Telehealth and Virtual Clinical Experience: Does It Count?

Virtual and telehealth clinical experiences can teach you something and can fit your budget, but there is no official data showing that US programs treat them like in-person US clinical experience. Treat them as a supplement, label them honestly, and check what each program says about what it accepts.

What these experiences are #

The names are used loosely, so ask what the activity is.

Telehealth in US training is real: a longitudinal survey of US program directors found continued commitment to telehealth education, with many calling it essential to future practice, but it also reported time and cost concerns. That describes residents learning telehealth, not IMG applicants completing virtual observations before residency, so it does not show how programs value them on an application.

What the evidence says #

• NRMP's 2026 Program Director Survey lists "How applicant's medical school handled virtual rotations" as a factor programs may consider. That concerns schools, not USCE providers, and the narrative report I read does not give a percentage for it.
• MyERAS asks you to describe each experience with type, dates, frequency, location and setting, and lists structured observerships under Education/training. It does not have a separate category for virtual experiences that I found in the 2027 user guide, so you describe it in the text (ERAS experiences section).
• I found no NRMP, AAMC or ECFMG survey that measures how programs weigh virtual or telehealth USCE for IMGs. Articles that say otherwise are usually marketing or opinion.

How programs may read it (qualitative) #

Without data, here is common-sense reasoning, labeled as opinion.

• Many programs care about whether you have seen how US clinical teams work, so in-person experience tends to answer more of their questions.
• Some programs state in writing that they want in-person, hands-on or recent experience. Others do not mention virtual experience at all.
• A virtual experience is more likely to help if it produces something concrete: a named supervisor, a project, a detailed letter, or evidence of reasoning about US practice.
• It is more likely to hurt if it is presented as more than it was, or if the provider has a poor reputation.

When virtual may make sense #

• You cannot get a visa or afford travel right now, and want to stay clinically current while you plan in-person experience (B-1/B-2 for observerships).
• You want to learn US documentation, communication and the structure of a visit before a hands-on placement.
• You can pair it with a longer relationship, such as a mentor who later writes a letter (turning USCE into a letter).

It makes less sense if it displaces an in-person opportunity you can actually get, or if the cost is high for a certificate and little else. See USCE vs research for choosing where limited money goes.

How to verify a virtual program #

1. Who is the supervising physician? Look for a named, licensed physician with a verifiable affiliation, not only a brand.
2. What exactly will you do each day, and for how many hours? Ask for a sample schedule.
3. What does the letter look like? Ask whether you will work with the same physician over time, and whether you can see a sample letter with names removed.
4. Does a US hospital or program sponsor it, or is it independent? Ask for the agreement.
5. What are the refund and cancellation terms? Get them in writing.
6. Do not accept promises about interviews, matching or program preferences. Nobody can guarantee them.
7. Compare costs with a hands-on option (USCE costs) and read USCE red flags and scams.
8. Search for independent accounts from former participants, aware that reviews may be incentivized.

How to list it honestly in ERAS #

• State in the description that it was virtual, and what you observed or did. Do not imply in-person patient care.
• Report real hours and dates. Do not round up to look more substantial.
• Name the supervising clinician and the setting.
• Choose the experience type that fits, and do not use a "most meaningful" slot unless it truly was.
• Be ready to discuss specific cases, what you learned, and how it changed your thinking.

Overstating an experience is a mistake programs can notice and that can damage trust (common IMG mistakes).