VSLO

• I already graduated from medical school. Am I eligible to rotate?
  • No. Visiting student rotations are designed for students who are enrolled in their final year of medical school and have already completed one full year of in-hospital clinical training.
• I have not yet completed core clerkships in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics, but I will complete them before I want to rotate at DGSOM. Can I apply now?
  • Yes. Core clerkships in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics must be completed before you can begin an elective at DGSOM. Your home school will be able to verify in VSLO the date you have or will complete a core rotation or other course. If you are accepted to a rotation, your school will need to submit an updated transcript showing successful completion of the clerkship(s) before you may begin your rotation.
• Can I complete multiple rotations?
  • Yes, students are permitted to complete up to 3 electives or 9 weeks of coursework. 

• When are applications due?
  • DGSOM at UCLA will be accepting visiting medical students for the 2026-2027 academic year. DGSOM's catalog on VSLO will be viewable on Monday January 26th, 2026. Applications will open on March 9th at 8am PST. Applications must be submitted in VSLO at least two and a half months (75 days) prior to the start date of the elective.
• Is there a maximum number of applications I can submit at once?
  • Yes. You can have 6 active elective, site, and/or date selection choices. Additional applications submitted beyond the limit will be rejected. E.G. if you want to apply to an elective at UCLA and one at Harbor UCLA, you could submit a maximum of 3 date ranges per elective.
• Can I send paperwork directly to a department or faculty member?
  • No. All application documents and supporting material should only be submitted via VSLO.
• How can I find out about availability of a rotation?
  • Availability can fluctuate daily due to add and drop requests and cannot be maintained in real time. For this reason, all electives are considered open unless they have been closed in VSLO. There is no guarantee that an elective will have availability at the time that you apply.
• Can I apply to electives if I haven't yet taken Step 1 or COMLEX 1?
  • Yes. We will require proof of a passing Step 1 or COMLEX 1 score before your rotation begins.

Training sites are located all over the city. The elective name on VSLO has the location listed- E.g., UCLA, Harbor UCLA, Olive View UCLA, and Santa Monica are all seperate elective locations. You can refer to our Affiliate Map to see where each site is located. Additional location details can be found on the course catalog. 

• How are applications processed by UCLA through VSLO?
  • Scheduling decisions are made at the elective level based on academic merit, availability, and other criteria that may vary by elective.
  • If selected to rotate, the visiting student coordinator reviews the student’s requirements to determine eligibility. Then the offer is sent. During busy seasons, DGSOM prioritizes sending offers for the soonest upcoming months. The latest you could expect to hear back would be 60 days before the starting month of your elective. That is when applications are closed to allow time for onboarding.
• How can I find out about the status of my application?
  • Please allow a minimum of 30 to 60 days for your application to be released by your home school and reviewed. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are released to us by home schools. Please check VSLO for the most up-to-date status information.
  • If you have questions regarding your application’s status, you may contact our office via email at dgsomelectives@mednet.ucla.edu no earlier than 30 days after you have received email notification that your application was released. 

• I have been accepted to rotate, but I would like to change my scheduled block. Is this possible?
  • This might be possible. You should reach out to the student coordinator to let you know if they can offer a different block. You can find their contact information in our course catalog by searching for course numbers and then clicking on the course name.
• I have been accepted to rotate, but the dates offered do not line up with my school’s calendar. Can I modify the dates, extend, or shorten them?
  • Some of our electives are open to modifications such as start dates or durations, but others prefer to stick to fixed start dates. Any deviations from the standard 3-week blocks and start dates are at the discretion of the course coordinator. You can find their contact information in our course catalog by searching for course numbers and then clicking on the course name.
• What if I need Accommodations?
  • Contact the David Geffen School of Medicine's Director of Disability Services/CAE Disability Specialist.
    • Grace C. Clifford, MAEd
    • Book an appointment with Grace
    • Work Cell: 424-402-9864 (call or text)
• What are housing options?
  • Although the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA does not provide housing, we encourage you to check out the Rotating Room site to see what options are available to you near your site location.
  • You may also wish to check the main UCLA Community Housing Office website or the Daily Bruin.
  • Be sure to verify the authenticity of housing before exchanging any money.

Links to different medical school scholarship opportunities for individual departments within the DGSOM system are listed here:

• UCLA Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine Visiting Student Scholarship Program
• UCLA Emergency Medicine Visiting Elective Scholarship Program
• UCLA Head and Neck Surgery Visiting Student Scholarship Program
• UCLA Internal Medicine Visiting Student Scholarship Program Flyer (PDF)
• UCLA Neurology Scholarship Program
• UCLA Neurosurgery Scholarship Program
• UCLA Obstetrics and Gynecology Visiting Student Scholarship
• UCLA Ophthalmology Visiting Medical Student Scholarship
• UCLA Pediatrics Visiting Elective Scholarship Program
• UCLA Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences Visiting Elective Scholarship Program
• UCLA Radiology Visiting Student Scholarship Program
• UCLA Radiation Oncology Visiting Student Scholarship
• UCLA Surgery Visiting Student Scholarship
• UCLA Surgery Visiting Student Scholarship for HBCU Students
• UCLA Urology Visiting Student Scholarship Program
• Harbor-UCLA Anesthesiology Sub-internship Scholarship
• Harbor-UCLA Visiting Student Scholarship in Obstetrics and Gynecology

On the same day, you accept your offer in VSLO, you must submit a non-refundable payment of $300/elective electronically. Please follow the link directly in your VSLO offer or access the Payment Options page.

• The processing fee is non-refundable.
• Submit one payment per elective:
  • If you are applying for more than one elective (up to a maximum of 3), you must pay separately for each elective
  • Each elective offer/acceptance should have its own Payment Confirmation Number
  • DO NOT CLOSE YOUR WEB BROWSER until the Payment Confirmation Number appears on the screen.
  • If you have questions about payments, please email DGSOMelectives@mednet.ucla.edu
• Housing
  • Although the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA does not provide housing, we encourage you to check out the Rotating Room site to see what options are available to you near your site location.
  • You may also wish to check the main UCLA Community Housing Office website or the Daily Bruin.