Visiting Students

Each year between February and March, an updated elective catalog is published and we begin accepting applications for the following academic year.

General Information

Weill Cornell Medical College uses the Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS) to receive visiting student applications. To apply, please submit a VSAS application for your preferred electives and dates. For more information about the application process, please visit VSAS, or contact vsas@aamc.org or (202) 478-9878. We ask that visiting students do not contact departments or course directors regarding the application process.

All electives are processed through the Student Finance & Records Office. Questions, and requests for further information, should be directed to registrar@med.cornell.edu. We respond to all inquiries within two business days. More information is available from Weill Cornell Medicine's VSAS.

Visiting students interested in electives at the following affiliates must apply directly to their programs. Please see below for contact information:

• Hospital for Special Surgery
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• New York Methodist Hospital (Brooklyn, NY): (718) 780-5040
• Methodist Hospital Texas Medical Center (Houston, TX): (713) 363-7280

Visiting Students From International Schools

Students enrolled at an international medical school, anywhere except Canada and Puerto Rico, should seek additional information from the Office of Global Health Education and the WCM Center for Global Health. Please contact the Office of Global Health Education directly if you have any questions:

Dianne Young
International Electives Coordinator
Dey2001@med.cornell.edu
(646) 962-8058

Visiting Students From Canadian Schools

Only students enrolled at U.S. LCME-accredited medical schools and osteopathic schools may currently use VSAS to apply for electives. Students from Canadian programs should apply using the downloadable application available below.

In order to complete your application with Weill Cornell Medical College, you will also need the following:

• Electives Course Catalog
•  Canadian Visiting Student Application
•  Visiting Student Electives Health Form

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Be enrolled and in good standing at a medical degree-granting institution.
2. Complete all of the required clerkships, and be in their final year by the time they are planning to enroll in the elective.
3. Be covered by malpractice or liability insurance during the term of the elective.
4. Have personal health insurance coverage.

Application Requirements

Applications must be complete and received 60 days prior to the elective start date.

Reminder: Students applying from U.S. medical schools should apply through VSAS (full application instructions are available). Canadian students should apply with a paper application. A complete application will consist of the following:

1. a completed Weill Medical College Application for Elective Study
2. Section II of the application must be completed by the Dean of Student/Academic Affairs, and must be affixed with the seal of the candidate’s institution.
3. a written statement from the Dean of Student/Academic Affairs, stating that the student is in good academic standing and is approved to do an away-elective
4. a non-refundable processing fee of $100.00 (check or money order only) made payable to Weill Cornell Medical College
5. a completed Weill Cornell Medical College Health Statement for Visiting Medical Students
6. Proof of personal health insurance coverage (photocopy of your policy or membership card) - your personal health insurance must cover you for the term of your elective at Weill Cornell Medical College.
7. an official transcript of medical school coursework in a sealed envelope
8. a current CV

Application Process

Visiting students may enroll in a maximum of eight (8) weeks of electives. We will do our best to register you for the elective of your choice; however, given the high level of interest in elective study at Weill Cornell, students are advised to provide several alternative elective choices and/or rotation dates. Please note, only dates in accordance with the Weill Cornell Medical College Academic Calendar will be considered.

Applications must arrive no later than two months (60 days) prior to the start date of the desired rotation.

For Canadian Students Only - all the above materials should be sent together in a single envelope to the address below. Incomplete applications will be returned.

Registrar
Student Finance & Records
Weill Cornell Medical College
1300 York Ave, C-114
New York, NY 10065

Availability of Electives

Elective placements will be made according to the needs of individual departments, and on a space-available basis. Due to the rotating nature of electives, we will be unable to respond to inquiries regarding their availability. Also, we will be unable to reserve a position pending the receipt of an application. Only completed applications will be considered, and students are advised to provide alternate courses and/or dates.

Students will be notified of acceptance as soon as possible, and we always inform students at least 30 days before the course begins (generally it will be much earlier than this). Acceptance notifications are delivered via email. We are unable to provide dates or deadlines; please do not request these. Please note that Weill Cornell Medicine policies explicitly prohibit students from contacting sponsors or departments directly.

Student Health Requirements

Students are required to demonstrate serologic immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and hepatitis B. Students must also provide documentation of a tetanus (Td) or Tetanus/pertussis (Tdap) booster administered in the last 10 years. Skin testing for tuberculosis is required. Students are required to provide documentation of a physical exam performed in the 12 months prior to an elective, and be free of communicable illness.

Titer Reports

Titer reports must be filed along with an application and, if they demonstrate immunity, there is no requirement regarding the date they are drawn; however, if the titers drawn for the purposes of this elective are found to be non-immune, the student must provide documentation of the appropriate boosters prior to arrival at Weill Cornell. If the student has a negative or borderline hepatitis B titer, or if the student attends a university that permits them to decline hepatitis B vaccination (and the student chooses not to be (re)immunized against hepatitis B), the student must provide Hepatitis B surface antigen documentation, and may sign a declination. Students will be notified if they require any additional testing prior to an elective.

PPD Testing

If a student is PPD-negative, they must provide two PPD test results - one in the 12 months preceding the elective, and one in the calendar year of the elective. Students who are PPD-positive must provide the date of their positive test, a copy of their chest x-ray report, and documentation of counseling and/or treatment for latent tuberculosis infection. Please note that prior history of BCG vaccination is not a contraindication to testing. Failure to provide this information will result in the cancellation of the elective.

Influenza Vaccination (October – April)

All visiting medical students must provide documentation of influenza vaccination for the current season. At a minimum, the documentation must include the date administered, name, address and signature of the immunizer, and the formulation used. Students not able to provide this documentation, or who have a medical reason they cannot receive the vaccine, will be required to wear a mask at all times around patients if the New York State Health Commissioner declares an influenza emergency, and must do so until the commissioner declares it is safe for “masks off”. Students who are not immunized against the flu, and who do not adhere to the masking requirement, may be prohibited from patient contact. 

Health Insurance

All students must provide proof of health insurance. (Please note, visiting students are not eligible for services provided through Weill Cornell Student Health Services.) In the event of illness, or the need for consultation regarding health care, visiting students must seek the services of a physician. In the event of an emergency, visiting students are advised to proceed immediately to the nearest emergency room. Any questions related to coverage (including cost) should be addressed by a student directly with their insurance provider.

Correspondence

All correspondence with Weill Cornell regarding status of an elective request will be communicated via email. This might require you to remove filters, or add email addresses to a list of accepted senders.

Housing

Visiting students are responsible for securing their own housing. The Student Finance and Records Office does not maintain or provide any information related to housing.

Evaluation

Visiting students should bring a copy of their school's evaluation form, for completion by their elective sponsor. Please do not send this with your application.

Course Catalog

Visiting students will be considered for clinical electives only. Core clinical clerkships are not available for visiting students. All elective assignments are final.