Frequently Asked Questions
Application PreparationWho do I need to contact to schedule a clinical clerkship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Children’s Memorial Hospital or Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago? All clinical clerkships for non-Northwestern students are arranged through the Visiting Student Coordinator in the Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Department heads, coordinators and faculty should not be contacted regarding clinical clerkship opportunities. Can I send paperwork directly to the department or faculty member? No. All application documents and supporting material should be sent to the Visiting Student office only. Once your application has been reviewed by the Visiting Student Programs staff in the Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education, it will be forwarded to your first choice of departments, and your immunization records will be sent to Student Health. I have applied for residency through the ERAS system. Do I have to submit all application materials again or can some of the ERAS documents be used? The ERAS documents cannot be accessed by the Visiting Student Programs staff. All original, hard copy documents must be submitted to our office in order to apply for a visiting student rotation. My home institution requires that an affiliation agreement be signed in order for me to complete a rotation at Northwestern University. Is this possible? The official policy of Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine is not to sign any type of affiliation agreement with other institutions for visiting student rotations. This policy is in place due to the high volume of visiting students we accommodate each year and the lengthy process required by Northwestern legal counsel to review each affiliation. If your school requires an affiliation agreement, please notify your Dean or Registrar of our official policy before you submit an application. How far in advance do I have to send in the application? Space is limited and students are placed on a first-come, first served basis. Do not send applications more than 6 months in advance of your earliest desired start date. Please refer to the application deadline dates. Incomplete applications will delay processing. How can I find out about what types of rotations are offered? All rotations are described the in elective catalog. Can the department reserve a space for me? No. Pre-approval is not permitted, as applications must be reviewed by the Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education, the appropriate department and Student Health. Students are placed on a first-come, first served basis based on academic merit and availability. Departments, coordinators and faculty cannot override this policy. I know a Faculty member who has told me that I may attend their elective. Is automatic acceptance allowed? Knowing a Faculty member does not guarantee acceptance to rotate at Northwestern, nor does it allow a student to override policy. To assure credit and fairness, all scheduling is done on a space-available basis and processing is the same for all students. You may certainly include a letter of support from that Faculty member with your application. All application processing initiates with the Visiting Student Clerkship Coordinator in the Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. How can I find out about availability of a rotation? Do not contact course directors, department heads or the Visiting Student Coordinator regarding availability. This information can fluctuate hourly due to add/drop requests by NU students and therefore, cannot be maintained in real time. For this reason, all electives are considered open unless noted in the individual elective description found in the elective catalog; however, there is no guarantee that an elective will have availability at the time that you apply. Some electives are closed during certain rotation blocks. Please refer to the elective catalog for details. Spaces will not be reserved and students are placed on a first-come, first served basis based on academic merit and availability. Departments, coordinators and faculty cannot override this policy. When are the application deadlines? Please refer to the clerkship calendar for specific dates. Application deadlines are usually two months before a desired start date. Can the department allow me to modify the Northwestern calendar? No. All visiting students must follow the Feinberg School of Medicine rotation calendar and policy set by the Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education. Faculty members cannot override medical school policy. You should only apply to blocks for which you know that you will be able to attend the full rotation according to the Northwestern Calendar. Who does my letter of recommendation need to be from? All students must submit one general letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has observed you clinically. The letter must comment on your clinical abilities and performance. Letters of Good Standing and Dean's letters are not acceptable substitutes. Some departments have specific letter of recommendation requirements. Please refer to the elective catalog for details. Only original documents will be accepted with a faculty member’s signature on official letterhead. Copies, faxes, or scanned documents will not be accepted. Letters may be sent separately from the application or included in the application preferably in a sealed envelope. Who should my letter of recommendation be addressed to? All LOR's should be addressed to "Visiting Student Programs." What is an official transcript? This is an original grade report issued by your Registrar’s