Visiting Medical Students

Medical students from other U.S. institutions in their final year of medical school may apply to take an elective at UTMB through the VSLO Application Service (VSLO). Access to VSLO is granted by your home school.

If you are a third year or preparing to enter your final year, please note that we will not begin accepting applications until the middle of April or early May.

General Information:

UTMB does not offer off block elective rotations. No exceptions will be made.
Visiting students should not contact departments.
Some departments may have additional specific requirements, see bottom of this page.
Applications will not be considered if required documents are missing. The application will be noted as ineligible.
All documents must be uploaded to VSLO. We will not accept any documents that are faxed or emailed.
$100 processing fee per course due 10 days after acceptance email is received from UTMB Staff (not the VSLO notification)
All requirements must be completed before the application will be considered.

Visiting Student Eligibility Requirements for your school to complete via the VSLO verification form:

Must be in good academic standing
Have completed required clinical clerkships by the starting date of the desired elective
Have a passing score on the USMLE STEP 1 or COMLEX-USA Level 1 exam
Be covered by malpractice insurance (minimum $25,000/$75,000 required)
Be covered by personal health insurance
Have current BLS or ACLS certification
Have current OSHA certification
Have passed a Mask Fit test
Criminal Background Check
Complied with HIPAA training requirements

Additional Documentation Required:

Student: It is your responsibility to upload the following documents to VSLO.

UTMB Immunization Form, including actual copies of all required lab titers. For specific immunization requirements please review the UTMB Student Health Immunization Requirements.

The QuantiFERON Gold blood test is required in place of the PPD skin test. This must be taken within 3 months of the start of the academic year, even for those who have received BCG vaccine as a child. If QuantiFERON test is positive, a chest x-ray documenting no active tuberculosis must be submitted with immunization form along with a TB Evaluation form. All applications submitted without an updated Q-gold test will be temporarily rejected, until all required immunizations are fulfilled.

Toxicology Screen - 10 Panel - must include the drugs listed below & have been tested within the past 24 months.

  • Amphetamines
  • Barbiturates
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Cannabinoids
  • Cocaine
  • Heroin
  • MDA-Analogues
  • Methadone
  • Methaqualone
  • Opiates
  • Phencyclidine
  • Propoxyphene

Additional Specific Department/Course Requirements:

ANESTHESIOLOGY - ANEU 4003, 4014

  • Written statement why you chose this specialty and UTMB

OB/GYN - All Courses

  • USMLE score report for Step 1 exam, upload to VSLO

OPHTHALMOLOGY - All Courses

  • USMLE Score Report for Step 1 exam, CV (curriculum vitae), and transcript uploaded to VSLO

SURGERY - Plastic - SURU 4008, 4009

  • Current Curriculum Vitae (CV), upload to VSLO

You will be notified via VSLO regarding the status of your application. If you have questions, please contact us via email at Enrollment Services Visiting Students.


Visiting Medical Students from Non-U.S. Medical Schools

UTMB only admits non-U.S. medical students for visiting rotations if the student's school has a current affiliation agreement with UTMB. If you are a student at an affiliated school, you must be in your final year of medical school to qualify for enrollment in an elective course at UTMB. You are ineligible if you are not in your final year, or have finished medical school.

The UTMB Office of Enrollment Services does not offer or coordinate observerships. We are unaware that any UTMB department offers them.

As of the start of the current academic year, only Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia has a current affiliation agreement with UTMB.

Enrollment Services Contact Information

All Contacts:

Mailing Address:

Office of Enrollment Services
The University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Boulevard
Galveston, Texas 77555-1305

All other:

Phone: 409-772-1215
Fax: 409-772-5056
Email Addresses: enrollment.services@utmb.edu

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