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Medical Student Eligibility Requirements

All visiting students must submit an application through VSLO. All U.S. allopathic and osteopathic schools participate in VSLO, as well as some international medical schools. We cannot consider any medical student for a visiting rotation if your school does not participate in VSLO. Contact your Dean's Office if you questions about the VSLO process.

The UTHSC College of Medicine-Chattanooga and UTHSC COM Office of Medical Education in Memphis will review applications once they have processed through VSLO. Students must meet all VSLO and UTHSC criteria.

All applications will be reviewed by the appropriate clinical department for final approval.

This policy will be applied in conjunction with the guidelines established in the UTHSC College of Medicine Visiting Student Policy #104 below:

Requirements

The UTHSC College of Medicine will provide elective opportunities at its sites in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and Jackson for students from other medical schools. This policy outlines eligibility criteria, procedural requirements and availability limitations for visiting students.

Rationale and Procedure

  1. Eligibility for a visiting elective is based on academic qualifications:
    1. The student must be a candidate in good standing for the MD or DO degree in his/her final year of training at an accredited medical school or from an institution with which UTHSC has a formal exchange program;
    2. The student must have completed instruction in the basic history and physical examination and have a working knowledge of general ward procedures;
    3. The student has completed five core clerkships;
    4. The student must have met the prerequisites of the elective to which they are applying; and
    5. The student must have passed USMLE Step 1 or COMLEX Part 1.

  2. To be accepted as a visiting student, an individual must also:
    1. Pass a criminal background check;
    2. Pass a 10-panel drug screen (within the last six months);
    3. Carry malpractice/liability insurance coverage in the amount of $1 million per incident and $3 million aggregate, through his/her home institution or other acceptable sources;
    4. Have health insurance;
    5. Have been immunized against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, influenza, varicella and Hepatitis B;
    6. Have two negative TB skin tests (within the past 12 months), and undergo a TB mask fitting;
    7. Have been certified in CPR/BLS within the past year; and
    8. Have completed HIPAA compliance and security training. 

  3. Electives are made available to visiting students only after all UTHSC students have been scheduled which may occur up until 30 days before the start of the rotation. In aggregate, the elective experience for a visiting senior medical student at all campuses is limited to a maximum of 12 weeks during their medical school career.

  4. Any exception to this policy must be approved by the Dean of the respective COM campus at the recommendation of the Department Chair or their designees, who will assume responsibility for verifying the above requirements have been met.

  5. Academic credit for the elective will be awarded by the visiting student’s home institution. No academic credit will be awarded by UTHSC. 

Students who are regularly enrolled in another medical school and paying tuition at that school are currently not charged tuition at the University of Tennessee for brief elective periods. This policy may change in the future, and the school reserves the right to charge tuition at any time.

Criminal Background Check

If your school already requires a criminal background check, the UTHSC College of Medicine requires that you submit a copy to UTHSC Office of Medical Education via email (visiting@uthsc.edu) or postal mail:

UTHSC College of Medicine
Office of Medical Education
910 Madison Ave., Suite 1002
Memphis, TN 38163

Please direct any questions about the background check to Karen Coleman in the Office of Medical Education.

If your school does not require criminal background checks and your Dean's Office is not familiar with how to request one, instructions are provided to request and pay for a criminal background check for medical students. 

The visiting student is responsible for the cost of the background check. If your medical school is not listed in the drop-down list as you follow the directions, select UT Health Sciences Center College of Medicine Memphis.

Jun 13, 2025