office with an official school seal. The envelope must be sealed by your Registrar’s office. What if a grade for one of my core clerkships does not appear on my official transcript? Please submit your most updated transcript. If, however, a grade is unavailable, please include a supplementary letter from your Registrar's office explaining when you have or will complete (specific dates must be mentioned) the clerkship and why the grade is not listed. All core clerkships must be completed before you can begin an elective. Do I need to send all application requirements in one envelope? It is preferable that you include all required documents with your completed application. Your application will be considered incomplete and held until all documents have been received. Processing will occur only after all items have been received, this includes TOEFL scores. TOEFL score reports will not be accepted from students. These reports must be sent separately by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). See the International Student Section on this page for more information. Can I fax or email my application? No. Please mail all applications to:
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Visiting Student Programs
Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education, Ward 1-003
303 E. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611 How will I know if my application is missing any documents? If your application is missing any items or needs clarification you will receive an email from visitingstudents@northwestern.edu. Please add this address to your safe senders list. Your application will not be processed until all missing documents are received, this includes TOEFL scores. back to top
Health RecordsDo I have to use the Northwestern Visiting Student Immunization form? Yes, the Visiting Student immunization form is a required part of the application. A substitute form is not permitted, however you may attach additional health documentation. Please follow instructions carefully and submit all required lab tests, reports, etc. with your other application materials to the Visiting Student Programs office. Incomplete health records will only delay your application processing, and you may risk not starting on a desired date. The Visiting Student Immunization form is available on the forms page of this website. How does the health record review process work? Your immunization form is initially reviewed by the Visiting Program Coordinator to ensure that the 4-page form is filled out correctly. Once your main application is complete and your immunization form is correctly filled out, your main application begins processing by the departments and your health form and supporting medical documents are sent separately to our Student Health department for medical clearance. How will I know if my records are cleared by Student Health? Try to submit a complete health record with up-to-date immunizations in order to maximize the fastest processing time. Once Student Health has reviewed your health records, you will be notified by email only if they determine that your records are incomplete. It is then your responsibility to submit the missing immunization forms immediately to the Student Health Office (not the Visiting Student Coordinator) in order to gain Student Health clearance. Applications with health records that Student Health has determined are incomplete will be placed on hold and will not continue being reviewed by the departments until all missing documentation is received by Student Health. back to top
FeesAre there any application fees? Yes, a $125.00 application fee is charged for every application submitted. If a students wishes to rotate once during a 4-week period, submit one application and one application fee. If two different applications are submitted with the intention of rotating twice (two 4-week rotations), $225.00 is required. A maximum of two applications can be submitted. Registration is restricted to a maximum of eight weeks. The application fee is waived for medical students from our Partner institutions. Am I required to pay the tuition fee? The tuition fee is required only from International students (non–Partner) and Osteopathic students. Once you are accepted, this payment is required along with your confirmation form to secure your elective. The payment form can be found on the Forms page of the website. Please refer to the "Accepted Students" section for more information. Is any fee refundable? The application fee is non-refundable unless Northwestern is unable to schedule a student for an elective, in which case $25.00 refund per application denied is refundable. No refund is available for an accepted student who cancels prior to the scheduled elective, withdraws an application after it has been processed, or withdraws after the rotation has begun. If the student is eligible for a refund, a refund request form must be submitted. All refunds must be requested within 60 days of notification of the denial of your application. Do I have to pay the health insurance fee when I apply? No. This fee is for students who do not have a U.S. based health insurance (typically international students) and is not required at the time of applying. Once accepted to rotate, this fee should be paid no later than 2 weeks prior to your arrival. A health insurance fee of $225.00 for one rotation or $405.00 for two rotations is due. Please use the payment form located on the forms page. You will receive a Student Health Insurance Card and brochure of the policy when you register. Students who intend to arrive 9 or more calendar days prior to the start date of their first (or only) rotation will be subject to additional insurance fees.
