VSLO® Program Updates

Key dates for your awareness: 

• Institutions gained access to the system on Monday, Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. ET. 
• Students will have access on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 11 a.m. ET, contingent upon receiving invitations from their Home institutions. 

If you have students with applications or elective offers that were impacted by the transition, our team can assist them with identifying the appropriate contacts at Host institutions. For any offers that may have expired during the transition, Host institutions will be able to re-send offers beginning the week of Jan. 12.  

The VSLO team is here to support you with training, job aids, office hours, and timely resources. Please see our FAQ page for additional information. 

Visit the Demonstrations and Training for Institutions webpage to register for Home and Host institution system training. 

We have made the decision to restore the legacy VSLO system you are familiar with while we continue to prepare for our launch of the modernized platform. The legacy VSLO system opened on Monday, Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. ET and we are postponing the launch of the modernized VSLO system. As part of this shift, all information in the system when we closed in November 2025 is restored and away rotation activity will be managed as in previous academic years for the upcoming season. Additionally, all previously bookmarked links should still work. Next steps will be shared with you over the coming weeks and months regarding the postponed transition to the modernized system. Note: We do not anticipate another extended shutdown of the system when we complete the transition.  
  
Students who have been invited by their Home institutions will have access to the system as planned on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 11 a.m. ET. 

Last Updated: January 15, 2026

Message from the VSLO Team

Dear VSLO Colleagues, 

We hope that 2026 is off to a great start for you and your teams. 

As we shared with you last week, we made the decision to restore the legacy Visiting Student Learning Opportunities^™ (VSLO^®) system you are familiar with while we continue to prepare for the future launch of the modernized platform. The legacy VSLO system opened on Monday, Jan. 12 for Home and Host institution users. Students who have been invited by their Home institutions will have access to the system beginning Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 11 a.m. ET. 

Please know the VSLO team is here to support you with training, job aids, office hours, and timely resources. For new and continuing institution users, we are offering refresher trainings specific to the legacy VSLO system in place of the modernization trainings we originally planned. Please visit our VSLO Training page to view upcoming training dates and to register.  

Specific to Home institutions: We will be hosting a session on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 12 p.m. ET to provide advisors, student affairs colleagues, and Home institution users with an overview of the student side of the VSLO application service. Register now. 

In addition to institution training, we will also be hosting a two-part training session to review the VSLO system in-depth with students. We hope you will encourage your students to join both trainings. Part 1 will provide an overview of the VSLO application service, and part 2 will provide an understanding of VSLO resources and data, as well as address common student questions. 

We appreciate your continued collaboration and look forward to a successful away rotation season. 

Sincerely, 

The AAMC VSLO Team

VSLO Program Updates

VSLO Collaboration with the AAMC Group on Student Affairs (GSA)

The VSLO team was pleased to participate in this week’s student webinar, Navigating Away Rotations: Understanding the Advantages and Maximizing the Benefits, which was attended by more than 1,000 students and advisors. If you or your students were unable to attend, you can still register to access the recording. Register now to view the recording. 

Access to Student Requirements Resource Will End Jan. 20 

We previously shared a resource document that contains Host institutions’ requirements from academic year 2024-25 catalogs in the VSLO system. As you know, this document was created for students to reference prior to their system access beginning Jan. 20. Please note that the document will no longer be accessible starting Jan. 20 to avoid any confusion about Host institution requirements. 

Add VSLO Emails to Your Safe Senders List 

If you or your colleagues have encountered any issues receiving VSLO communications, please be sure to add <visitingstudents@email.aamc.org> to your Safe Senders list in Outlook or a comparable feature in your email platform. All VSLO emails are sent from this address. 

AAMC Resources for Medical Educators

10 Facts About Medical Residents 

For the seventh year in a row, the number of medical residents grew, up by about 4,000 in 2024-25, for a total of 163,189 residents, according to the AAMC’s annual Report on Residents. Read more. 

Toolkit: Expanding Graduate Medical Education

With the United States facing a persistent physician shortage, it’s critical that Congress invests in graduate medical education (GME) to expand the physician workforce and ensure patients nationwide have access to timely, high-quality health care.  

This toolkit includes user-friendly materials and resources AAMC constituents can use to advocate for and help others understand the value of federal investment in GME. Learn more. 

ICYMI: AAMC Publishes Learn Serve Lead 2025: Summary Compendium 

The Learn Serve Lead 2025: Summary Compendium is available for purchase, offering a comprehensive collection of summaries from more than 100 concurrent sessions at Learn Serve Lead 2025: The AAMC Annual Meeting in San Antonio. This first-of-its-kind resource uses AI-assisted synthesis, paired with expert oversight, to deliver clear, concise, and actionable insights into the 2025 program. Designed for leaders, faculty, researchers, educators, and professional staff, the compendium provides an accessible way to revisit key discussions, explore sessions not attended, and integrate timely perspectives into institutional planning, teaching, leadership development, and team learning. This resource offers exceptional value whether you participated in person or are engaging with the meeting from afar. Read more. 

Upcoming Events

Thursday, Jan. 22 at 12 p.m. ET: Student Training and Overview in VSLO for Home Institutions 

Curious about what students see when accessing the VSLO application service? This session will provide Home institutions with an overview of the student side of the VSLO application service to offer a greater understanding of the student application experience. 

Advisors, student affairs colleagues, and Home institution users who provide guidance to students and are interested in learning more about the student side of the VSLO application service are encouraged to attend. Register now. 

Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. ET: VSLO Student Training Part 1: Application Overview 

This one-hour training provides students with an in-depth overview of the VSLO application service. We will cover the application process from beginning your elective search all the way through tracking your submitted applications. See below to register for the second part of this two-part session. Register now. 

Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. ET: 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. See above to register for the first part of this two-part session. Register now. 

Save the Date: 2026 AAMC GSA-GCEC-OSR Joint National Meeting 

Join the AAMC from April 16-18 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando for the 2026 AAMC GSA-Group on Collaboration, Engagement, and Community (GCEC)-Organization of Student Representative (OSR) Joint National Meeting. This annual meeting brings together leaders, learners, and professionals dedicated to advancing the student experience and improving the teaching and learning environment in academic medicine for three days of timely engaging conversations, peer-to-peer networking, and more. Stay tuned for registration details.

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 VSLO Support

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.