
• observation does not take place on weekends or holidays but these days ARE counted in the 30 day total

Stanford cannot provide visas for visiting observers and we cannot assist in obtaining one.

Visiting observers usually come on a visitor visa or a business visa.

There is a fee for practicing physicians and other medical professionals of $1,500.00 for observing in clinics and/or operating rooms. There is no fee for medical students, medical residents, undergraduate students, other trainees and former Stanford OHNS residents, clinical instructors and fellows.

Amount of Fee

• Doctor or other medical professional: $1500 (regardless of length of observation)
• No fee for: medical students; medical residents; undergraduate students; interns; clinical instructors and fellow; former Stanford OHNS residents, fellows and clinical instructors; and visiting scholars/visiting faculty/visiting postdoctoral scholars who are appointed in the Department of OHNS.

Payment Due Date

Full payment is due 30 days before the approved observation start date.

Payment Method

When the faculty member has agreed to host a visiting observer and a date has been set, the administrative associate will send the visiting observer a link to the CERTAIN online payment website through which the visiting observer may pay by credit card, wire transfer or electronic check.

Refund Policy

• Observers will receive a 50% refund if they cancel at least 14 days in advance of agreed upon start date. There are no refunds for cancellations less than 14 days in advance.
• In rare cases, the department may need to cancel a scheduled observation due to a change in the host faculty’s availability. If this occurs, the department will refund the full amount paid, or re-schedule the observation, if possible, or arrange for the observer to observe other faculty, if possible. The observer will be given a choice about this.

Please see a list of clinic locations

Adult operating room (OR): 875 Blake Wilbur Drive, 3rd floor, Palo Alto, CA 94304

Pediatric operating room (OR): Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at 725 Welch Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304

Visiting observers should confirm with host faculty at which location they will be observing prior to selecting housing.

No, Stanford does not offer any housing for visiting observers.

The cost of accommodations is very high due to the general cost of housing in the bay area.

Airbnb.com and Vrbo.com maybe useful sites to find lodging to rent.

There are many nearby hotels but they are expensive.

Some housing options are listed on Stanford’s website.

Please visit our faculty webpage and their areas of specialization.

On the Visiting Observer Request and Inquiry Form the prospective observer will select a division or divisions and the faculty member(s) they would like to observe. 

In order to request the opportunity to observe, the prospective observer must submit Visiting Observer Request and Inquiry Form.

The requested faculty member’s administrative associate will let the prospective observer know whether that faculty is available and coordinate all the steps of the approval process.

The administrative associate will explain what forms and medical records are required from the prospective observer and will manage scheduling during your visit. 

THIS FORM IS A REQUEST ONLY. The prospective observer will be notified whether the requested faculty member is available to host.

After being notified that a requested faculty member is available to host the prospective observer, and the start and end dates have been confirmed, the administrative associate will start the process to obtain:

• Approval from by Stanford Hospital and Clinics (SHC) Compliance Department
• A medical clearance from SHC Workforce Health and Wellness
• Approval from the manager of the clinic and/or operating room in which they will observe

The administrative associate for the host faculty will manage all of this and will send the accepted observer another form via email through which the observer will provide all the required documents and records. This will include a link for payment if it is required.

Please see question 11 for more details regarding medical records.

It typically takes about 2 weeks to determine whether the requested faculty can host and what dates will work. However, please note that many faculty cannot commit to hosting a visiting observer more than six months before the requested start date since their schedules are uncertain.

It typically takes at least 4 weeks from when an accepted observer provides all the required documents and medical records until a final approval is received. We are not able to get approvals from the hospital until 60 days before the visit.