VSLO® Program Updates

We are committed to providing regular VSLO program updates through the VSLO listserv, email and on this page. Please visit this page regularly and if you have any questions, email the VSLO team at: visitingstudents@aamc.org.

Last Updated: May 19, 2022

Message from The VSLO Team

Dear VSLO Colleagues,

In January, the VSLO program began distributing a post-rotation student survey to better understand how students value their rotation opportunities and their experience using the VSLO software. This monthly survey contains questions about the costs associated with their rotations and their satisfaction with the timing and variety of opportunities as well as questions that connect their rotation experience to their residency application plans. The feedback from students about their experiences is extremely valuable, and we hope you will encourage your students to fill out the survey. The VSLO team looks forward to sharing initial data with you at Learn Serve Lead: The AAMC Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn. later this year.

In support of the Coalition for Physician Accountability’s Undergraduate Medical Education-Graduate Medical Education Review Committee (UGRC) report’s concepts and themes, the AAMC will be convening a group of partners from across the UME-GME continuum this summer to discuss four topics of importance to the transition to residency community: Away rotations, interview protocols, GME database/Residency Explorer™, and holistic review. Please visit the AAMC’s UGRC web pages to access our existing resources and activities. We encourage those in the transition to residency community to sign up to receive future updates in the new quarterly newsletter.

Finally, we would like to make you aware that the AAMC will be performing scheduled network upgrades that will impact all AAMC services, including the VSLO application service, on Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22. During this period, all AAMC services will be unavailable. A banner indicating the exact maintenance times is posted on the website.

Thank you,

The VSLO Team

VSLO Program Updates

AAMC Updates Gender Data Collection Categories, Prefix Options

The AAMC strives to use inclusive language that reflects and speaks to the needs of the people it serves. To align with this objective, the AAMC is taking an iterative approach to updating its data collection forms. Effective April 21, data collection forms include identification selection options for gender that were previously listed as sex. The AAMC continues to receive feedback about how to capture non-binary gender categories and will consider additional categories in the future. Additionally, new prefixes will be added to OneAAMC, including Mx., which provides a gender inclusive option. This update was implemented in the OneAAMC system and in all AAMC data collection starting April 21, and in all AAMC applications beginning with the 2023 season openings. As part of its overall commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, the AAMC will work to continually improve, and update gender language based on community input on this change.

URiM Spotlight: Southern Illinois University's (SIU) Emergency Medicine (EM) Department

There are many excellent Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) opportunities highlighted in our URiM database and we will be regularly highlighting examples of these offerings to you. This month, we are pleased to highlight SIU EM’s Underrepresented in Medicine Scholarship Program for Visiting Students, offering two $1,500 scholarships to help offset the cost of housing and travel. SIU School of Medicine offers a collection of local housing options that accept short-term leases. In addition to SIU EM’s regular introduction and orientation process for all visiting students, scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to engage regularly with SIU’s Department of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Emphasis is placed on participating in different events within the department and connecting with other URiM students and faculty.

What is unique about your institution?

Southern Illinois University’s Emergency Medicine Residency is a three-year residency program with eight residents per class. We are located in Illinois's capital city of Springfield, which provides unique opportunities for advocacy and health policy. SIU EM's residency offers two level one trauma centers (Springfield Memorial Hospital and Hospital Sisters Health System St. John’s Hospital) with approximately 130,000 annual patient visits as well as a longitudinal pediatric experience in our pediatric emergency department at St. Johns Children’s Hospital. In addition, our residents participate in a longitudinal rural emergency medicine experience at Taylorville Memorial Hospital, a critical access ED. We serve a diverse and complex patient population across a large area. Finally, with our Memorial Center for Learning, our residents engage in an innovative simulation-based and procedural curriculum multiple times each month.

How would you describe your department’s culture?

SIU EM’s culture has always been learner-focused with an emphasis on collaboration and diversity. We believe our ability to provide students with a challenging but safe learning environment with a group of faculty and residents that make them feel welcome, important, and included is one of our greatest strengths.

How many of the students who complete rotations at SIU EM continue on to pursue residency at your institution?

We are fortunate to continue to consistently fill spots in each residency class, often multiple, with visiting students who have rotated with us. In addition, approximately 50 percent of our residency graduates go on to practice in our mission area, including many of those who were not originally from the area. We feel this has a lot to do with the culture of our residency and hospitals, the dedication to teaching of our core and clinical faculty, as well as the opportunities provided.

For more information on SIU EM, visit https://www.siumed.edu/em.

We look forward to featuring additional institutional users. Please reach out to be considered for a future newsletter.