FAQs

If you would like to check if your institution is listed as one of our global partners, please see Global Partners section below. If your institution does not appear on this list, please note that the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell does not accept students from any additional international medical schools for visiting clinical electives.

If you are interested in volunteering at the Northwell Health System without obtaining clinical credit, please visit the Volunteer Opportunities website.

Yes, DO students are welcome to apply for visiting electives through VSLO. We do accept COMLEX scores in lieu of USMLE Step 1 scores. 

No, only medical students who will be in their final year of medical school at the time of the requested elective are eligible to apply. 

No, only students in their final year of medical school are eligible to apply for a visiting rotation. We cannot speak to visiting rotations for graduates/doctors, but you can reach out to our GME office to inquire about this at oaa@northwell.edu. 

Please visit Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine's Institution Summary page on VLSO to verify that you are able to satisfy all eligibility requirements. If you are unsure if your school verifies everything we require, please reach out to your home school contact to confirm prior to applying in VSLO. 

I am otherwise eligible to rotate but have not yet completed clerkships in one or more of the following: Medicine, Psychiatry, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Surgery, and/or Pediatrics. I will complete them before the elective date block I am applying for. Can I still apply? Yes if these rotations will be completed prior to the requested elective start date, you are eligible to apply. Your home school will help verify the expected completion dates of these rotations prior to releasing your application to us, and we will subsequently confirm these dates before deeming your application conditionally eligible. Please note that the status of conditionally eligible does not affect the departments' ability to make a decision on your application. However, we request that an updated transcript is uploaded by your home school prior to the start date of the rotation to confirm that all core clerkships have been completed. 

You can apply as long as this requirement is fulfilled prior to the start date of your desired elective. If your school does not require you to take Step 1/COMLEX 1 until after your third year, please obtain a letter from your home school official explaining this and upload it to the designated Step1/COMLEX section of your VSLO application. We can make your application conditionally eligible until you submit proof of passing. Please note that departments will still have the ability to make a decision on your application when it carries the status of conditionally eligible.

Yes, MD and DO students can attend rotations for a maximum of 12 weeks of elective time.

No, the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine does not require an educational affiliation agreement for domestic visiting students. However, if your home school requires an educational affiliation agreement before being able to take a visiting elective at our institution, please have your home school official reach out to SOMRegistrar@hofstra.edu as soon as possible. Establishing an agreement can be a lengthy process and we cannot guarantee this will be completed in time for your start date if there is a short turnaround time. 

The only way to apply for a visiting rotation is through VSLO. All other methods of application will not be accepted. 

There are currently no fees associated with Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell visiting electives. There is a standard application fee that the AAMC charges per elective. 

No, all paperwork should only be submitted via your VSLO application. 

Please click here for updated application submission dates. Please note that applications are processed on a first come, first served basis. Applications will be processed in the order in which they are received. 

If you are interested in a visiting rotation in Urology, Orthopedic Surgery, or in Psychiatry: Zucker Visiting Elective for Students Underrepresented in Psychiatry and wish to apply earlier than our school's VSLO opening date, please email us at SOMregistrar@hofstra.edu. We will put you in touch with the department. No other applications will be accepted prior to VSLO's opening date. 

You will be notified via VSLO if an elective offer will be made or not no later than 4 weeks prior to the start of a rotation. 

We cannot provide capacity information. Please apply via VSLO and you will be notified there if an offer will be made.

Each elective block will close 30 days prior to the start date of a rotation. No further applications will be accepted for a block past that deadline. This deadline is in place because we need sufficient time to medically clear visiting students prior to arrival. 

Upon application, most electives will allow you the option to submit a custom date request. Please note that there is no guarantee that the department will have the ability to honor the request. 

There is no word limit, nor are there specific requirements for the personal statement. We just ask that you explain your interest in the elective to which you are applying. 

An AI, or Acting Internship, is a rotation for which you will receive a grade (i.e. Honors, High Pass). These are sometimes reffered to as Sub-Is or Sub-internships at other institutions. An EL or Elective, will be graded as Pass/Fail. 

We do not provide housing for visiting students. We suggest that you use rotatingroom.com to assist in your search. 

The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine has a customized immunization form that requires completion for medical clearance prior to your arrival. It will become available in your application after you accept the offer. No alternative immunization forms will be accepted. 

Our office checks VSLO regularly to monitor the status of applications. You will receive an email from SOMRegistrar@hofstra.edu if we identify a status indicating the following: 

1. You have accepted an offer for an upcoming rotation but have not yet submitted the immunization form.
2. You have accepted the offer and have uploaded the immunization form but have not yet hit Submit on your tracking tab.
3. You have accepted the offer and have submitted your immunization form, but the Health Services team has reviewed it and has determined that additional information is needed in order to medically clear you. In this circumstance, Health Services would have already also informed you via VSLO of what was missing, but we can put you in touch with them to help resolve the issue quickly. 

While we strongly encourage you to attend the rotation at the scheduled time, extenuating circumstances will be considered on a case by case basis. Date changes will be reviewed by the health system departments. Please reach out to us at SOMRegistrar@hofstra.edu and we will put you in touch with the department if a change needs to be made.

Departments typically send out instructions about where to report and what is needed on your first day no later than a week ahead of the start date of a rotation. If you have not heard anything by then, please reach out to SOMRegistrar@hofstra.edu, and we will put you in touch with the department directly. 

Our office does not manage access requests for visiting students. This will be handled by the department with which you are rotating.