International Student Elective Program

WE ARE CLOSED for international medical students.

Rotations at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine are CLOSED for international medical students. There is no plan to open rotations in the future. We also do not offer observerships. If you are an international student please do not contact BMC departments to inquire about rotations; you will receive the same answer, i.e, we are closed.

 

The International Student Elective Program (ISEP) at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (BUCASM) provides qualified students from approved foreign medical schools with the opportunity to earn academic credit by undertaking up to two (four-week) clinical electives at Boston Medical Center (BMC).

Each international student seeking an elective at BUCASM must: 

  • Be in his/her final year of medical school;
  • Be in good academic standing at his/her home institution;
  • Have undertaken the following rotations (or equivalent of): Medicine, Surgery, Ob/Gyn, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, and Psychiatry before undertaking an elective at BUCASM;
  • Be fluent in the English language;
  • Not be enrolled in a Caribbean medical school; and
  • Not have earned an MD degree (or its equivalent).

Tuition:

  • Tuition is $3000 per (four-week) elective.

Visas:

BUCASM does not process visas for students in ISEP. Students in our program do not qualify for F-1 or J-1 student or scholar visa sponsorship due to the short-term vocational nature of the visit and the fact that students are not enrolled in a full-time course of study. Department of State written policy specifically identifies medical clerkships as appropriate activity for the visitor classification [9 FAM 41.31 N10.4]. Students should request a B-1/B-2 visitor visa at their home embassy or consulate for their visit; if a student requires a letter of invitation from BUCASM for this purpose, he/she may request it.

Housing:

International students are responsible for obtaining housing while at the medical school. PLEASE BE AWARE: Rental housing prices in Boston are among the highest in the U.S. Here are resources to start your search: