Penn Visiting Clerkship and Mentorship Program
AMP is excited to partner with Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to host this program. The Visiting Clerkship and Mentorship Program encompasses numerous opportunities for 4th year medical students, and seeks to address some of the obstacles that can limit access to medical training. Students are invited to explore rotations at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), Penn Presbyterian Hospital (Presby), and Pennsylvania Hospital (PAH). The clerkship includes both sub-internship and elective experiences in top-ranked residency programs. Students not only have the opportunity to spend time learning first-hand what it is like to be a resident at these institutions, but they are paired with resident and faculty mentors and meet with Residency Program Leadership to aid in their recruitment and preparation for the interview season and Match Process. Funding is included!
Program Highlights
Each student is paired with a Faculty and/or Resident mentor in an area of their interest
Each student will be given the opportunity to have a personal meeting with the Residency Program Leadership in the specialty of their interest
Funding/Stipends up to $2000 to cover travel and housing
Opportunity to interact with current residents, fellows, and faculty at social events
Clerkship Programs
We offer sub-internships (acting internships) and electives with outpatient and consult clinical exposure in the following specialties:
Dermatology | Emergency Medicine | Family Medicine | General Surgery | Internal Medicine | Neurology | Neurosurgery | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Ophthalmology | Orthopedic Surgery | Otolaryngology | Pathology | Pediatrics | Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | Psychiatry | Radiology | Urology | Vascular Surgery
Program Highlights
Each student is paired with a Faculty and/or Resident mentor in an area of their interest
Each student will be given the opportunity to have a personal meeting with the Residency Program Leadership in the specialty of their interest
Funding/Stipends up to $2000 to cover travel and housing
Opportunity to interact with current residents, fellows, and faculty at social events
Clerkship Programs
We offer sub-internships (acting internships) and electives with outpatient and consult clinical exposure in the following specialties:
Dermatology | Emergency Medicine | Family Medicine | General Surgery | Internal Medicine | Neurology | Neurosurgery | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Ophthalmology | Orthopedic Surgery | Otolaryngology | Pathology | Pediatrics | Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | Psychiatry | Radiology | Urology | Vascular Surgery
2026 APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN
Application deadline is Monday, April 27th, 2026*
*Some programs will have ongoing reviews and acceptances
Application deadline is Monday, April 27th, 2026*
*Some programs will have ongoing reviews and acceptances
Application InformationHOW TO APPLY
The application for our Clerkship opens in February and is available through the Perelman School of Medicine’s VLSO application. Search “Perelman School of Medicine” under the Elective Catalogue. Then you can find the specific applications by searching “Visiting Clerkship and Mentorship Program” VSLO Website: https://students-residents.aamc.org/visiting-student-learning-opportunities/visiting-student-learning-opportunities-vslo Perelman School of Medicine Clerkship-Mentorship Program Website: https://www.med.upenn.edu/student/visiting-clerkship-and-mentorship.html eligibility information
All applicants must be rising 4th year (or final year if additional degrees or program longer than 4 years) medical students and should apply for the clerkship program that correlates to the subspecialty they are pursuing in the match. REquired materials
The following materials are required and will be completed/uploaded via the VLSO application site:
Rotation dates
Available rotations for each specialty vary based on program selection and availability.
program contacts
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are there general visiting student opportunities outside of this program?
General visiting student rotations are available through the Perelman School of Medicine’s (PSOM) Registrar’s Office. If you are interested in rotating at Penn regardless of acceptance to our program, then you may want to move forward and apply for a general rotation slot now. To find more info: https://www.med.upenn.edu/student/application-and-dates.html
Are students from non-US medical schools eligible for this program?
Non-US Medical Schools do not usually have agreements with Perelman School of Medicine to cover visiting students’ necessary insurance for a visiting rotation and, as such, are not eligible for this program. Medical students who attend schools in US territories (such as Puerto Rico) are eligible. Otherwise please look for opportunities through Penn’s Center for Global Health: https://www.med.upenn.edu/globalhealth/international-trainees-scholars.html
Is there rolling acceptance for this program?
Given the desire to communicate earlier with students, some specialty programs (Emergency Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Pediatrics, Radiology, Urology) will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and sending acceptances along the way until their spots are full. If you have a particular need to know earlier than a program’s deadline, please contact the appropriate Clerkship Coordinator (under Program Contacts) or reach out to Dr. Jessica Fowler ([email protected]).
Are the rotation dates flexible?
We know that the PSOM rotation dates do not always line up with the rotation dates for visiting students’ medical school schedules. We sometimes have flexibility with this and would encourage you to still apply. If accepted, we do our best to adjust the dates to accommodate your medical school schedule, however this is not guaranteed.
What if I am already scheduled for a rotation at Penn and now want to apply to this program?
That is no problem at all, but we still need you to complete the specific PSOM VSLO application for this program (sometimes there are a few additional items required, and often a different selection committee). If you are accepted for the Visiting Clerkship and Mentorship Program, then we’ll take care of things internally to switch you over.
Does my letter of support have to come from an attending physician in a specific field?
Students are encouraged to have an attending physician in the specialty to which they are pursuing complete the letter. We also know that some students have not yet rotated in a specific field or may not have connected with a faculty member who can write a letter by the time of the application deadline. If that is the case, then please have an attending who knows you and who can speak in strong support of you write the letter.
Am I guaranteed an interview if I am accepted to this program?
Interview selection is separate from participation in this program. Some of our participating specialties will invite all students accepted to the Visiting Clerkship and Mentorship Program to interview.
How are funds disbursed for this rotation?
Each student will received a $2000 stipend to help cover housing and travel. You will receive information on required documents once accepted to help guide how this process will work. All funding is supported by Departments and coordinated through PSOM Office for Undergraduate Medical Education.
Does the program arrange or offer housing?
We do not have direct housing provision through this program. Students are encouraged to utilize resources on the PSOM Registrar’s website for Visiting Students: https:// www.med.upenn.edu/student/application-and-dates.html (scroll down to “Short-term Housing Opportunities). Past program participants have also utilized multi-week Airbnb reservations or gotten in touch with members of student interest groups at the Perelman School of Medicine who may have space available. Once students are accepted, we also share potential housing options from faculty and trainees.
