Acting Internships and Clerkships
The Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at UC Davis Health welcomes 4th year medical students to join us for a four week rotation as an acting intern (AI) in Sacramento. We offer a comprehensive operative and clinical experience that will provide you with deep insight into what residency training will be like should you decide to pursue your postgraduate training here at UC Davis.
At the start of your AI rotation, you will be integrated with our team quickly and will be working with patients and families on day one. Come prepared to be actively engaged in all aspects of clinical care, from early morning pre-rounds, to daily team rounds, to scrubbing into surgical cases and seeing clinic patients. Expect to assist our junior residents with all first call consults, preoperative evaluations, postoperative evaluations, and new patient workups. You will be paired with several of our faculty in faculty-run clinics and be expected to evaluate and present new patients in their clinics. You will be scheduled to take overnight in-house call with our PGY II and PGY III residents.
During your AI rotation, you will have an opportunity to participate in several multidisciplinary treatment teams, including Head and Neck Tumor Board, Skull Base Conference, Cleft and Craniofacial Panel, Laryngology and Dysphagia Panel, Pediatric Vascular Anomalies Panel, and Maxillofacial Trauma Panel.
Although your AI rotation with us will be quite busy, most AIs have found time to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Sacramento Valley and the surrounding Sierra Nevada foothills. Sacramento is located 90 miles from the Bay Area and 100 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe, providing the opportunity to enjoy various activities all within driving distance.
UC Davis medical students interested in an acting intern rotation should register in eFlight.
Fourth year medical students from other institutions will register for this elective through the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO). Students must meet all institutional requirements as outlined by the Registrar’s Office.
Additional information can be found under the Visiting Student Information.
Applicants can begin browsing the VSLO catalog on March 16, 2026. VSLO will open on April 1, 2026 for students to submit their application.
Rotation Dates for the 2026-2027 academic year are:
- June 1 - June 26
- June 29 - July 24
- July 27 - August 21
- August 31 - September 25
- September 28 - October 23
- October 26 - November 20
For additional questions, please contact the program coordinator, Lisa Yee-Isbell, at lyeeisbell@health.ucdavis.edu or by phone at 916-734-5005.
Hilary A. Brodie, M.D., Ph.D. Endowment in Otolaryngology Visiting Elective Clerkship for Health Equity
The Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery is pleased to introduce the Hilary A. Brodie, M.D., Ph.D. Endowment in Otolaryngology Visiting Elective Clerkship for Health Equity. We encourage 4th year medical students demonstrating a strong commitment to improve health disparities in communities who are traditionally underserved to apply for this funding which includes up to $2,500 in reimbursement for fees paid for travel, housing, and application to VSLO.
UC Davis Visiting Elective Program Scholarship
The UC Davis School of Medicine Office of Medical Pathways supports 4th year medical students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to serving underserved communities and who are exploring a future in medicine that aligns with the mission of UC Davis Health. The Visiting Elective Program Scholarship (VEP) is intended for students whose personal journey to medicine reflects a dedication to health equity, whose experience show meaningful engagement with underserved populations, and who are planning to practice in Northern California particularly in areas with physician shortages.
Office of Medical Pathways collaborates with individual residency and fellowship programs to showcase how each program promotes diversity, equity and inclusion as part of the UC Davis Health community. If you apply for both a department-sponsored scholarship and the VEP Scholarship, you may only receive one award per rotation.
Please visit the Office of Medical Pathways website for additional details to reach them by email at osrd@health.ucdavis.edu