VSLO® Program Updates

NEW: Best Practices for Processing Visiting Student Applications

The AAMC Group on Student Affairs’ Committee on Student Records (COSR) recently sent institutional colleagues best practice recommendations for processing visiting student applications. A letter was also sent to students to share key recommendations for a successful away rotation season. That letter can be accessed on the VSLO Student Resources page.

The VSLO Program Welcomes New Host Institutions

We would like to welcome the following Host institutions, and look forward to their contributions to the robust set of opportunities available to students in the VSLO application service: 

• BayCare Health System 
• Doctors Hospital at Renaissance  
• Intermountain Medical Center  
• Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital  
• Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center  
• McLeod Regional Medical Center 
• Memorial Hospital Gulfport  
• Sutter Coast Hospital 
• Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center  
• Willis Knighton Health 

VSLO Student Training Part 1: Application Overview

This one-hour training provides students with an in-depth overview of the VSLO application service. It covers the application process from beginning your elective search all the way through tracking your submitted applications. Watch now.

VSLO Student Training Part 2: Resources, Data, and Next Steps

This one-hour training provides students with an overview of VSLO resources and data, addresses common student questions, and guides students through tasks and scenarios they may encounter in the VSLO application service. Watch now.

VSLO^® Applicant Checklist

This resource will help applicants keep track of tasks they need to complete while applying to electives in the VSLO application service.

VSLO Student Infographic

The VSLO student infographic provides information to assist students (and advisors guiding students) through the process of developing individual away rotation strategies. The infographic illustrates a range of data points, including specialty data, average time between application submission and elective start dates, cadence of student and Host institution activity in the VSLO application service, and more. 

Explore more VSLO student resources on our webpage.

Last Updated: April 16, 2026

Message from the VSLO Team

Dear VSLO Colleagues,

Spring meeting season is in full swing! It was wonderful to meet with those of you who attended the 2026 AAMC Group on Resident Affairs (GRA) and Organization of Resident Representatives (ORR) Joint Spring Meeting earlier this week. We look forward to connecting with many of you this week at the 2026 AAMC Group on Student Affairs (GSA)--Group on Collaboration, Engagement, and Community (GCEC)- Organization of Student Representatives (OSR) Joint National Meeting. 

As you know, this is one of the busiest weeks of the away rotation season. We are keeping a close eye on application activity and look forward to sharing emerging trends and data from this season with you and your teams in upcoming editions of this newsletter. We expect to see increases in student and program activity in the VSLO system similar to the previous away rotation season. 

We also want to make you aware that the AAMC GSA Committee on Student Records (COSR) recently sent best practice recommendations for processing visiting student applications to institutional colleagues. Additionally, COSR sent a letter to students to share key recommendations for a successful away rotation season. That letter can be accessed on the VSLO Student Resources page. 

The VSLO team will also be participating in an away rotation conversation workshop for advisors, program directors, and others involved in student career development at the upcoming American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) Educating Leaders 2026 annual conference. For those of you attending, we look forward to engaging with you in the workshop and learning from your perspectives. 

Sincerely, 

The AAMC VSLO Team

Sincerely, 

The AAMC VSLO Team

VSLO Program Updates

Reminder that Puerto Rican Medical Schools are U.S. LCME Accredited 

As Host institutions begin processing applications, we want to remind you that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and the following four Puerto Rican medical schools are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education: 

• Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine
• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
• Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine
• University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine   

Students at these LCME accredited medical schools are eligible to apply for electives offered in any U.S. Network catalogs open to their medical schools. 

Submit Your Opportunities to the Visiting Scholars Resources Database 

We invite institutions with research opportunities and those offering unique academic, professional, and financial resources for visiting students to submit their opportunities to the Visiting Scholars Resources Database. Submit your opportunities and resources. 

AAMC Resources for Medical Educators

 2026 Summer Make-Up Course Program Listing 

The updated Make Up Course listings for summer 2026 are now available on the AAMC's website. This listing is a searchable database accessible to medical students, faculty members, and administrators. 

If you have any questions about the 2026 Summer Make-Up Course Program Listing, please email Brandon Hunter, director, AAMC strategic partnerships and educational pathways, at bhunter@aamc.org. 

New AAMC Study Examines Factors Associated with Medical School Graduates’ Choice of Pediatrics 

A new study published in JAMA Network Open and co-authored by AAMC researchers provides comprehensive, recent national data on the characteristics, experiences, and career plans associated with U.S. MD graduates’ choice of pediatrics as their intended specialty. Among the key findings, more recent cohorts of U.S. MD matriculants show significantly lower odds of choosing pediatrics at graduation compared with earlier cohorts. Intention to pursue pediatrics at matriculation was associated with choosing pediatrics at graduation, as were higher-rated pediatrics clerkship quality and plans for patient care-focused careers. The findings show that strengthening the pediatrics workforce requires upstream action, among other strategies, such as premedical school exposure, high quality clerkships, and intentional advising. Read more. 

Flipping the Medical School Classroom 

How medical schools are encouraging active learning by moving lectures out of class time. Read more.

Best Practice Recommendations for Processing Visiting Student Applications

The AAMC COSR recently sent best practice recommendations for processing visiting student applications to institutional colleagues. Additionally, COSR sent a letter to students to share key recommendations for a successful away rotation season. That letter can be accessed on the VSLO Student Resources page. 

Additional Articles of Interest 

IMGs Continue to Strengthen U.S. Health Care in 2026 Residency Match^® 

International medical graduates (IMGs) matched to a total of 9,682 first-year residency positions in the 2026 Main Residency Match^® (The Match^®), according to results released by the National Resident Matching Program^® (NRMP^®). IMGs accounted for approximately 23.6% of all matched applicants, filling critical roles across high-need specialties and underserved communities throughout the United States. Read more.

Upcoming Events

LIVE! Federal Student Aid Webinars - One Big Beautiful Bill Act Series

Registration is open for the first Federal Student Aid webinar series session, Legacy Loan Limits Q&A, which will focus on answering your questions about the legacy loan limit provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The session will take place on Friday, April 17, from 1-2 p.m. ET. Register now. 

Register for Upcoming Virtual Events on Global Partnerships and Leadership

Alliance of Academic Health Centers International (AAHCI), which connects AAMC members with a network of global leaders in academic medicine, will host two upcoming virtual sessions focused on key priorities for academic health centers:  

• Monday, April 20: AAHCI will host a webinar to explore how institutions can build and sustain cross-sector partnerships, with perspectives from leaders in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and China on collaboration across academia, health systems, government, and industry.  
• Tuesday, April 21: AAHCI will convene a roundtable to examine strategies for developing future leaders, highlighting international approaches to strengthening leadership pipelines. 

Register for the Webinar (April 20)

Register for the Roundtable (April 21)

Register for IPEC Institute for Faculty Development 

The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC), of which the AAMC is a member, will host an immersive virtual faculty development institute over four days in May. The program will focus on interprofessional education for collaborative practice (IPECP), and both interprofessional teams and individuals are invited to join and engage with national leaders to develop the foundational skills for IPECP. The sessions will include dedicated time for planning, designing, assessing, and communicating IPECP projects and goals. Register now. 
 

About the VSLO Program

The AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities™ (VSLO^®) program enables medical and public health students to pursue short-term learning opportunities in locations away from their Home institutions.

View Program Updates

Contact AAMC Support

We appreciate your candid feedback as it helps us identify and prioritize any resource or system enhancements. Please contact the AAMC Support Center or call 202-478-9878 if you have any questions. Representatives are available Monday - Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.