Fourth Year Medical Student Visiting Electives

Valley Children’s Healthcare offers fourth year elective rotations to visiting medical students in good standing at an Association of American Medical Colleges Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or Committee on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) of the American Osteopathic Association accredited institution. A maximum of two visiting clerkships are offered per student. Exceptions may be considered on an individual basis.

Due to demand, for students enrolled in foreign medical schools, there are extremely selective criteria for clerkship rotations at Valley Children’s Healthcare. We are unable to accept applications or make clerkship placements for students already graduated from medical school.

All applications from students in LCME-accredited medical schools and COCA-accredited osteopathic schools of medicine must be submitted through the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities™ (VSLO®). Paper applications and email requests will not be accepted.

Educational Opportunities

Our independent, nonprofit network provides highly specialized medical and surgical services to treat conditions ranging from common to the most unusual and complex. We perform this extraordinary care across our network, including at our 358-bed stand-alone children’s hospital that includes 28 regional NICU beds. In addition, the Valley Children’s Healthcare network includes specialty care centers, pediatric primary care practices and women’s health services. We offer extensive exposure to program leadership, including one-on-one meetings, mentoring, directed educational sessions and an interprofessional collaborative practice approach to training.

Elective Rotations

Valley Children’s Hospital offers electives and subinternships to qualified fourth year medical students (see Eligibility Requirements section below). Click the electives below to read a brief course description. More detailed information about each elective is available through our elective catalog.

Inpatient Acute Care >

Achieve an understanding of care for the hospitalized pediatric patient. The learner will assume primary responsibility for initial evaluations, diagnostic procedures and ongoing management of patients.

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit >

Achieve an understanding of the critically ill infant or child with specific emphasis on cardiovascular and pulmonary physiology, initial assessment, stabilization and management.

Pediatric Cardiology >

Achieve an understanding of pediatric cardiology with an emphasis on anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology. Learners will be exposed to common pediatric cardiology conditions such as heart murmurs, septal defects, valve abnormalities and complex congenital heart defects.

Pediatric Endocrinology >

Achieve an understanding of the basics of pediatric endocrine disorders found in infancy and childhood.

Pediatric GI and Nutrition >

Achieve an understanding of pediatric gastroenterology, including work-up of rare and uncommon disorders, as well as experience in nutritional challenges and therapy in infants and children.

Pediatric Hematology and Oncology >

Achieve an understanding of various hematologic and oncologic disorders of infancy and childhood and the special diagnostic approaches to these problems.

Pediatric Nephrology >

Achieve an understanding of pediatric nephrology and renal disorders found in infancy and childhood while working in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit >

Achieve an understanding of the complex medical needs of high-risk neonatal patients. Formulating differential diagnosis and management of common neonatal conditions including: prematurity, respiratory distress, neonatal sepsis, apnea, congenital heart disease and other complex anomalies.

Pediatric Rheumatology >

Achieve an understanding of pediatric rheumatologic diseases such juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile dermatomyositis, localized scleroderma, systemic scleroderma and pediatric vasculitis.

Advocacy and Community Outreach Opportunities

Our advocacy and outreach is designed to provide a hands-on experience with a diverse and underserved population. We encourage fourth year medical students who have an interest in advocacy and community outreach to inquire within the Medical Education Department about available experiences during your rotation. We offer different opportunities in advocacy throughout the community through our Mobile Health Unit and Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission free health clinic as well as home visits. Medical Students will work alongside Valley Children's pediatric residents during these experiences. Please note, this is optional and dependent upon interest and availability.

Eligibility Requirements

Students in good academic standing and currently registered in their senior year of an M.D. or D.O. program at a school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or Education Department of the American Osteopathic Association are eligible to apply for a maximum of one visiting clerkship per student. The detailed Valley Children’s Healthcare program requirements are found on VSLO.

Application Process

Applications are accepted beginning each spring.
Applications must be received four (4) weeks prior to requested start date.
Application processing time may take up to two (2) weeks for final confirmation.

Incomplete applications will not be processed. Availability of electives cannot be confirmed by telephone. Students are instructed not to call or email individual departments or faculty. All elective requests must be scheduled through VSLO.

Fees

There is a non-refundable application processing fee of $250.00. The processing fee is due as soon as your application is approved and a clerkship has been scheduled. Checks should be made payable to Valley Children’s Healthcare. Please write the applicant’s name on the memo line of the check. If the processing fee is not received within two weeks, the elective will be canceled. Processing fees are non-refundable and are required for each elective being requested.

Fees can be mailed to:

Valley Children’s Healthcare
Medical Education - FE 21
Attn: Joe Osejo
9300 Valley Children’s Place
Madera, CA 93636

Confirmation of Request

Students will be notified by the medical student coordinator through VSLO within two (2) weeks if space is available.

Welcome Orientation

All visiting students must attend orientation at 8:00 am on the first day of any elective. Orientation is mandatory and you will not be able to report to a scheduled elective without attending your session.