For Medical Students: Applying for an Elective at MSKCC

1. Who is eligible to take an elective at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center?

Medical students at an international medical school listed in the International Medical Education Directory-IMED  who will be in their final 12 months at the time they participate in their Memorial Hospital electives. There are no exceptions to these requirements. We require written documentation from your school to confirm your status. Note: Students are required to demonstrate strong academic credentials (Minimum GPA 3.0 or B average.)

2. How early can I apply for an elective?

The academic year for the Elective Program begins in July and ends the following June.

For electives beginning in July, August, and September, visiting students may submit applications beginning in April. Reviews of visiting student applications begin in May. Decisions are made on a rolling basis.

For electives beginning October through June, applications may be submitted no earlier than six months prior to the start of the elective. (Applications received earlier than six months will be returned without review.) Decisions are made on a rolling basis.

International students are no longer accepted for the first and second modules of the academic year.

3. How late can I apply for an elective?

Complete application materials for international students must be received no later than 4 months prior to the start of an elective.

4. Is there an application fee to apply for electives?

Yes. There is a one-time, nonrefundable application fee of $100 USD to apply for one or more electives. Checks (drawn on a US bank), travelers cheques, or money orders should be made payable to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Wire transfers and credit card payments are not accepted. Applications will NOT be processed without the application fee.

5. What are the application procedures for international medical students?

See How to Apply (International Medical Students).

6. Do I need to pay tuition to take an elective at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center?

No. Memorial Hospital does not charge tuition for medical student electives.

7. Do I have to select the predetermined course module dates?

Yes. Modules are available only on the dates published on our website.

8. I am flexible about which elective(s) to take. Can you just place me where there is an open elective spot?

No. You must indicate specific electives of interest on your application and in your letter of interest/motivation. If you do not, we will return your application materials to you without review.

9. What is the maximum amount of time I can spend at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center?

Due to the increased volume of applications to our program, we can now only consider requests for a maximum of 8 weeks for both Medicine and Surgery electives. Note: According to New York State Department of Health regulations, medical students whose medical education includes more than 12 weeks anywhere outside the country where their medical school is located are ineligible to participate in postgraduate training programs (residency and fellowship) in New York State if the medical school is not approved by the NYS Education Department for extended clerkships. A list of approved schools is available at http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/med/medforms.htm.

10. How can I increase my chances of being scheduled?

Your chances of being scheduled may increase if you include alternate choices for electives and module dates. This is especially true for the fall module dates. In addition, submitting a complete application that includes all required documentation will significantly expedite the review and acceptance process.

11. Which electives should I apply for?

When deciding on which elective to apply for, consider your personal interests and the career path you would like to take. Which previous clerkships have sparked your interest? Ask your medical school advisor or other faculty members for guidance.

12. Can you hold my application for a later elective?

No. We cannot hold applications for students. We ask that applications be sent to us no earlier than 6 months prior to the start of the elective.

13. After I have submitted my application, when will I know if I have been accepted?

You will be notified approximately six to eight weeks after a completed application is received. No phone calls please; e-mail inquiries only at medstudent@mskcc.org.

14. Upon completion of the elective at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, will I receive a seal?

All electives take place at Memorial Hospital, one of the teaching hospitals of Weill Cornell Medical College. Certification or validation required by a student's medical school or by other medical authorities regarding an elective at Memorial Hospital will be signed by the elective sponsor(s) or by a designated member of the Graduate Medical Education staff. The only seal provided will be that of Memorial Hospital. Only actual dates of elective(s) will be certified. No weekend dates will be certified.

While a student's status as a fourth year elective student at Memorial Hospital will - for the limited period of the elective(s) - provide him/her with the equivalent rights and duties of a Weill Cornell medical student, students taking electives will not receive any certification, validation, signature, or official seal directly from Weill Cornell Medical College.

15. May I contact the sponsor(s) of the elective(s) directly?

Some electives require a phone interview with the sponsor. You will be notified if an interview is required. In all other circumstances, applicants should not contact the sponsors directly. Sponsors are not aware of the availability of electives and are not equipped to answer detailed questions regarding application procedures. As a future physician, you also need to be mindful of time constraints placed on a practicing physician's busy schedule. All inquiries should be directed to the Medical Student Coordinator in the Graduate Medical Education office. No phone calls please; e-mail inquiries only at medstudent@mskcc.org.

16. What kind of visa will I need?

Students are responsible for obtaining their own visas. Please see U.S. Citizenship and Information Services for more information on visa-related issues.