UC San Diego Visiting Senior Medical Student Program
San Diego, California · Visiting Student (MD/DO)
Always confirm details on the official institution page before applying. Requirements, fees, and deadlines can change.
About this program
UC San Diego School of Medicine accepts senior visiting medical students from LCME-accredited US, Canadian, and Puerto Rican schools and COCA-accredited osteopathic schools through VSLO. The 2026-2027 browsing window opens February 1, applications accepted beginning March 1, offers begin April 1 on a rolling basis. Rotations are four weeks long and credit-bearing. Participating departments include Internal Medicine (Acting-Internship, Pulmonary/CC, Cardiology, Nephrology, Endocrine, Rheumatology, GI, ID, Heme-Onc), Emergency Medicine, Radiation Medicine, Orthopaedics, and Plastic Surgery. The Visiting Elective Scholarship Program (VESP) provides up to $2,000 in funding for students interested in working with underserved populations or from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. UCSD is a Level-1 trauma academic medical center with a well-known tropical medicine and border-health footprint.
AAMC VSLO platform
Applications submitted through your home medical school's Dean's office.
Quick highlights
Strong points
- Verified direct sourceAudited URL — no platform middleman, no scraped data
- Multi-specialty (5+)Placement available across multiple clinical departments
- Certificate of completionIssued on successful program completion
- Rolling applicationsApply year-round, not tied to a single yearly window
Watch for
- INTL not eligibleProgram is US LCME/COCA only — no IMG pathway
- VSLO platform requiredYour home medical school must participate in AAMC VSLO
- USMLE Step requiredStep 1 pass typical
- ECFMG certificationYes — implied via USMLE Step 1 requirement
Fees, duration & what it costs
What's included
- 4 weeks of structured clinical experience
- Placement in your chosen specialty across 5 departments
- Direct supervision by attending faculty
- Rounds, case discussions, and bedside teaching participation
- Certificate of completion at end of program
Required clerkships completed
How to apply
- Confirm eligibility with your home Dean's office.Verify your school participates in VSLO and that you have completed any required core clerkships.
- Open the program's official Visiting Students page.Review the current elective catalog, available specialties, and any program-specific forms.
- Submit your application through the AAMC VSLO platform.Your home Dean's office handles the submission. Include the Dean's letter of permission and any required documentation.
- Wait for the program to assign your rotation.Lead time varies by demand. Programs review on a rolling or cohort schedule (see Lead time tile above).
- Complete pre-arrival onboarding.Health clearance, malpractice attestation, immunization documentation, and orientation are coordinated by the program before your start date.
Available specialties
Eligibility requirements
Senior MD/DO at LCME/COCA North American school; core clerkships complete; dept-specific Step 1 requirement typical.
USMLE / COMLEX: Step 1 pass typical
ECFMG: Yes — implied via USMLE Step 1 requirement
Graduation year: Class of 2027
Reviews
User-submitted feedback, moderated before publishing. Separate from the verification badges above (which check source-link provenance, not review endorsement).
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.