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Application ProcessingWhat are my chances of an acceptance? How can I improve my chances? Slots are extremely limited. Students are considered on a first-come, first-served basis in addition to academic merit. Visiting students are placed only after Northwestern Students are scheduled. Spaces in Internal Medicine sub-specialties, Pediatrics, and Surgery are extremely limited. Summer and fall months (July through October), in particular, are extremely full. Our acceptance rate for 2010-2011 was 45% of approximately 800 applications processed. To increase your chances of being placed, you should include the full amount of possible dates (up to 4) and list elective choices across multiple departments. Can you confirm that you have received my application and/or other documentation? Due to volume received, we cannot confirm receipt of applications or other documentation. Please see below regarding notifications from our office. How will I know if my application is complete or not? You will receive email confirmation from visitingstudents@northwestern.edu when your application is complete. Please add this email address to your safe senders list. If your application is received incomplete, you will receive an email which details the missing and/or erroneous items of your application. Once your application becomes complete you will receive the email confirmation mentioned earlier. How will I know when my application has begun review by the departments to which I have applied? Applications are sent to departments for review in the order they were received and complete. When your application is sent to the individual departments for review you will receive another email notification indicating this has occurred. Please be sure to read this email in its entirety. How long does review of my application take? This varies for each department. In order to be accepted, you must have both departmental approval and Student Health clearance. This can take a minimum of 30 days. Application review takes longer for the Summer and Fall rotations which are the most busy times. What communications can I expect from the Visiting Student Office? We will notify you by email regarding the following: - if your application is missing any documents or has any errors
- if your health records are incomplete
- once your application is complete
- once your application begins review by the departments
- once your application is accepted or denied (An acceptance email comes directly from the Visiting Student Coordinator only)
How can I find out about the status my application? Please allow a minimum of 30-60 days for your application to be reviewed by the departments to which you have applied. Please do not call the Visiting Student Office to check on the status of your application. You may contact our office at visitingstudents@northwestern.edu no earlier than 30 days after you have received email notification that your application has begun review by the departments to inquire as to the status. DO NOT contact course directors, coordinators or faculty regarding the status of your application. back to top
International StudentsI am an international student. What are the visa requirements? For the purposes of this medical school elective, a B-1 visa is required. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine does not process visa paperwork for international students. You are required to obtain entry on your own. If you have another visa type (F-1, J-1, etc.) due to rotating at another US medical school or a B-1 visa for any other purpose, this visa cannot be used to rotate at Northwestern. You will be required to show your I-94 form and disclose the conditions of your visa at registration. Once accepted, we can only provide you with an acceptance letter upon request. Letters can take several weeks to reach overseas addresses. Please plan accordingly. I am an international student. How do I find out if my medical school is a partner? Please refer to the homepage and click on the Global Partner applicant link. I am an international student. Is the Step 1 mandatory to apply? No, the Step 1 is not required for International students, however, if you have Step 1 scores, you should include them with your application. I am an international student. What is the malpractice insurance policy? If your medical school does not provide coverage, Northwestern University will provide coverage for international visiting students at no additional cost. Is tuition charged? Yes. Northwestern does charge a $1200.00 tuition fee per rotation for accepted international and osteopathic visiting students. This fee is waived for medical students from LCME-accredited medical schools and our partner institutions. Do I have to pay the health insurance fee when I apply? No. This fee is for students who do not have a U.S. based health insurance (typically international students) and is not required at the time of applying. Once accepted to rotate, this fee should be paid no later than 2 weeks prior to your arrival. A health insurance fee of $225.00 for one rotation or $405.00 for two rotations is due. Please use the payment form located on the forms page. You will receive a Student Health Insurance Card and brochure of the policy when you register. Students who intend to arrive 9 or more calendar days prior to the start date of their first (or only) rotation will be subject to additional insurance fees. Do I have to send PPD results when I apply? No. If you are an international student, and are accepted, you will receive a QuantiFERON-GOLD blood test at Northwestern. This test must be done in the United States. If you have proof of a PPD skin test, chest x-ray or QuantiFERON-GOLD blood test done within the past six months in the US you may submit these with your Immunization Application. What are the health requirements for an international student if I am accepted? The QuantiFERON-GOLD blood test will be required upon your arrival to Northwestern University. You may not participate in clinical activities until this has been completed. The QuantiFERON-GOLD blood test fee is included when you purchase the health insurance; however, if your test should result positive, and further testing or an x-ray and doctor's appointment are required, you are responsible for these health care costs. Your Northwestern student insurance will not cover these costs. back to top
