General Information:

Thank you for your interest in Weill Cornell Medical College and/or its affiliated institutions. We have prepared the the following information to help answer your questions regarding the application process. Please note, all inquiries should be directed via e-mail to electives@med.cornell.edu. Please allow 4-5 days for a response.

For applications to the Hospital for Special Surgery and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, you must apply directly at the following websites: http://www.hss.edu/11942.asp and http://www.mskcc.org (do not use the WCMC application). For electives at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, please apply through that institution by calling 718-780-5053.


In order to complete your application with Weill Cornell Medical College, you will also need to consult the following:

• Electives Course Catalog
• Elective Course Module Dates
• Visiting Student Application
• Health Statement for Visiting Medical Students

Eligibility Requirements:

To be seriously considered, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Student must be enrolled and in good standing at a medical degree-granting institution.
2. Student must have completed all of the required clerkships and be in his/her final year by the time they are planning to enroll in the elective.
3. Student must be covered by malpractice or liability insurance during the term of the elective.
4. Student must have personal health insurance coverage.

Application Requirements:

Applications must be complete and must be received no later than 60 days prior to the elective start date. A complete application will consist of the following:

1. Completed Weill Medical College Application for Elective Study.
2. Section II of the application must be completed by the Dean of Student/Academic Affairs amd must be affixed with the seal of the candidate’s institution.
3. Written statement by the Dean of Student/Academic Affairs stating that student is in good academic standing and is approved to do an away elective.
4. Non-refundable fee of $100.00 (check or money order only) made payable to Weill Cornell Medical College.
5. Completed Weill Cornell Medical College Health Statement for Visiting Medical Students.
6. Proof of personal health insurance coverage (photocopy of your policy or membership card). Your personal health insurance must cover you for the term of your elective at Weill Cornell Medical College.
7. Official transcript of medical school coursework in a sealed envelope.

Application Process

Visiting students may enroll in a maximum of eight (8) weeks of electives. We will do our best to register you for the elective of your choice; however, given the high-level of interest in elective study at Weill Cornell, students would be well advised to provide several alternative elective choices and/or rotation dates. Please note, only dates in accordance with the Weill Cornell Medical College Academic calendar will be considered.

Applications must arrive no later than two months (60 days) prior to the start date of the desired rotation.

All the above materials should be SENT TOGETHER IN A SINGLE ENVELOPE to the address below: Incomplete applications will be returned.

Electives Coordinator
Office of Academic Affairs
Weill Cornell Medical College
1300 York Ave, C-118
New York, NY 10065


Availability of Electives:

Elective placements will be made according to the needs of individual departments and on a space-available basis. Because of the changing availability of electives, we will be unable to respond to inquiries regarding availability of electives. Likewise, we will be unable to reserve a position pending the receipt of an application. Only completed applications will be considered. Students are advised to provide alternate courses and/or dates. If there is no availability of your preferred or alternative electives and dates, your application fee will be refunded.


Student Health Requirements:

Students are required to demonstrate serologic immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and hepatitis B. Students must also provide documentation of a tetanus (Td) or Tetanus/pertussis (Tdap) booster in the last 10 years. Skin testing for tuberculosis is required. Students are required to provide documentation of a physical exam in the 12 months prior to the elective and be free of communicable illness.

Titer reports must be filed along with the application and, if they demonstrate immunity, there is no requirement regarding the date they are drawn; however, if the titers drawn for the purposes of this elective are found to be non-immune, the student must provide documentation of the appropriate boosters prior to arrival at Weill Cornell. If the student has a negative or borderline hepatitis B titer, or if the student attends a university that permits them to decline hepatitis B vaccination (and the student chooses not to be (re)immunized against hepatitis B), the student must provide documentation of Hepatitis B surface antigen and may sign a declination. Students will be notified if you require any additional testing prior to your elective.

PPD testing: If the student is PPD negative, s/he must provide two PPD test results – one in the 12 months preceding the elective, and one in the calendar year of the elective. Students who are PPD positive must provide the date of the positive test, and provide a copy of your chest x-ray report and documentation of counseling and/or treatment for latent tuberculosis infection. Please note that prior history of BCG vaccination is NOT a contraindication to testing. Failure to provide this information will result in the cancellation of the elective.

All students must provide proof of health insurance. (Please note, visiting students are not eligible for services provided through Weill Cornell Student Health Services.) In the event of illness, or the need for consultation regarding health care, visiting students must seek the services of their personal physician or other physician of their choice. In the event of an emergency, visiting students are advised to proceed immediately to the nearest Emergency Room. Any questions related to coverage/cost of coverage should be addressed by the student directly with their insurance provider.


Correspondence:

All correspondence with Weill Cornell regarding the status of your elective request will be via e-mail. This might require you to take off filters, or add the above e-mail address to a list of accepted senders.


Housing:

Visiting students are responsible for securing their own housing. The electives office does not maintain or provide any information related to housing.


Evaluation:

Visiting students should bring with them a copy of their home school's evaluation form for completion by the elective sponsor. Please do not send this with your application.


Course Catalog:

Visiting students will be considered for clinical electives only. Core clinical clerkships are not available to visiting students. All elective assignments are final.