Hosting international students alongside our University of Michigan Medical School students and faculty serves to enrich and strengthen our learning community. We are committed to providing the best possible experience for our visiting students. Because space is limited, Global REACH coordinates clerkships only for visiting international students from partner institutions that have active exchange agreements with UMMS.
Who: Due to the number of requests from other countries, we primarily accept students from partner institutions that have active institutional agreements with UMMS. See the full list below.
Criteria: To be eligible to apply, in addition to be being from a school which has an active institutional agreement with UMMS, students must: (a) be fluent in English; (b) be in their final year and in good academic standing at their home institution; (c) have completed at least 48 weeks of required clerkships in the same medical school at which they completed their basic science coursework; and (d) have successfully completed the following clerkships: General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and Pediatrics.
When: Visiting student clerkships at UMMS generally take place December through April. Students should apply at least three months in advance of their anticipated visit.
Process: Provided you meet all of the criteria outlined above, the process to visit UMMS as an international medical student is generally initiated through your home institution. Each partner institution has a coordinator responsible for student selection. Check with the dean's office at your institution to determine eligibility. Planning should begin at least 3-6 months prior to the anticipated visit. Should you have questions, email us at [email protected].
Other questions: Check out our UMMS visitors’ FAQ, which includes information about housing, visa requirements and processes, etc.
In 2018-19, Global REACH facilitated visits to Michigan Medicine for 52 international students from 10 countries. Many visit for one-month clerkships in one or more of our departments. Others remain a year or more as part of extended research training programs.
Because of high demand, the University of Michigan Medical School generally welcomes international visiting medical students only from institutions with active Memorandum of Understanding agreements with UMMS outlining partnership/student exchange agreements. Barring special circumstances, international students are eligible to visit UMMS for clinical elective rotations only if they are enrolled in one of the following partner medical schools.
University of São Paulo Faculty of Medicine
University of São Paulo Faculty of Medicine at Ribeirão Preto
Peking University Health Science Center
Peking Union Medical College
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Pontifica Universidad Católica del Ecuador
St. Paul’s Hospital & Millennium Medical College
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
University of Cape Coast
University for Development Studies
University of Ghana
Family Health Medical School
All India Institute of Medical Sciences
AIIMS – TCI Scholar Program
University College Dublin
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
University of Florence
University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine
Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine
Ss. Cyril & Methodius Faculty of Medicine
The Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
National Taiwan University
Mbarara University of Science and Technology
UMMS only accepts visiting students from schools that have an institutional agreement with our medical school outlining student exchanges for clinical electives.
Each partner institution has a coordinator responsible for student selection. Check with the dean's office at your institution to determine eligibility. Planning should begin at least 3-6 months prior to the anticipated visit.
To be considered for a rotation at UMMS, visiting international students must:
- be from a school which has an institutional agreement with UMMS;
- be fluent in English, as demonstrated through the TOEFL exam scores(link is external) or equivalent
- have completed and passed the following clerkships: General Surgery; Internal Medicine; Obstetrics/Gynecology; Pediatrics; and
- have completed at least 48 weeks of required clerkships in the same medical school at which they completed their basic science coursework (documented through submission of an official transcript).
Additionally, there are insurance and immunization requirements for those approved to visit for electives.
Four-week electives happen throughout the year and are contingent on approval by your institution as well as clerkship space availability at UMMS. There is no guarantee of available space at UMMS and/or in the department of your choice.
Your institution will provide your name and contact information to Global REACH and we will reach out with further instructions.
The type of visa depends on many factors including the primary focus of the visit and the expected duration. Students accepted for the program will be contacted by UMMS Immigration Support and Compliance to help determine and secure the appropriate documentation.
Visiting students are responsible for the cost of their housing. Global REACH does work with all visiting students to explore available housing options in and around Ann Arbor.
