For Physicians

Visiting Clinician Program

The Visiting Clinician program is designed to offer physicians an opportunity to obtain further experience in their professional specialty. The appointment period for a Visiting Clinician lasts from one to several months. This program is convenient for physicians and scientists with previous experience who have the required time available or are searching for additional experience to open up new professional opportunities.

Physicians who want to visit a Mayo Clinic location for less than one month can schedule their visit ahead of time, without going through a formal application procedure. These shorter visits can be coordinated through written request to the department at the Mayo location of interest.

To schedule one- to three-month visits, physicians may write a letter to the appropriate department of the Mayo Clinic physician. Physicians applying for the program will be required to fill out an application and send two letters of recommendation (one from their current department head and one from another physician who is familiar with the applicant's work and professional objectives). Physicians who are selected, will receive a confirmation letter from the Mayo Clinic.

Some important information about the Visiting Clinician program:

• To qualify, physicians must have good knowledge of English (spoken and written), since there will be collaboration with non-bilingual staff.
• Physicians must have a visa approved by the U.S. Department of State. The Mayo Exchange Visitor Visa Program can help in some cases.
• Physicians participating in the Visiting Clinician program cannot be registered in any other formal medical training program.
• Appointments to the program usually cover from one to three months, but in some specialties the visit can be extended several months.
• Interaction with patients is limited to observation. Visiting physicians are not authorized to provide medical service to Mayo Clinic patients.

In most cases, all travel and living costs associated with a visit to Mayo are the responsibility of the visiting physician or sponsoring institution. A few scholarships are available to provide an opportunity for physicians without financial means to participate in the program.

For more information, visit Mayo International Education Visiting Clinician Program.