Doing clinical electives in USA has become a necessity for international medical graduates pursuing a residency in USA. Not having the right guidance can leave you confused regarding how to go about the whole process. Here are a few things that you need to know about clinical electives in USA
What is a Clinical Elective?
A clinical elective in USA basically gives you the opportunity to experience the US health system first hand.
You are treated equivalent to a fourth year medical student in the US. This means that you have to take patient case histories, perform physical examinations and present your case to an attending physician.
You also get access to the medical records system of the hospital. This lets you review the patient history and prior reports.
Why should I do a Clinical Elective in the US?
There are so many compelling reasons to do a clinical elective in the US that I have written an entire article on that. You can check out the article on Reasons why you should do Clinical electives in USA
What is the difference between an Elective and an Observership
There are a couple of things that differentiate an elective from an observership
- You have access to the Electronic Medical Records during your elective
- You can do a physical examination of the patients ( Not possible in observerships)
What is the ideal time to apply for an Elective in US?
You need to be a final year medical student to be able to qualify for an elective. At the same time, you cannot apply for clinical electives in USA if you have already graduated.
So, the ideal time to apply for electives is 6 – 8 months prior to when you want to apply as the application process is long and takes time to process.
What are the application requirements?
While the application requirements vary from college to college, you need to have a few basic documents for all
- Medical School Transcripts
- Curriculum Vitae
- Immunization records
- TB skin test
- Letters of recommendation ( One of which must be from the Dean of your institution)
Do I need to have my Step 1 score to apply for electives?
The requirements vary among places. You can check out my articles on these topics. They have great infographics that may be helpful for you!
Clinical Electives in USA with Step 1 Scores
Clinical Electives in USA without Step 1 Scores
Check out all posts on Electives!
You can ask the author your questions in the comments section below.
This article has been written by Dr. Rohit Nathani ( Intern at Seth GS Medical College Mumbai). Ask your questions in the comments section below. Check out the ebook by Dr. Nathani below.
9 replies on “Clinical Electives in USA – A Complete Guide”
When should an Indian medical student think of starting clinical electives in US when you cannot do electives after 4th year?
You should apply for electives while you are in 4th year so that you can do it just before you start internship. That way you can do the elective in the break after final year if you have one. Also, internship is considered as the final year in our 5 year course so you can do it throughout internship as well. In either case you need to start applying during your fourth year.
Is this also for Bangladeshi medical student.? Can i do electives at the break after my final year exam and my internship.????
[…] are a lot of intricacies to this process. Many of these things like research, electives, etc are discussed throughout the website. These things are required to improve your CV and […]
As the NEXT is going to be implemented and NEXT 2 will be just after internship, so it will be nearly impossible to go for electives in US during internship. So if i want to do electives in my 4th year , so am i eligible to apply for rotations in my 3rd year[ because as you have mentioned that we need to apply 6-8 months prior the elective date]?
Will Indian medical colleges extend internship to do clinical electives in USA ? If so which colleges extend internship.
My college is not VSLO Listed how will it matter?
Can I do Electives during my Internship period? I’m studing MBBS in Bangladesh. Please response If you know .
How long does it take to complete one elective..?
And also is there any observerships available online …due to this pandemic condition it would be very helpful….if yes can u please mention some of those university details or anything u know about them..?!