Frequently Asked Questions
- When can I log in to VSAS?
- When can students submit applications through VSAS?
- Does my school need to use VSAS?
- I have an access code, what's next?
- How do I log in to VSAS?
- Can international and osteopathic students use
VSAS?
- How were the 10 pilot host schools chosen?
- Will all schools be host schools after the pilot?
- What is a "home school"?
- What is a "host school"?
- Who pays VSAS fees?
- Will VSAS host schools also charge application
fees?
- What is an "authorization"?
- What if I forgot my password?
- What if I forgot my username?
- What is a VSAS Primary Contact?
- Do you offer online tutorials?
- Do students enrolled at a VSAS host school automatically
use VSAS?
- Which applicants are eligible to use VSAS?
- When and how does a school join VSAS as a host
school?
1. When can I log in to VSAS?
If you are not the VSAS Primary Contact at your institution, you
may log in to VSAS once the Primary Contact adds you as a VSAS user.
2. When can students submit applications through
VSAS?
Students will only be able to submit applications to a host school
once the host school uploads and activates their elective catalog.
3. Does my school need to use VSAS?
Each of the 10 pilot host schools, listed below, will use VSAS
to receive and process visiting student applications from students
enrolled at U.S. LCME medical schools. These same host schools may
also use VSAS as a home school if any of their students apply to
one of the other 9 host schools.
- Boston University School of Medicine
- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Georgetown University School of Medicine
- Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine
- University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine
- University of Kansas School of Medicine
- University of Michigan Medical School
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine
- University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine
4. I have an access code, what's next?
When your school adds you as a VSAS user, you will automatically
be sent the "VSAS: New User Instructions" e-mail, which
will contain an access code.
Go to the AAMC's
registration Web page and submit the access code. If you already
have an AAMC Login (the same login you may already use for AMCAS,
ERAS, CIM, etc.) please enter that username and password. If you
do not have one, follow the instructions to register with AAMC.
Before completing this process, you will be asked to choose an AAMC
username and password (if you do not have one already).
5. How do I log in to VSAS?
Before you may log in, the VSAS Primary Contact at your school
will need to add you as a user. Once that occurs, you will be sent
the "VSAS: New User Instructions" e-mail which will contain
an access code.
Go to the AAMC's
registration Web page and submit the access code. If you already
have an AAMC Login (the same login you may already use for AMCAS,
ERAS, CIM, etc) please enter that username and password. If you
do not have one, follow the instructions to register with AAMC.
Before completing this process, you will be asked to choose an AAMC
username and password (if you do not have one already).
6. Can international and osteopathic students
use VSAS?
VSAS is not yet available for international and osteopathic student
use. They should use the Extramural
Electives Compendium (EEC) for visiting student application
information.
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7. How were the 10 pilot host schools chosen?
Twenty-nine schools volunteered for host school duty during the
pilot and this group was reduced to 10 when the following criteria
was applied: schools with a relatively high volume of applications,
two schools per region, and schools with centralized and decentralized
processes.
8. Will all schools be host schools after the
pilot?
No, host school participation in VSAS will remain optional. Each
year, schools will have the opportunity to volunteer to be a host
school for the following academic year.
9. What is a home school?
The term "home school" identifies the school from which
a student receives their medical degree.
Home schools support student application by uploading transcripts,
verifying student data, and releasing applications to host schools.
10. What is a host school?
The term "host school" identifies any U.S. medical school
where students take electives as visiting students. VSAS host schools
are schools that will be accepting visiting student applications
through this software. See FAQ #3 for a complete
list of participants.
11. Who pays VSAS fees?
Students
Students pay VSAS application fees which are based on the number
of schools they apply to, not the number of electives.
The fee for the first school applied to is $35, regardless of
the number of electives applied for at that school.
The fee for each additional school is $15, again, regardless of
the number of electives applied for at those schools.
Home Schools
VSAS will not assess home school fees during the pilot
year (2008-2009). After the pilot, home schools will pay an annual
flat fee of $500 to be assessed each fall, beginning fall 2009.
To allow home schools the opportunity to scale up to this flat fee,
it will be discounted 50 percent for the first year (2009), giving an introductory
flat fee of $250.
Host Schools
VSAS will not assess host school fees during the pilot year (2008-2009).
After the pilot, host schools will pay an annual flat fee of $500
to receive visiting student applications through VSAS.
12. Will VSAS host schools also charge application
fees?
As part of their participation agreement, the 10 VSAS host
schools will not charge students a second application fee. But,
the host school reserves the right to assess a processing fee when
they offer an applicant a spot in an elective.
13. What is an "authorization"?
An authorization gives students the ability to log in to VSAS and
the amount of authorizations issued determine how many elective
applications the student may submit. Issued authorizations can be
increased or decreased at any time.
14. What if I forgot my password?
Go to the AAMC's Forgot
Password Web page. Enter your username and the e-mail address
you submitted when you created this username so you can reset your
password.
15. What if I forgot my username?
Please contact VSAS at vsas@aamc.org
or 202-478-9878.
16. What is a VSAS Primary Contact?
Each school has designated a VSAS Primary Contact who is the AAMC's
contact as well as the institutional contact for other home and
host schools.
Please contact VSAS at vsas@aamc.org
or 202-478-9878 if you would like to know who your school's contact
is.
17. Do you offer online tutorials?
Yes. We offer 11 online tutorials that will walk you through the
following VSAS steps.
Setup Tasks
Host School Tasks
To view these tutorials, and other online resources, see the Resources
section.
18. Do students enrolled at a VSAS host school
automatically use VSAS?
No. Students only use VSAS when applying for away electives
at the 10 VSAS pilot host schools.
19. Which applicants are eligible to use VSAS?
Students enrolled at U.S. LCME medical schools are eligible to
use VSAS when applying to VSAS host schools.
International and osteopathic students should use the Extramural
Electives Compendium (EEC) for visiting student application
information.
20. When and how does a school join VSAS as
a host school?
Beginning October 10, 2008, U.S. LCME medical schools may now join
VSAS as host schools in 2009! Learn about
the benefits of VSAS, how to join as a host school in 2009 and opportunities
to speak with the pilot host schools.
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