TOEFL (for International students only) I have a TOEFL score that is older than 2 years. Is this valid? No. Your TOEFL exam must be taken within two years of applying for a clerkship. I have not taken the TOEFL, but have another type of English language proficiency exam. Can the TOEFL be substituted? No, the TOEFL is mandatory, and no substitutions are permitted. Can the TOFEL be waived? Yes, but only under one condition: You may apply for a TOEFL waiver only if you are a citizen from one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ghana, Israel, Nigeria, Ireland, the United Kingdom, or the United States. In order to be considered for a waiver, you must contact the Visiting Student Coordinator via email at visitingstudents@northwestern.edu for an English Language Waiver Form and submit proof of citizenship. A fax or scan of your passport is sufficient proof. Waivers must be requested prior to submitting an application. You will be notified by email if your waiver is approved. Submission of a waiver application is not a guarantee that the TOEFL requirement will be waived. My home school's medium of instruction is English and my dean can provide documentation attesting to this fact. Can the TOEFL be waived for me? No. All International students must either submit a valid TOEFL exam or a waiver application. To determine if you qualify for a waiver, please review the application instructions or see above. Telephone interviews will not be conducted. I have taken the TOEFL, and I scored just 1 point less than your minimum requirement in one or more of the sections. Can an exception be made? No. The TOEFL is both an aggregate and a breakdown of each score. You must submit a TOEFL report that fulfills the requirements in all disciplines. NO exceptions will be made. Telephone interviews will not be conducted. I am ready to submit my application, however my TOEFL results will not be sent to Northwestern until later. Is this acceptable? Your scores may arrive separately from your application, however your application cannot be processed until it is complete which includes the TOEFL scores. TOEFL scores are considered valid only if received directly from ETS. back to top
Accepted StudentsHow will I know if I am accepted? In order to be fully accepted to our program, you must receive notification from the Visiting Student Coordinator in the Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education. An accepted student will be notified through email by Visiting Student Programs. Approval received directly from departments does not signify that you have been accepted to rotate. Registration is restricted to a maximum of eight weeks. If you have not heard from this office after 30 days of receiving the email notification that your application began review by the departments, you may email Visiting Student Programs at visitingstudents@northwestern.edu to inquire as to the status. Please do not call. I have received notification from the Visiting Student Coordinator that I have been accepted to rotate. What do I need to do secure my place in the elective? In order to secure your place within the elective, the Rotation Confirmation form must be received within 4 weeks of receipt of the email notification of your acceptance. Osteopathic and International students are also required to submit the tuition payment at this time. I have been accepted to rotate, but I would like to change my dates or my elective choice. Is this possible? No, all assignments are final. Departments, coordinators and faculty cannot override this policy. I have been accepted to rotate, but I cannot attend the elective. How do I cancel this rotation? In order to cancel an elective to which you have been accepted, the Rotation Cancellation form must be received within 4 weeks of receipt of the email notification of your acceptance. I have been accepted to rotate. What do I need to know and do before arriving to Northwestern? Go to the "Before arriving" page to check on the required forms. I am an International or Partner student and I wish to provide my own health insurance during my rotation. What are the requirements? If you wish to provide your own health insurance during your rotation at Northwestern, you must submit a copy of your insurance policy in English to the Visiting Student Coordinator no later than 4 weeks prior to your start date. Please note that a detailed policy is required and it must fulfill all the requirements stated here: http://www.northwestern.edu/risk/insurance/visiting-scholar/waiver-process.html#requirements. Please note the types of insurance policies that are generally not accepted including travel insurance. DO NOT submit your policy directly to the Risk Managment office or fill out any forms found on the Risk Managmeent website. These are for office use only and will be completed for you by the Visiting Student office. The policy you submit must clearly state that all these minimum requirements are met including dollar amounts. Your submitted policy must be in English and dollar amounts must be in US currency. You may send it via email or fax. You will be notified only if it does NOT meet our requirements.
