Clinical Electives Program

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Overview | Objectives | Eligibility | Elective Descriptions | Specialty Rotations for Combined Program Student

Due to a Presidential Executive Order, the NIH Clinical Electives Program has paused accepting medical student applications. You will be unable to save or submit an application at this time.

The NIH Clinical Electives Program is accepting applications from students attending LCME-accredited and U.S. osteopathic schools only. The program is not reviewing international applications at the present time. Please be aware that all students coming to the NIH Clinical Center may be subject to local, state, or national requirements regarding vaccination, testing, and quarantine requirements prior to rotating.

CEP Overview

To further its mission to train the next generation of physician-scientists and clinician-investigators, the NIH Clinical Center, through the Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education, offers short term, 4- to 12-week clinically oriented rotations in the Clinical Electives Program (CEP). Senior-level medical or dental students meeting the eligibility criteria, including all core clerkship rotations, may apply. The focus of the CEP is enhancing the training experience for highly motivated students who are strongly interested in, or committed to, research-oriented careers in academic medicine.

NOTE: Residents or clinical fellows currently enrolled in ACGME-accredited graduate medical education training programs in the United States may apply for short-term elective rotations at the NIH Clinical Center through the Resident Electives Program (REP) administered by the Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education. Interested REP applicants should visit NIH's Elective Rotations for Residents and Clinical Fellows page for more information.

CEP Objectives

Learning about the care of patients with rare or complex disorders enrolled in human subjects research protocols at the NIH Clinical Center, the world's largest research hospital on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD*
Enhancing understanding of how clinical research is conducted in a scientifically valid and ethically responsible way in a compassionate training environment.

CEP Eligibility

View the eligibility criteria.

The CEP welcomes applications from qualified allopathic or osteopathic medical students enrolled in Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-Accredited Medical Programs Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA)-Accredited Medical Programs, and from dental students enrolled in Commission on Dental Association CODA-Accredited Dental Programs. International medical or dental students with a meaningful track record of scholarly activity, especially clinical or transitional research published in reputable journals, or active engagement in mentored laboratory research should reach out prior to applying.

The CEP is not optimally suited for students who intend to enter community-based clinical practice, or (for international students) as an introduction to the health care system or practice of clinical medicine in the United States. International students should also note that CEP is not designed as a vehicle to enhance competitiveness for acceptance into US specialty or subspecialty graduate medical education training programs ("residencies or fellowships").

The CEP does not accept medical or dental school graduates for observational experiences, clinical rotations or advanced graduate medical education training in a specialty or subspecialty of medicine or dentistry. Again, residents or clinical fellows currently enrolled in ACGME-accredited graduate medical education training programs in the United States may apply for short-term elective rotations at the NIH Clinical Center through the REP.

CEP Elective Descriptions

3-Month Mentored Specialty/ Subspecialty Clinical Research Rotations

The following programs are open to applicants attending US Medical Schools accredited by the LCME or the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the AOA. Prior to applying, contact the CEP coordinator to confirm availability. At the rotation coordinator's discretion, the rotation may be shortened.

Eligibility: Combined Program Students (i.e., MD/PhD, DO/PhD)

Next Steps:

VSLO or CEP App Portal

The NIH Clinical Electives Program does not offer housing or travel subsidies.

Rotation dates are set to begin on the first Monday of the month. All rotations are not available during all blocks. Please check the application portals for availability.

Some rotations may be at satellite campuses including Baltimore, Maryland. Please check rotation-specific details through our application portal before applying.