Guide to Chinese Clinical Rotation Students

The information here prepared by China Program Office (CPO) is provided to assist Chinese students who will take clinical rotations at UMass Chan. An orientation package will be mailed to each student after their final placements.

General Instructions

Read through the application guideline, fill out the application form and send back to CPO with all the required supplemental materials. Please note the following:

1. For the application form

a. Please fill out one application form per elective rotation period.

b. In order to increase the opportunities to get into your most desired courses, you can fill out both application forms with your top three choices and list the other period as your alternative date.

c. You will not pay tuition; however, you do need to pay for the application fee ($65 per rotation, $130 for two rotations).

d. You will need to purchase personal health insurance and show evidence. In the past, students have purchased travel insurances from various insurance companies in China such as 中国平安or 华泰.

e. UMass Chan will assist you to get malpractice insurance with a nominal fee of $50. Please fill out the insurance registration form and send back once your placement is finalized.

f. You take HIPAA and OSHA training and test once you arrive at UMass Chan. Relevant materials will be provided after you get placed into the program.

g. You will need to have your school official sign the rotation application forms and stamp them.

2. For the immunizations

a. Although certificates and records of your immunization are helpful, please make sure you fill out the UMass Chan International Student Immunization Record Form, have it signed and return with the required lab report (e.g. for HBV surface antibody test).

b. The form can be signed by your school official as well as a doctor/nurse.

c. Make sure you show the lab report for your Hepatitis Test.

d. Since MMR titers are not measured in China, please show evidence for two vaccinations instead of the serology measurements. Please look into this asap as it requires at least 30 days in between the two injections if you have not done one.

3. Official transcript

You will need the English version that shows your school seal.

4. Language Requirement

If you have not taken TOEFL test, provide the certificate that you have passed of the College English Test - level 6 (translated into English).

5. Reference letter

Please use the sample letter as the template for your Dean’s letter but you can elaborate if you wish. Make sure to replace the “place-holder” names with appropriate ones. Please be reminded that you need to send in two letters. One from the Dean’s office proving your good standing (sample included) and one reference letter from a professor or someone who knows you well and can comment on you.

Note: for all the documents, please color scan them and send CPO the PDF files instead of the original paper version. When you send in your files, please label them in a way they can be recognized by names, e.g. Application_Feb-2011_Zhang. Please make sure to translate into English all the required documents that are only in Chinese.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions & Answers

 

About application process and materials

Q: Rotation Period: Is this understanding correct that the study at UMass Chan will last for two months (e.g. May and June) and each of us will be able to attend two different electives?

A: Yes. Each rotation/elective is a four-week period. You will take two electives. The dates for your rotations were decided together with your school officials and are deemed the most feasible time for you.

Q: Deadline: What is the deadline that we have to send all the documents to CPO for clinical rotation application and prepare for visa application?

A: It is recommended that rotation applications are received at least three months prior to the proposed date of elective and at least 2 months for visa application. Clinical rotation application will be assessed after April of the year, if the rotations are arranged in July or after (i.e. for the next academic year). However, please get things ready as soon as possible.

Q: Invitation letter: Is it correct that the invitation letter for B-1 visa application will not be issued until applications are officially approved by UMass Chan?

A: We can first send you a letter just for visa purpose so that you can get the paper work done sooner. The formal acceptance/placement letter will come after the actual assignment and the electives might be different from your top choices as it depends on the availability of your desired electives.

Q: Reference letter: Do we need to provide two letters of Recommendation (one from the Dean/Registrar, another from a professor)?

A: You do need to provide two letters. We provided a sample for the dean’s letter out of the concern that you might not be familiar with its contents. The other letter is just like what you would get for any reference letter from someone who knows you well to comment on your strength and weakness.

Q: Malpractice Insurance Application Form: Should we leave a blank in service rotation part due to it’s not the final arrangement yet? 

A: You can wait till your assignments are finalized before sending in that form.

Q: Proof of Proficiency in English: One document says we should provide a proof of scores greater than 600 on Test of English as a Foreign Language. However, some of us may not get a score greater than 600 in the CET-6 (but surely pass) while having not taken TOEFL test either. What shall we do?

A: Just send in your level 6 CET certificate (with translation) and it will be fine.

Q: HIPAA and OSHA training: Does this means we need to arrive at US a few days earlier before the starting of formal rotation?

A: The study materials will be emailed to you ahead of time and the tests will be on the first day of the rotation. They are very simple and you should not have any problem passing them. However, you can arrive a few days before the rotations start to get yourselves ready.

About immunizations:

Q:On TST POSITIVE：Majority of people in China received BCG vaccination which means the TST tests for us have great chances to be positive. In that case, should we submit a chest x-ray only as the document required?

