| Programs and Services |
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| Program-Specific Elements |
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Eligibility to apply:
Q: I am a U.S. citizen attending medical school outside of the U.S. and I understand that I need to have taken and passed the USMLE Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills) exam. Is that correct?
A. Yes. Evidence of clinical skills proficiency in the form of a passing grade on the USMLE Step 2 clinical Skills exam is required for all students who are US citizens attending schools that are not LCME-accredited medical schools in the United States/Canada or that are not accredited osteopathic schools in the United States.
Q: I am attending medical school in a foreign country and want to apply for the NIH Clinical Electives Program to experience training in a U.S. hospital. Can I apply for the CEP?
A. While a medical student interested in obtaining short-term, introductory experience with the U.S. healthcare system may submit an application, we do not encourage this approach. The NIH Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center is a tertiary-care hospital devoted to clinical research and it does not admit general medical, pediatric or surgery patients. It also does not have an emergency department or a labor and delivery ward. The CEP is more appropriate for students who are interested in obtaining experience with clinical research protocols and highly subspecialized patient care.
Q: I am a foreign medical student and would like to know what TOEFL score is acceptable?
A: All students who currently attend schools that are not LCME-accredited medical schools in the United States must provide documentation of their proficiency in communication skills either in the form of a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score or a passing score on the USMEL Step 2 (Clinical Skills) examination. Historically, successful applicants for elective rotations have achieved TOEFL scores >86 on the internet based test (iBT) combined with a minimal score of 26 on the speaking subsection of the iBT.
Q: If I am a non-U.S. citizen attending a medical school outside of the United States or Puerto Rico, do I need a visa in order to participate in the CEP?
A: Yes, non-citizens of the U.S. must obtain the required B-1 visa in order to legally enter the country to participate in the CEP.
Q: I am a medical school graduate and would like to participate in the NIH Clinical Electives Program. Am I eligible?
A. No. Medical school graduates are not eligible to participate in the Clinical Electives Program.
My application:
Q: Is there a deadline for the submission of applications?
A: There is no deadline. Applicants are accepted on a continuous basis. However, applicants are advised to apply well ahead of when they want to participate and to edit their application if needed to reflect their current grades and/or experience.
Q: How will I be notified is I am selected?
A: The Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education will notify successful candidates by e-mail or in writing.
Q: My two recommendation letters have posted to my application and I have taken 3 of my 5 core courses and will complete my last 2 cores next month. When will my application be considered complete?
A: An application will be considered complete when all core courses in Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Obstetrics/Gynecology appear on the student’s official medical school transcript. We will not release an incomplete application to a course coordinator for review.
Q: My application was rejected by the three elective rotation choices that I listed. Can I change my list of elective choices to be considered for additional rotations?
A. No. Students are asked to list a maximum of 3 elective rotation choices. If a student is not selected for any rotation, he/she can not request additional elective choices.
If I am accepted:
Q: Do I have to sign an inter-institutional agreement that will address issues of liability?
A: Yes, you will be asked to sign an Agremeent that has been negotiated between the NIH and your medical/dental school. Th e Agreement specifies that your institution will provide professional liability insurance that covers your stay at the NIH and that you carry either a school or individual health insurance policy covering your elective at NIH.
Q: Should I bring the white coat that was issued to me at my medical/dental school?
A: Yes, students should bring their own white coat as students are not issued white coats during their elective.
Q: Do I need a parking permit in order to park on the NIH campus?
A: Yes. If you plan to commute by private vehicle to the NIH you will be issued a temporary parking permit that will cover the time period that you will be at the NIH. Students are asked not to drive to NIH on the first day of their elective, but to use MetroRail or MetroBus. Both modes of transportation have stations on the NIH campus.
Q: Are living quarters are available on the NIH campus?
A. At present no living quarters are available on the NIH campus. However, program staff will assist students in identifying housing in the community. Information on housing is sent to students upon their selection to the program. Cafeterias in the Clinical Center and other NIH buildings offer meals at moderate prices. Students are responsible for making their own travel and living arrangements.
For information on rooms for rent or other available housing in the area please call the NIH Recreation and Welfare Association-Housing Office at (301) 496-4600 or visit the R&W Web site at http://www.recgov.org/housing/housing.html.
The Metro (subway) stop (Medical Center) and bus stops located on the NIH campus permit easy access from nearby areas in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. The NIH is located just 20 minutes from downtown Washington, DC where cultural and recreational opportunities abound. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts offers the National Symphony Orchestra, ballet, opera, and drama, and Wolf Trap Farm Park stages musical and theatrical events in the summer. A stay in the nation's capital offers an opportunity to visit the city's historical sites and national monuments and to observe national politics close at hand. Nearby parks offer hiking, camping, bicycling, canoeing, and rock climbing. About an hour from the NIH campus in Bethesda is Baltimore's Inner Harbor, aquarium, museums, theater, libraries, and Orioles Park at Camden Yards as well as other cultural institutions which offer varied extracurricular attractions.
