We are committed to providing regular VSLO program updates through the VSLO listserv, email and on this page. Please visit this page regularly and if you have any questions, email the VSLO team at: visitingstudents@aamc.org.
Last Updated: June 20, 2024
Message from the VSLO Team
Dear VSLO Colleagues,
As you advise and guide your students through the final steps of the application process, we hope you will also continue to share your questions and topics of interest with us during our VSLO Office Hours. You can register for an upcoming session on our Demonstrations and Trainings page. You can also connect with colleagues from other institutions by posing a question through the VSLO listserv (send a blank email to subscribe-vslo@lists.aamc.org to join). Please note the listserv is only open to current institution users.
Several of you may have recently received a survey about the use of the AAMC Uniform Clinical Training Affiliation Agreement (Uniform Agreement) that was sent on behalf of the Group on Student Affairs (GSA). We encourage your institutions to respond to the survey and look forward to the data that the GSA Committee on Student Records will be compiling. The survey was sent to the student records institution representatives. Please contact chprobst@aamc.org if you would like to confirm who at your institution received the invitation to participate.
The VSLO program has seen continued strategic growth as we have worked to provide additional opportunities for our students. In academic year 2023-24, 26 new Host institutions added catalogs in the VSLO system, and we are pleased to report that these new institutions added 1,197 new electives. Among the new electives, 322 were in Family Medicine, 221 were in Internal Medicine, and 216 were in Emergency Medicine. These specialties receive some of the highest volume of unique and alternative date applications as seen on the VSLO Student Infographic.
Please note that the AAMC will be closed on Thursday, July 4 for Independence Day.
As always, we appreciate your feedback and engagement with the VSLO program.
Thank you,
The VSLO Team
VSLO Program Updates
Remind Your Students to Respond to Post-Rotation Survey
The AAMC sends a monthly post-rotation student survey to better understand students’ use of the VSLO software to support their rotation opportunities and experiences. The survey contains questions about their satisfaction with the timing and variety of opportunities as well as questions about the overall costs associated with their rotations and how their rotation experience does/does not connect to their residency application plans. Please encourage your students to complete the survey when they receive it. Their continued feedback about their experiences is extremely valuable as the VSLO team strives to gather useful away rotation data for the community and to improve the VSLO service.
Reminder: Puerto Rican Medical Schools are U.S. LCME Accredited
As Host institutions are processing applications, we want to remind you that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and the following four Puerto Rican medical schools are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME):
- Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine
- San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
- Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine
- University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
Students at these LCME-accredited medical schools are eligible to apply for electives offered in any U.S. Network catalogs (open to their medical schools).
AAMC Resources for Medical Educators
New AAMC Data snapshot examines DEI efforts at U.S. medical schools
A new AAMC data snapshot explores themes and perspectives among medical school faculty on institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and highlights specific actions for leaders to consider. Actions to support and foster DEI are essential to successfully achieving the missions of academic medicine. The promotion of these efforts in medical education is part of a broader movement to dismantle systems of oppression in the United States, such as providing equitable support among medical school faculty with the goal of diversifying the physician workforce. To capture the impact of institutional investment in formal DEI efforts, new questions were added to the AAMC StandPoint™ Faculty Engagement Survey in 2021 to assess perceptions of diversity and inclusion in the medical school workplace and solicit suggestions for how to improve efforts related to DEI.
Additional Items of Interest
Mental Health and Well-Being during Transitions
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education recently unveiled a new learning resource designed to support the mental health and well-being of residents and others in the clinical learning environment during key transitional phases. This resource addresses the inherent challenges and stressors associated with the transition from medical school to residency and beyond.
Upcoming Events
AAMC Center for Health Justice to host interactive learning series on demonstrating trustworthiness in community-academic partnerships
On July 1 and July 29, the AAMC Center for Health Justice will host two sessions as part of an interactive learning series to highlight approaches to building stronger collaboration between community organizations and academic medicine institutions to improve population health, especially in underserved communities. Key elements of the series will focus on relationship-building across sectors, strengthening partnerships, and co-designing effective education and communication strategies. Panelists will discuss their experiences, lessons learned, and offer suggestions based on their participation with the Center’s Building Trust and Confidence Through Partnerships program.
Registration now open for Learn Serve Lead 2024: The AAMC Annual Meeting
Registration is now open for Learn Serve Lead 2024: The AAMC Annual Meeting, taking place in Atlanta Nov. 8-12. This annual event draws thousands of attendees from across the academic medicine community to connect with thought leaders and spark conversation on critical issues impacting medical education and patient care. Register before Aug. 7 to receive a discount on access to all programming, including plenary sessions, the Voices of Medicine and Society lecture series, and more than 100 breakout sessions.
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.
We encourage VSLO users to subscribe to our listservs for timely updates and more. Please send us a blank email to join our Global or U.S. Network Listservs.
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.