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| To learn more about Professional Exchange please visit www.ifmsa.org/scope | |
| To download this document in PDF click here | |
| Professional Exchange : Exchange Conditions of AMSA - USA(United States of America) | |
| Level of studies | Upper level Clinical Students |
| Type of Clerkship | Clinical Clerkships |
| Languages | English is required. Documentation of English proficiency is required (excluding countries in which English is the native language). If the student's English is not deemed sufficient the rotation will be canceled immediately. |
| Duration of Clerkship | 4-weeks |
| Working Conditions | Conditions vary by location and clerkship. Students work at LEAST 8 hours/day Monday-Friday, and sometimes Saturday/Sunday (up to 70 hrs/week). Some rotations require overnight call. You will be supervised at all times, but will be expected to work as part of the medical team, and participate in rounds, lectures, etc. This is not a vacation. Professional behavior is expected and failure to participate can lead to immediate cancellation of the clerkship. |
| Disciplines | UIC- No core clerkships (internal medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Surgery, Psych), however, specialties/subsections of these disciplines are available.
SUNY - Emergency Medicine, OB/Gyn, Family Med primarily, no Plastic Surgery Oklahoma - Emergency Medicine COMP (Pomona) - Family Medicine University New Mexico - All fields available Northeastern Ohio Univ - No pediatrics or neurosurgery available Ohio University - Family Medicine U. of Michigan - Case by case basis Louisiana - No pediatrics or emergency medicine |
| Periods & Towns | - UIC-Chicago, Illinois (year-round, no December- 8 students a year)
- State University of New York, Upstate NY (year-round, no December- 8 students a year) - COMP-Pomona, California (Sept-June, 4 students per year) - OSUCOM - Tulsa, Oklahoma - LSU-New Orleans, Louisiana (October-April- 6 students per year) - Northeastern Ohio Univ (Sept-Feb - 5 students a year) - Ohio University College of Osteophatic Medicine (All year, limited spacing) - Univ of New Mexico (all months except July, August, and Dec- 10 students a year) - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (limited placement - still a pilot chapter!) - Temple University, Philadelphia (3 students a year) December is NOT available for exchange. Summer months (June, July, August) are difficult to place and earliest applications will receive preference. January also has limited space available. It is important to note that not all US schools follow the calendar months exactly. You should have flexibility within 2 weeks of your desired dates. December in particular is a difficult month because of the winter holidays. Most local chapters only offer clerkships from October to May. AFs of students not complying with these time periods and locations will NOT be guaranteed a clerkship and will be returned. NEOs: please watch the NEO server for announcements of months that have been filled so as not to send applications for those months. |
| Application documents & deadline | All application documents (in English) and e-AF must be sent at least 6 months before the clerkship starts. Please NOTE: for summer months slots fill fast and are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
The application should include: 1.) IFMSA Application Form 2.) Passport size photo 3.) Letter of Good Standing from your Medical School Dean 4.) TRANSCRIPT LISTING COURSES YOU HAVE COMPLETED (with English translation). 5.) Letter of Motivation in English 6.) Immunization Records (also bring extra copy when you arrive) 7.) Documentation of English proficiency 8.) Documentation of health insurance (see insurance section) 9.) ONLY IF YOU ARE APPLYING TO CHICAGO, the following additional material MUST be completed prior to arrival: 9a.) Download and complete: http://www.uic.edu/depts/mcam/osa/vsp_w6/ 9b.) Scan, in color, all documents and email to uicleo@gmail.com at least 2-4 months before. 9c.) Please bring all original documents when you arrive. Failure to provide original documents upon arrival, incomplete application, or failure to pay malpractice insurance are grounds for termination of the clerkship and you will be sent home immediately 9d.) Bring the I-95 immigration card that you fill out on the flight to the United States when you arrive here. ALL APPLICANTS: ON THE INITIAL APPLICATION DOCUMENT, IN THE COMMENTS SECTION, EACH STUDENT MUST SPECIFY THE FOLLOWING: 1.) WHICH CLINICAL ROTATIONS THE STUDENT HAS COMPLETED, AND WHICH ROTATIONS THEY WILL HAVE COMPLETED BY THE TIME OF THEIR CLERKSHIP 2.) WHETHER OR NOT THE STUDENT WILL HAVE GRADUATED OR COMPLETED MEDICAL STUDIES BY THE TIME OF THEIR ROTATION. This information is CRUCIAL to place students at an appropriate local chapter! |
| Digital documents required | ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE SENT DIGITALLY - we do not accept hard copy documents! |
| Card of Acceptance deadline (weeks in advance) |
8 |
| Card of Confirmation deadline (weeks in advance) |
4 |
| Insurance | Proof of Health Insurance is required.
Malpractice insurance: - Not required for OBSERVATIONAL CLERKSHIPS. - At UIC, you will be expected to purchase a school malpractice insurance policy upon arrival in Chicago (~$300 USD) - OSUCOM (Oklahoma), UNM and Northeastern Ohio provide malpractice insurance free of charge. - SUNY at Syracuse has the option of purchasing malpractice insurance if you do not want to be observational only (~$150 USD) |
| Pocket Money | none |
| Board & Lodging | Free on bilateral exchange. You may be housed in a student's apartment, host family, or dormitory (depends on site). Unilateral opportunities are EXTREMELY limited and must be approached through the country’s NEO. We do not accommodate significant others, relatives or friends accompanying our visiting students. |
| Social Program | Social programs are dependent upon the local chapter. |
| Substitutions | We must be notified of the replacement student at least 8 weeks before the clerkship is to begin. The replacement student must provide all of the required and supplementary documents, and adhere to the deadlines of the medical school to which they desire to be placed. |
| Cancellations | For cancellations we need four weeks advance notice after which the unit is considered cancelled. |
| Visas | For a four-week clerkship a VISITORS B Visa will suffice but please contact your embassy to confirm what documents you need. We can, if necessary, issue a letter for the incoming applicant to take to the consulate of the USA when the student's AF is received before the CA is issued. This invitation letter is NOT a substitute for the CA, and the arrangements described within should not be considered final. |
| Special remarks | No student will have board and lodging out of the dates specified in the CA. Also note, room/board is NOT provided for your partners/significant others.
Clerkships are cancelled when the LC receives claims from the hospital for behavioral and/or professional notices. LC can cancel the clerkship if 85% of practices are not done. LEVEL OF STUDY: Students MUST have completed all core medical clerkships to be considered at UIC. These include Surgery, Internal Med, ObGyn, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Family Medicine (FM sometimes not required) or equivalent. If they arrive without original documents, or incomplete documents they will be sent home immediately. ALL EXCHANGE CHAPTERS REQUIRE THAT STUDENTS HAVE AT LEAST BEGUN THEIR CLINICAL STUDIES, AND MANY REQUIRE THAT ALL CORE CLERKSHIPS BE COMPLETED. DRESS CODE: Professional Business dress (formal shirt, black shoes, slacks and tie for men; black shoes, slacks and dress shirt for women; NO jeans) and a short white coat is required while on the hospital wards. Bring your own stethoscope. If the student does not confirm his/her arrival to the LEO, the clerkship will not be honored. |
| More info Link | www.amsa.org/ifmsa/clinical.cfm |
| These Exchange Conditions are valid until: |
30-08-2011 |
| Last update of data (GMT) | 02/08/2010 |