What are the housing options? The Visiting Student Program cannot assist you with housing. Accepted students are expected to secure housing on their own. For some local housing options, please refer to the "Before arriving" page on the website. Is parking available? Please refer to the "Before arriving" page on the website. Do I need a white coat? Yes, please bring a waist-length white coat from your home institution. These may also be purchased from the uniform hospital shop in the lobby of the Galter Outpatient Pavilion (675 N. St. Clair Street). What is the dress code in the hospital? Please refer to the "Your First Day" page on the website. Do I need to bring my own scrubs? No, scrubs will be provided during your rotation. I would like to do some advanced reading before my rotation. How can I find out more information? Please contact the Visiting Student Coordinator to obtain this information. I need to request time off during the rotation. Who should I contact? Please contact the department directly. What if I want to request a letter of recommendation from a faculty member? Visiting Student Programs does not handle these requests. Please make arrangements on your own. back to top
Denied StudentsI was notified via email that my application(s) was denied:
What if a spot opens up, can I be placed? No, information is not provided regarding availability and we do not maintain waiting lists. DO NOT contact course directors, coordinators or faculty regarding availability. Contacting any of these parties may result in your ineligibility for current and future rotations. I am willing to participate in any elective that has availability. Is this possible? No, in order to be considered for other electives you must re-apply by submitting a new and complete application and fees. Can I re-apply? Yes, you may re-apply by submitting a new and complete application and applicable fees. Your new application will be considered in the order in which it is received. You may not submit additional elective choices or dates for or re-use an already denied application. You may only apply for time frames where the deadline has not already passed. Please check the rotation calendar for deadlines prior to submitting a new application. Can my denied application(s) and other documents be returned to me? No, all submitted documents become property of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Is any fee refundable? The application fee is non-refundable unless Northwestern is unable to schedule a student for an elective, in which $25.00 refund per application denied. No refund is available for an accepted student who cancels prior to the scheduled elective, withdraws an application after it has been processed, or withdraws after the rotation has begun. If the student is eligible for a refund, a refund request form must be submitted. All refunds must be requested within 60 days of notification of the denial of your application. back to top
Withdrawals/ CancellationsWhat do I do if I cannot attend my clerkship after having been accepted? In order to cancel an elective to which you have been accepted, the Rotation Cancellation form must be received within 4 weeks of receipt of the email notification of your acceptance. Failure to do so will result in your home school being notified and any acceptances for future rotations will be revoked. No changes to elective choice or dates are allowed. Is any fee refundable? The application fee is non-refundable unless Northwestern is unable to schedule a student for an elective. No refund is available for an accepted student who cancels prior to the scheduled elective, withdraws an application after it has been processed, or withdraws after the rotation has begun. Can I re-apply? Yes, you may re-apply by submitting a new and complete application and applicable fees. Your new application will be considered in the order in which it is received and complete. You may not submit additional elective choices or dates for or re-use an already denied application. You may only apply for time frames where the deadline has not already passed. Please check the rotation calendar for deadlines prior to submitting a new application. back to top
Evaluation/GradesMy school requires me to use their evaluation form. Is this possible? Yes. Please include your evaluation form with your application or bring it with you to Visiting Student Registration on your first day. The form will be sent to the appropriate department once you have been accepted. Once completed, the form will be sent back to the Visiting Student Programs staff in the Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education, copied for our records, and then forwarded to your school. Students are not allowed to give their evaluation forms directly to departments. When can I expect my grade? Evaluations will not be completed by the time you finish your rotation. Grades are requested from departments, sent to the Visiting Student Coordinator for recording, and then sent to your school’s Registrar office. This process can take up to 2-3 months. back to top | 
