The Office of Global Health Education and Visiting Student Programs supports Yale medical students in building a strong foundation in global health and understanding the social, economic, and structural determinants that shape health outcomes. The office offers preclinical global health coursework and electives, along with a broad range of global clinical electives in approved US and international settings. These experiences allow students to learn within diverse health systems, strengthen clinical skills, deepen cultural humility, and develop leadership in addressing health disparities. Students receive guidance in selecting clinical opportunities, preparing for work in new environments, and connecting with faculty mentors and global partners to support meaningful, sustained engagement in global health. The office also offers a certificate in global medicine and welcomes international and domestic medical students to apply for clinical electives at Yale School of Medicine.

Certificate in Global Medicine

The Certificate in Global Medicine is awarded upon graduation to Yale School of Medicine students who demonstrate competency in global health. It recognizes completion of required didactic coursework, scholarly work, global health clinical experience, and language, cultural, and leadership activities relevant to global health. The certificate enables students to develop expertise in global health and prepares them for leadership in the field through the acquisition of essential knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes. Didactic, research, and clinical experiences are organized into a longitudinal curriculum that may be completed over four (or five) years, with flexibility in both the timing of participation and the faculty‑approved content included in a student’s global health portfolio. Students pursuing the certificate are expected to engage actively with the community of global health practitioners and scholars at Yale and internationally. International field experience in global health is an integral component of the program.

Additional information is available at https://medicine.yale.edu/md-program/special-programs/global-health.

Visiting Student Programs

Yale School of Medicine offers four-week clinical rotations to medical students in their final year of medical school. Yale provides a dynamic and academically enriching environment for advanced clinical training. To be eligible, students must be in good academic standing at either a US LCME-accredited medical school, a participating COCA-accredited AACOM member institution, or an international school accredited by a body recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) and listed in the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO). For international students whose schools are not part of VSLO, Yale offers an alternative FreeMover application pathway, expanding access to its world-class clinical education.

Yale does not offer an observership program for visiting medical students.

Applicants may apply for up to three different electives in a range of clinical specialties, and the application process requires submission of key documents including a dean’s letter, academic transcript, curriculum vitae, personal statement, letter of recommendation, proof of immunizations and health insurance, and TOEFL or IELTS scores for international applicants.

Yale fosters a collaborative and intellectually rich learning environment, and visiting students are encouraged to engage fully with both the campus and the broader New Haven community throughout their clinical experience.

Additional information is available at https://medicine.yale.edu/md-program/visiting-students.