Diversity in Medicine Visiting Elective Program Scholarship

Eligibility: 

Eligible participants are full-time, fourth-year medical students in good standing at an accredited U.S. medical school. Students remain registered at their own schools while participating in the four-week elective at UC Davis. Each student must complete an application form through the American Association of Medical Colleges’ Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) Application Service.

Application Process:

1. Apply for your chosen electives in VSLO at aamc.org/vslo. Note: Scholarship Applications will only be considered with a complete VSLO application.
2. Submit the Diversity in Medicine Visiting Elective Program application at bit.ly/UCDVEPapp. Please note that applications submitted  incomplete applications and applications submitted past the deadline date will not be considered.
3. Submit a Letter of Intent ( 1 page maximum) and any supplemental materials to hs-osrd@ucdavis.edu with "VEP [your name]" in the subject line. Your letter and supplemental materials must also be submitted by the application deadline.
1. In your Letter of Intent, please describe your path to medicine, your demonstrated interest in serving underserved communities, and your interest in practicing at UC Davis Health and/or Northern California in approximately 500 words. You also should briefly explain your potential to contribute to the Diversity in Medicine Visiting Elective Program through your understanding of the barriers facing underrepresented groups in medicine (including individuals from African American/Black, Latinx, and Native American backgrounds), as evidenced by your life experiences, work experience, educational record, and demonstrated interest in serving underserved communities. 

Application Deadlines:

• For rotation start dates in July-September: TBA
• For rotation start dates in October-January: TBA
• For 2024 rotation start dates: TBA

Please note: The Diversity in Medicine Visiting Elective Program Scholarship provides scholarship funding and mentorship resources. OSRD does not make decisions on whether a student is accepted or rejected from an away rotation, as these decisions are made by the hosting clinical departments. Students applying for both a department and OSRD Diversity in Medicine scholarship, can only receive one scholarship.

If you have any questions about the Diversity in Medicine Visiting Elective Program, contact eclee@ucdavis.edu.

What are the benefits of doing a VEP at UC Davis?

• Access to mentorship and experience at UC Davis School of Medicine residency programs
• Reimbursement for travel, food, and lodging for rotation, reduction of the cost to obtain experiential learning during medical school
• Experiencing Sacramento and gaining a better understanding of the diverse communities and resources available
• Engaging in networking opportunities with faculty, residents, and staff at UC Davis School of Medicine

When is the next rotation?

Visit https://health.ucdavis.edu/mdprogram/registrar/visiting.html for upcoming rotation and application deadline dates.

Do I have to apply for both rotation and scholarship?

Yes, you will need to apply for your chosen electives in VSLO at aamc.org/vslo. Your scholarship application will not be considered without a complete VSLO application.

Fill out the DVEPS application at bit.ly/UCDVEPapp.

What are the scholarship application requirements?

The Diversity in Medicine Visiting Elective Program Scholarship application requires submitting your contact information, background, and a section to include your Letter of Intent (1 page maximum). Supplemental materials may be submitted to hs-osrd@ucdavis.edu with "VEP [your name]" in the subject line.

1. In your Letter of Intent section, describe your path to medicine, your demonstrated interest in serving underserved communities, and your interest in practicing at UC Davis Health and/or Northern California.

Does applying for VEP rotation before or after residency application affect my chances for residency with UC Davis Health? 

No.

I have questions about a specific department of interest, who can I contact?

For questions regarding day to day activities and learning outcomes, contact the departmental coordinators in their respective departments. To see available residency programs, visit https://health.ucdavis.edu/gme/residency_programs.html 

Can international students apply for the DEVPS?

International students are not eligible, per the Visiting Medical Student eligibility of enrollment policies: https://health.ucdavis.edu/mdprogram/registrar/visiting.html 

Where can I find which residency departments offer a VEP rotation?

Visit VSLO at aamc.org/vslo.

Does every department offer a scholarship program for VEP?

No. Not every department offers a scholarship for Visiting Elective Programs. The following academic departments offer their own scholarship programs for visiting students and scholarship amount varies. Students can only receive one scholarship if applying for both department and OSRD scholarship. See below for departments offering VEP scholarships.

• Emergency Medicine - Visiting Underrepresented Scholar Program
• Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery - Brodie Endowment Diversity Visiting Clerkship (PDF)
• Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - Diversity Medical Student Visiting Clerkship
• Ophthalmology Diversity in Medicine Scholarship
• Dermatology Diversity in Medicine Scholarship

For more information on applying to a fourth-year elective at UC Davis Health, visit the Office of the Registrar's Visiting Medical Students page.

For questions regarding the Diversity in Medicine Visiting Elective Program Scholarship (DVEPS), contact Eva Lee at eclee@ucdavis.edu. 

2023 – 2024 Award Recipients

2022 – 2023 Award Recipients
1. Tien Nguyen, Washington State Univ Elson S - Washington State-Floyd Tri-Cities School of Medicine, UC Davis Health Pediatric Surgery
2. Grace Wei, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, UC Davis Health Dermatology
3. Serena Choi, University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, UC Davis Health Ophthalmology
4. Morgan Haynes, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, UC Davis Health Dermatology
5. Yen Luu, University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Medicine, UC Davis Health Dermatology
6. Bilal Karim, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, UC Davis Health Child Neurology
7. Ky Ngo, University of Washington School of Medicine - U Washington-UW, UC Davis Health Surgery
8. Shadi Shams, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, UC Davis Health Child Neurology
9. Jasper Shu, Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, UC Davis Health Anesthesiology
10. Nancy Abarca, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, UC Davis Health Neurology

3. Akshitha Thatiparthi, Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic, Medicine of the Pacific, UC Davis Health Dermatology
4. Kristine Vo, U of Hawaii - Burns SOM, UC Davis Health Otolaryngology
5. Linda Kerandi, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, UC Davis Health Psychiatry
6. Raymond Martinez, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, UC Davis Health Hematology/Oncology
7. Jennifer Cortes, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, UC Davis Health Combined Family Medicine–Psychiatry
8. Ashkan Khosravi, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolinas Campus, UC Davis Health Rehabilitation Medicine
9. Philomena Nwanze, Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine, UC Davis Health Combined Family Medicine - Psychiatry

OSRD collaborates with individual residency and fellowship programs to showcase how each program promotes diversity, equity and inclusion as part of the larger UC Davis Health community. Many programs participate in OSRD's annual Graduate Medical Education Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Open House, and some programs hold Diversity Day events concurrent with interviews. If you are an applicant interested in one of these programs, please reach out to the residency or fellowship program directly.

If you are a representative from a UC Davis residency or fellowship program, please visit our Info for GME Programs page.

Welcome to our new UC Davis residents and fellows! We are so excited to meet you. Check out some of the resources available to you on our Current Residents and Fellows page.