Overview
International Physicians currently employed outside of the United States and approved for the International Observer program engage in clinical and surgical observations, and shadow MSK faculty in their area of expertise. Federal regulations prevent international observers from having patient care responsibilities or involvement in any form of volunteer research. Applicants must arrange with an MSK faculty member to serve as host (sponsor) for the period of the visit. The number of applicants accepted is limited as we receive more requests than we can accommodate. Visits are restricted to a maximum of one month.
**The International Observer Program at MSK is not designed for international medical graduates (IMG) residing in the United States or abroad, who intend to apply for residency or fellowship in the U.S. These applications will not be considered for this program.
Observers will:
- Gain invaluable insight into advanced techniques and comprehensive oncology management
- Participate in discussions on diagnosis and treatment options, attend conferences and grand rounds and observe inpatient and outpatient rounds/clinics
- Improve professional communication by interacting with other medical professionals
Who is eligible?
- Fully trained international physicians with several years of medical practice currently employed and practicing abroad.
- Applicants currently in a fellowship program abroad may apply to the specialty relevant to their fellowship and will be required to submit proof of residency completion.
- Residents must be in a specialized residency abroad and in their 3rd or 4th year in that program. Written confirmation from the program and medical school diploma are required to apply.
- Recent medical graduates and junior residents (first- and second-year residents) are not eligible for the program and are not able to apply.
Medical students are not eligible for this program. Medical students both domestic and international may be interested in our medical elective program.
Applying as an International Observer
- Contact an MSK faculty member to discuss visiting MSK – The International program does not match applicants with sponsors and is unable to give out faculty contact information
- Discuss and identify dates with the faculty member (maximum one month)
- Send CV and other documents if needed to the faculty member (sponsor)
- The faculty member (sponsor) will send the request to the International Observer office to start the process six months prior to your visit
- An email will be sent to the applicant with a link to complete the online application
- Acceptance is tentative until application is submitted, and the International Program officially approves the visit. Do not make any plans until the International observer program approves the application and sends official notification
The approval process takes at least 4-6 weeks, and we are not able to accommodate every request due to high volume of requests.
*Visitors entering the U.S. with the following visa types are eligible to participate: B1, B2, F2, H4, J2, L2, O3 or ESTA. Visitors are responsible for obtaining their visas and all expenses. No certificate or credit is given this is an Observership program only.
Applicants from countries or geographies that are subject to comprehensive sanctions by the United States Government will not be accepted. Applicants from certain other countries or geographies may be rejected for other reasons, including but not limited to being named on a restricted list, being government officials of certain geographies, being from certain countries where business concerns about export control or intellectual property theft, or due to the burden of additional vetting requirements being too costly to implement. Currently, applicants not eligible if citizens of the following countries: Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Venezuela. (List subject to change at any time)