Visiting Elective Scholarship Program

Program Description

Please note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the VESP Program is not currently accepting applications.

The UCLA Department of Pediatrics Visiting Elective Scholarship Program (VESP) provides financial support to senior U.S. medical students who are traditionally underrepresented in medicine, and who are interested in applying to UCLA for a senior clinical elective. The goal of the program is to expose these traditionally underrepresented senior medical students from institutions outside of the Los Angeles region to an academic pediatrics program, and to promote student interest in applying to the Pediatrics Residency Training Program at UCLA.

Similar programs currently exist at UCSF, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, University of Washington and Harvard.

The scholarship program will provide the following support to accepted senior medical students:

• Financial support for travel, housing and living expenses, up to $2,000 for each recipient.
• A faculty mentor will be assigned to each scholarship awardee, with the expectation that the mentor and awardee will meet at least once during the course of the elective period to discuss residency training and other career opportunities at UCLA.
• The program will host a networking event for scholarship recipients to meet residents and faculty from the UCLA Department of Pediatrics.
• Additional meetings with UCLA faculty will be arranged at the request of the student. For example, students interested in Ph.D. training may wish to meet with Division Chairs in relevant areas of research.

Eligibility and Application Process

Applications for VESP will be accepted from prospective fourth year medical students at the time they are applying senior pediatric electives through the Student Affairs Office at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Medical students meeting the following criteria are encouraged to apply:

• Senior students from traditionally underrepresented groups in medicine
• Students in good academic standing at accredited U.S. medical schools
• Students who have successfully completed core clerkships in pediatrics, internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry and OB/GYN

Application requirements for the scholarship include the following materials:

• Completed VESP application form
• Letter of recommendation from a faculty member in Pediatrics
• A personal statement about your interest in coming to UCLA for residency training (up to 1,500 words)
• An official academic transcript
• A recent CV

Scholarship awardees will be selected by members of the UCLA Department of Pediatrics' Pediatric Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Program Timeline

Please note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the VESP Program is not currently accepting applications. We hope to provide an update in June.

UCLA Pediatrics Elective Scholarship Application Deadline: May 15, 2020
Pediatrics Elective Enrollment: June – December 2020 
UCLA Pediatrics Residency Interviews: November 2020 – January 2021
Begin Residency: June 2021

Download Application

Additional notes about the UCLA Pediatric Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee

The mission of the UCLA Pediatric Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee is to promote a culture of inclusion and appreciation for diversity across multiple areas, including race/ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and gender, in order to enhance patient care, teaching, and research within the Department of Pediatrics. Current objectives of the committee include:

• Promotion of recruitment, retention, professional excellence and overall well-being among underrepresented residents, fellows, and faculty.
• Enhancement of departmental cultural awareness and sensitivity to enrich the services we provide to the diverse communities represented by our patients.

Contact: pedsres@mednet.ucla.edu