A: If that is the case, send in an X-ray, not the actual X-ray film, report stating no abnormality found.

Q: Vaccination records of Varicella: The document requires two doses of vaccine given 4 to 8 weeks apart. We did received them but that was over ten years ago. Would this be a problem?

A: Yes. For Varicella compliance, the two vaccines should still be good to submit as proof of immunization for a Visiting Student.

Q: HBV surface antibody titer: Some of us have a HBV surface antibody titer of 20-30 mIU/mL. Is this titer strong enough or should we receive another dose of vaccination?

A: The titer values should be high enough. Greater than 10 mIU/mL is considered fine.

Q: Chicken Pox and Seasonal Flu / H1N1 Vaccinations: Are Chicken Pox and Seasonal Flu / H1N1 vaccinations mandatory for us? the first paragraph of the Immunization Record Form does not mention these two vaccinations as mandatory.

A: Two varicella vaccine injections (at least 30 days apart) are required unless you indicate a positive antibody titer and have had chicken pox (state the year of disease if this is the case).

If you cannot get flu shots, please provide an official letter stating these vaccinations are not available in China.

Q: The proof of immunity in English: Is that OK that we translate the proofs of immunization records and lab reports into English by ourselves and stamped by local health institution where we received our immunization?

A: If they provide the records in Chinese, use that and attach an English translation. Have stamps on both and make sure you color-scan them so that the seals show red. Previously, people have sent in International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, an official document from the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine of China. It is an alternative.

 

 

 

 

About supporting documents

Q: What should I bring with me to accomplish this program beside my personal belongs?

A: A stethoscope and a long-sleeve, short white coat are all that are required in general. There may be additional requirements depending on the specific rotations you are taking but that is rare. No need to prepare for scrubs as they are provided if needed.

Make sure to have enough medication with you during your stay. It is not as easy for you to get medicine here.

Q: Can you tell me about the medical student I.D. badge mentioned in the guideline?

A: You will get your UMass Chan student ID on the first day of your rotation.

 

 

 

 

About living in Worcester

Q: How much money do you think we may spend on living cost and rent in Worcester, beside the necessary fees and airplane ticket?

A: It really depends on your life style. A normal cafeteria meal will cost about $5. But if you cook yourself, $5 can cover your meals for the entire day. There are plenty of restaurants, including those fast food places like McDonald’s and Burger King whose price is comparable to that in China, around with different price ranges. An average dinner can be around $15-$20.

Since UMass Chan does not have dorms, all students rent apartments themselves. In the past, China Program Office has been helping visiting Chinese students finding apartments during their staying. The average rent would be around $500 per month.

Q: During my stay in UMass Chan, may I visit other places during weekends or holidays?

A: Absolutely. Students have even been to places outside Massachusetts, such as New York City during their spare times. However, you will have to take full responsibility of your safety yourself.

Useful link: 

UMass Chan International Students and Scholars Office    http://www.umassmed.edu/hr/isso/index.aspx

MA Chinese Student and Scholar Association           http://macssa.com/            

 

 

Other questions

Q: Can I choose whatever course that I am interested in listed in the UMass Chan Electives B&C 092409.pdf? And what are the most popular elected courses among international students, particularly from China?

A: We really cannot say if certain rotations are more popular than others yet. It has been mainly depending on the interests of the students (or availability of the courses). The few that have had more than one student are Palliative Care, anesthesiology, radiation oncology, and pediatric endocrinology. However, they might not be available as most of the courses will take only one or two students per rotation period. If the spots are taken, they will no longer be available. So, you should submit your applications as soon as possible.

Q: Can we take the elective located in St. Vincent Hospital at Worcester Medical Center?

A: The best choices are the ones you are interested the most. However, Please be reminded that, location wise, it is the best to be at the university campus. Memorial campus is fine as there are free shuttles going there from the university campus, but it can be inconvenient because of the schedule (though one student have tried it and survived). St. Vincent Hospital is about 15 minutes’ walk from the Memorial Campus. There is also bus ($1.5 one way) going there from the university campus. However, there can be schedule issues as well. You may have to be prepared for much longer hours due to the inconvenience of the bus and shuttle schedules if you so choose.

Q: Since I am a permanent resident of a third county, will this affect acquiring a B-1 visa?

A: Theoretically, no. But it’s really up to the judgment of visa officer who handles your application. What we can do is to make sure you have all the paper work ready as soon as possible so that you can get visa interview early. This way, we will have time to deal with them should potential issues arose.

Any further questions about B-1 Visa application can reference the web link. (http://www.umassmed.edu/B1.aspx)