4.11: Completing Clerkships at Other Institutions
Required Core Clerkships
Stanford does not permit students to complete required core clerkships at other institutions.
Selective Clerkships
Students wishing to substitute an away clerkship for a selective clerkship and use it to satisfy the selective clerkship graduation requirement must petition the Committee on Curriculum and Academic Policy (CCAP) for approval prior to enrolling in the clerkship. Retroactive approval of clerkship substitutions will not be granted.
The petition will be reviewed according to the following process:
- Complete the Faculty Authorization Form for Away Selective Substitution to review with Advising Dean
- Review by the student’s Advising Dean; after review and discussion with the student, the Advising Dean’s approval and signature is required on the petition prior to its moving forward.
- Review by the relevant Stanford Clerkship Director to determine if the content at the off-site clerkship provides a reasonably comparable experience to that at Stanford.
Once the petition has been reviewed and approved by all parties above, the petition will be presented for review to the Assistant Dean for Clerkship Education for final review.
If so approved, the student then enrolls in the clerkship with the Stanford number and the letter “W” following to indicate it was done at another location.
Elective Clerkships
Students wishing to take elective clerkships in the United States or Canada should apply about six months in advance. Students who wish to take clinical clerkships abroad should apply to the international hospital or medical school one year in advance. Additional information is available from individual departments at Stanford. Virtually every US medical school makes their visiting student program requirements and application process available on the Web. Students should visit their websites for more information and follow their instructions to apply.
If the away institution requires a letter of good standing, with proof of malpractice coverage, the student should see the Registrar or the Associate Director of Clerkship Administration in the School of Medicine Registrar’s Office. The Associate Director of Clerkship Administration provides the letter, has the application signed, and returns these documents to the student for mailing to the away institution along with any application fees, transcripts, or proof of immunization.
If you wish to apply to any medical schools or teaching hospitals that use AAMC’s Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS), you need to request authorizations to apply in VSAS from the Assistant Director of Clerkship Administration.
It is strongly recommended that away clerkships be taken for credit. When the elective with the away institution is confirmed, credits can be requested by filling out a Faculty Authorization Form, When the Assistant Director of Clerkship Administration receives both the approved Faculty Authorization Form from the student’s Advising Dean and an acceptance notification from the other institution, the away clerkship will be added to the student’s Fishbowl schedule. The student should register for the away clerkship on Axess; course numbers for away clerkships are identified with the suffix “W.” An evaluation of clerkship work done at the away institution is required. The student should take to the away institution a Clerkship Evaluation Form to be filled out by the attending at the end of the clerkship and mailed back to the School of Medicine Registrar’s Office.
Students who choose to take the away clerkship for no credit should check with the School of Medicine Registrar’s Office to determine if malpractice insurance will apply.
Additionally, students who choose to take an away clerkship will be responsible for any fees assessed by the institution such as physical exams, background checks, and/or drug testing.
updated February 2018
Section 4: Curriculum Overview
Required Pre-Clerkship Curriculum
Required Clerkship Curriculum
4.6: Calendar of Clerkship Periods
4.8: Selective Clerkship Requirement
4.9: Absences During Clerkships
4.10: Dropping Clerkshps Less than Four Weeks Before Start of Period
4.11: Clerkships at Other Institutions
4.12: INDE: 297: Reflections, Research and Advances in Patient Care
4.13: MED: 295: Advanced Cardiac Life Support