The Office for Visitor Education Programs coordinates observerships at Massachusetts General Hospital for clinicians, researchers and other health care professionals.
The Office for Visitor Education Programs (VEP) coordinates observerships based on the needs and interests of each prospective observer and the availability of professional staff at Mass General. The observership program is designed for currently practicing clinicians and is not suitable for students seeking residency opportunities at the hospital.
Observerships are informal educational initiatives for health care professionals who wish to observe specific areas of clinical care at Mass General. Sample observership programs have ranged from 4-hour observerships within one department to month-long, interdisciplinary observerships that include many departments and faculty at Mass General.
Note that Mass General does not award medical education credits or certificates of completion for completing an observership.
Observership Application Process
To request an observership, please submit the following information. A minimum of 6 to 8 weeks is necessary to process each request.
- Letter indicating specific areas of interest within Mass General (departments, specialties)
- Statement of goals to be achieved while observing
- Current curriculum vitae/résumé
- Name, address and telephone and fax numbers of the medical school from which the candidate has graduated
- Degree of fluency in English (Note: English fluency is required)
- Source of referral or indication of how you learned of the observership program
Please note: All domestic and international observers must successfully pass a background check.
Fees
Fees are based on the scope and duration of each observership. Contact the VEP office for specific pricing information. The following fees should be used as a guideline only.
| 3 months (60 working days) | $15,500 |
| 2 months (40 working days) | $10,500 |
| 1 month (20 working days) | $6,500 |
| 3 weeks (15 working days) | $5,375 |
| 2 weeks (10 working days) | $4,500 |
| 1 week (5 working days) | $3,000 |
| Daily | $1,500 |
All fees must be paid in US funds 14 days prior to the observership start date. We accept wire transfers, cash, check, Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
To request an observership, please contact us.
Please note: Although we make every attempt to accommodate observership requests, not every department will be able to support observerships.
Clerkships and Internships
The VEP office does not manage internships and/or clerkships.
- For information on internships at Mass General, visit Career Opportunities
- Medical students (domestic and international) who wish to participate in a clerkship program at Mass General should contact The Harvard Medical School Exchange Clerkship Program
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