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: June 18, 2026

Message from the VSLO Team

Dear VSLO Colleagues, 

As you may know, Robin Carle left the AAMC at the end of May after five years leading the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities^™ (VSLO^®) program. Following Robin’s departure, I’m so pleased to be stepping into this VSLO leadership role and want to take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself. 

I have worked at the AAMC for more than a decade with a focus on the transition to residency, leading innovation in the Electronic Residency Application Service^® (ERAS^®) program, Careers in Medicine^® (CiM) program, and the Residency Explorer^™ tool. We recently brought the CiM, VSLO, and Residency Explorer teams together under one AAMC team that will collaborate to support students as they explore specialties, gain clinical experience, and make informed decisions about residency training. I'm excited to play a role in helping connect their journey and to work with colleagues across the VSLO team and community. 

I am listening to and learning from the VSLO community to understand your perspectives and feedback. I will be meeting with the VSLO Advisory Committee later this summer and engaging with the new Learner Access, Support, Opportunities, and Retention affinity group. Please keep an eye out for our annual institutional user survey in late summer. I look forward to hearing your feedback from the survey. 

As you advise and guide your students through the final steps of the application process, we hope you will continue to share your questions and topics of interest with us during VSLO Office Hours. You can register for an upcoming session on the Training for Institutions page. 

Please note that the AAMC will be closed on Friday, June 19, for Juneteenth and Friday, July 3, for Independence Day. 

Sincerely, 

Dana Dunleavy, PhD 

VSLO Program Updates

VSLO System Modernization 

Work continues toward modernization of the VSLO platform. We are currently developing our training schedule and support materials to provide you and your teams with opportunities to familiarize yourself with the new platform ahead of the next away rotation season. We will share more information later this year. 

Host Institution Tips for Processing Applications 

As Host institutions review and process incoming applications, the following job aids may be helpful. They highlight important actions and timely references, including: 

Requesting a Resubmission of a Requirement: This job aid provides instruction on how to request that a requirement be resubmitted.  

Editing a Decision: This job aid provides instruction on how to edit a decision on an application. 

Host Application Statuses Glossary: This document provides a glossary with definitions of the various statuses displayed to Host institution users.   

Reports Overview: This is a summary of the reports available in the VSLO application service. 

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. 

AAMC Resources for Medical Educators

New AAMC Data Examine Volunteer Medical School Faculty 

The AAMC has published two new data snapshots examining volunteer medical school faculty, including an analysis of longitudinal workforce trends and variation in volunteer faculty composition by institutional characteristics. The data show that volunteer faculty account for nearly 40% of all faculty nationwide, though reliance varies widely: community-based medical schools, medical schools with regional medical campuses, and less research-intensive medical schools tended to have higher proportions of volunteer faculty. Additionally, most medical schools offer benefits to volunteer faculty, with about 40% providing monetary stipends. Learn more about the Volunteer Faculty in U.S. Medical Schools and the Medical School Faculty Workforce. 

Academic Medicine: Do U.S. Medical Schools Nurture Rural Interest? A National Study of School-Specific Trends in Student Interest in Rural Practice from Matriculation to Graduation   

There is a longstanding and well documented shortage and maldistribution of rural physicians in the United States. Students from rural backgrounds are underrepresented in U.S. medical schools and rural practice interest declines collectively for students between matriculation and graduation. Understanding characteristics of institutions that sustain rural interest will inform strategies to support medical students’ rural career goals. Read more about this national study. 

Upcoming Events

Upcoming FIRST Program Webinar—Preparing for Change: Federal Student Loan and Repayment Updates for Medical Students

Upcoming federal student aid changes taking effect July 1, 2026, will bring substantial shifts to how incoming medical students finance their education. On June 25 at 3 p.m. ET, the AAMC’s FIRST (Financial Information, Resources, Services & Tools) team, together with leaders from the medical school financial aid community, will provide an overview and update on the final regulations stemming from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and their impact on federal student loan programs and repayment plan availability. Register now.

AAMC Center for Health Justice Webinar Spotlights Community Engagement Collaborations

On June 25, the AAMC Center for Health Justice will host the first in a series of three webinars on community engagement. The session will highlight the Duke AME Zion Health Equity Advocates and Liaisons (HEAL) partnership, a collaboration between AME Zion faith leaders and Duke Health’s Community Engaged Research Initiative team. This collaboration has created culturally relevant health education programs, expanded access to trusted information, increased research participation, and generated significant health impacts as well as millions in research funding. The webinar will also explore Health Commons, a partnership between the University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine and Houston’s historic Third Ward, which centers on shared power and co-leadership from the outset. Register now. 

AAMC, AACOM, and ACGME Host Webinar on Clinical Competency Committees in Undergraduate Medical Education 

On June 26 from 1-2 p.m. ET, the AAMC, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) will host a free webinar to demystify clinical competency committees (CCCs) in competency-based medical education (CBME) and help undergraduate medical education (UME) faculty understand where to begin. The CCC is a small group that meets regularly to review learner assessment data and progress over time. They have emerged as an essential component of the learner assessment process in graduate medical education (GME) and are becoming more common in UME. This session, open to all educators, will address questions regarding CCC structure, function, and process. Participants will learn practical first steps from educators who are at varying stages of CCC implementation within medical schools and will offer a realistic roadmap for launching a CCC in a way that promotes longitudinal formative assessment, strengthens learning, supports equity, and ultimately, improves readiness for residency. Register now. 

Registration is Now Open for Learn Serve Lead 2026: The AAMC Annual Meeting   

Registration is now open for Learn Serve Lead 2026: The AAMC Annual Meeting taking place in Anaheim, California, Nov. 6-10. The meeting brings together leaders across academic medicine — including deans, faculty, researchers, clinicians, and educators — to commemorate 150 years of impact and to shape the future of medicine in this milestone year. Attendees will have an opportunity to celebrate the people and progress that have defined how physicians and scientists are trained and imagine the next era of discovery, medical education, advocacy, and community impact. The priority registration discount rate ends July 15. 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.