VSLO® Program Updates

NEW: Best Practices for Processing Visiting Student Applications

The AAMC Group on Student Affairs’ Committee on Student Records (COSR) recently sent institutional colleagues best practice recommendations for processing visiting student applications. A letter was also sent to students to share key recommendations for a successful away rotation season. That letter can be accessed on the VSLO Student Resources page.

The VSLO Program Welcomes New Host Institutions

We would like to welcome the following Host institutions, and look forward to their contributions to the robust set of opportunities available to students in the VSLO application service: 

• BayCare Health System 
• Doctors Hospital at Renaissance  
• Intermountain Medical Center  
• Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital  
• Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center  
• McLeod Regional Medical Center 
• Memorial Hospital Gulfport  
• Sutter Coast Hospital 
• Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center  
• Willis Knighton Health 

VSLO Student Training Part 1: Application Overview

This one-hour training provides students with an in-depth overview of the VSLO application service. It covers the application process from beginning your elective search all the way through tracking your submitted applications. Watch now.

VSLO Student Training Part 2: Resources, Data, and Next Steps

This one-hour training provides students with an overview of VSLO resources and data, addresses common student questions, and guides students through tasks and scenarios they may encounter in the VSLO application service. Watch now.

VSLO^® Applicant Checklist

This resource will help applicants keep track of tasks they need to complete while applying to electives in the VSLO application service.

VSLO Student Infographic

The VSLO student infographic provides information to assist students (and advisors guiding students) through the process of developing individual away rotation strategies. The infographic illustrates a range of data points, including specialty data, average time between application submission and elective start dates, cadence of student and Host institution activity in the VSLO application service, and more. 

Explore more VSLO student resources on our webpage.

Last Updated: July 16, 2026

Message from the VSLO Team

Dear VSLO Colleagues, 

As the primary application season for elective rotations comes to an end, we want to take a moment to thank you for your commitment to students as they progress through another major milestone in their journey through medical school. I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with this community and for your engagement and feedback to help guide the future Visiting Student Learning Opportunities^™ (VSLO^®) program.  

Here are a few initial highlights of the 2026 season: 

• The VSLO program offered 739 new rotations this cycle thanks to the 31 new Host institutions that joined. 

• 28,906 unique applicants participated in the VSLO program this season. 

• The number of unique electives to which students applied remains consistent with prior years (MD: Median = 10, DO: Median = 14, Global: Median = 6).

• 81% of all applications were submitted between Feb. 1 and April 30.  

Additional data from the 2026 season will be available in the updated VSLO Student Infographic that we will share with you in August. 

If you are a Host institution and closing out activities for now, please remember to notify all students of your decisions and update the elective status to “closed.”  

As always, please share your feedback, comments, and suggestions on how we can better support you during the application season and all year long. 

Sincerely,  

Dana Dunleavy, PhD 

AAMC Senior Director for Career Exploration Services and Selection R&D 

VSLO Program Updates and Resources

Growing the VSLO Community 

We are excited to welcome 31 new participating Host institutions this season, with the South and Midwest regions seeing the greatest representation of new Host institutions. These new participating institutions have contributed to the dynamic opportunities available to students, particularly those in internal medicine, surgery, family medicine, pediatrics, and emergency medicine. 

Institution Reminders 

Host institutions are encouraged to ensure that the application process has been completed by notifying all students of your decisions when processing applications. Please remember to update the elective status to “closed” after you have notified students of their acceptance(s) and have filled your available elective positions. For quick reference, these Host institution Application Processing job aids may be helpful. 

Home and Host institution users are invited to join our next VSLO Office Hours session on Thursday, July 23, from 1-2 p.m. ET. Register now. 

AAMC Resources for Medical Educators

Support Your Students with Careers in Medicine^® (CiM) Resources

Through its Careers in Medicine program, the AAMC offers practical, evidence-based guidance that advisors can incorporate into their specialty advising conversations, helping students make the most of their clinical experiences and prepare for residency. Encourage students to explore these resources throughout their elective planning process: 

• Scheduling Clinical Rotations – Learn strategies for organizing third- and fourth-year rotations to support career exploration, residency preparation, and graduation requirements. 
   
• Using Clinical Rotations to Explore Specialties – Discover how to intentionally use clinical experiences to evaluate specialty alignment, reflect on interests and values, and make informed career decisions. 
   
• Creating a Fourth-Year Schedule When Your Students Know Their Top Specialties – Get tips for building a strategic fourth-year schedule that balances audition rotations, residency preparation, and educational goals. 

We encourage anyone in an advising capacity to remind students to take advantage of CiM resources throughout medical school and during key transition points in their residency training. 

AAMCNews: Shaping the Future of Medicine 

Joel Bervell, MD, social media’s “Medical Mythbuster,” shares how bringing humanity back into the center of health care can help build trust, stem burnout, and improve health for all. Read more.

Additional Resources of Interest

OPDA Guides for 2027 Residency Applicants: Specialty Expectations for Away Rotations 

The updated Organization of Program Directors Association (OPDA) Specialty Guides are a valuable resource for advisors supporting students through the residency application process. In addition to information about residency application requirements, find specialty-specific guidance about the away rotation requirements on page two of each guide. 

Upcoming Events

Call for Applications for Advisor Compass Committee

The AAMC invites applications to participate in its new Advisor Compass Committee. This 10-member advisory committee will bring together faculty advisors, student affairs professionals, and medical education experts to provide strategic guidance, identify emerging trends and gaps in advising practices, and support the development of advising resources, tools, and training opportunities for advisors. Members will serve a two-year term and actively contribute to projects, working groups, resource development, and the creation of programming designed to strengthen advisor knowledge, skills, and practice. Applicants will be selected based on their advising experience, commitment to the field, and ability to contribute to collaborative initiatives. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2026. Additional details are available here, and questions can be sent to Mary Youngs, AAMC senior specialist of student affairs at myoungs@aamc.org.  

ERAS Specialty Spotlight Webinar Series for Residency Applicants and Advisors 

The AAMC is hosting a series of webinars featuring specialty-specific guidance for medical school advisors and 2027 residency season applicants. Each webinar includes a program director and an advisor who will share best practices in preparation for the 2027 ERAS application season. The webinars also include a Q&A and will be recorded for later viewing. The next session in the series will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 4 with an inside look at internal medicine and peds medical genetics. View past recordings and register for future webinars on the ERAS and Transition to Residency Webinars page.

About the VSLO Program

The AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities™ (VSLO^®) program enables medical and public health students to pursue short-term learning opportunities in locations away from their Home institutions.

View Program Updates

Contact AAMC Support

We appreciate your candid feedback as it helps us identify and prioritize any resource or system enhancements. Please contact the AAMC Support Center or call 202-478-9878 if you have any questions. Representatives are available Monday - Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.