MEMORANDUM

TO: PSOM Faculty and BAs

FROM: Susan R. Passante, Sr. Executive Director, Research and Research Training

Mary Anne Timmins, MEd, Administrative Director, Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs

RE: PSOM Visiting Scholars

DATE: July 24, 2018

 

We are writing with a reminder of: (1) the classification requirements for international visitors to Penn’s campus, and (2) the Perelman School of Medicine’s “Visiting Scholar Policy and Appointment Process.”

 

Visitors to the University of Pennsylvania campus represent an important component of Penn’s research, training and outreach missions. Prior to sending an appointment invitation letter, it is important to clarify the visitor’s role and appropriately classify the visitor, as follows:

 

A. Visiting Faculty: Applies to individuals who hold a faculty appointment at another institution. Full-time appointment as a Visiting Professor is limited to three consecutive years, although normally such appointments are for one year or less. Please refer to the Faculty Handbook: http://provost.upenn.edu/uploads/media_items/ii-b-3-associated-faculty.original.pdf and visit the Office of Faculty Affairs website for additional information: https://www.med.upenn.edu/fapd/checklists.html (J-1 visa)

 

B. Visiting Student: Applies to individuals who are students enrolled in a degree-granting program at another institution

 

• For students of U.S./Canadian medical schools who wish to enroll in electives at the Perelman School of Medicine, see http://www.med.upenn.edu/visitingstudents/ and contact the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid with questions.
• For students from international medical schools, see https://www.med.upenn.edu/globalhealth/international-trainees-scholars.html and contact the Center for Global Health with questions
• For students who are enrolled in a graduate degree program at another university and wish to conduct research at Penn, see http://www.med.upenn.edu/bgs/visiting_policies.shtml and contact the PSOM Office of Masters Programs and Visiting Students with questions. (J-1 visa)

 

C. Postdoctoral Trainee: Applies to an individual who holds a terminal degree (PhD or MD) but does not have a full-time faculty appointment at another institution. The individual must qualify for a postdoctoral appointment at Penn. As a postdoc, international visitors must be paid the appropriate stipend level and will be eligible to remain at Penn for up to 5 years. Contact the PSOM Office of Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs with questions: http://www.med.upenn.edu/postdoc/ (J-1 visa)

 

D. Employee: If the individual does not hold a terminal degree (and therefore does not qualify as a visiting scholar), is not a student, and you can provide salary support, the individual may be hired as an employee as long as he/she is under the appropriate visa (most likely, H-1B visa). Individuals on an H-1B visa may work at Penn for up to 6 years. Consult Penn Global-ISSS for additional information: https://global.upenn.edu/isss

 

E. Visiting Physician: For physicians who wish to come to Penn Medicine for a UPHS Clinical Observership or Rotation: The UPHS Office of Graduate Medical Education, the Office of Medical Affairs, and the hosting clinical department jointly coordinate this program: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/gme/Directors.aspx

 

F. Visiting Scholar: To be eligible for appointment as a "PSOM Visiting Scholar," an individual must meet the following criteria:

 

• hold a position at his/her home institution to which he or she could return at the end of the PSOM Visiting Scholar appointment at Penn
• hold a terminal degree in his/her area of expertise, usually a PhD, DPhil, or MD (or equivalent)
• Is expected to visit and shall be appointed, for a defined period of not less than 3 weeks but not more than one year
• Must not be eligible for appointment as a postdoctoral trainee
• Must not be either full-time faculty or a student in training at the home institution
• Must not perform any clinical duties or have patient care responsibility while at Penn
• Must have appropriate financial support, including health coverage, from either from the host entity and/or from the home institution
• Must have a faculty sponsor at Penn

 

A “PSOM Visiting Scholar” appointment should only be given to those individuals who visit the campus for more than three weeks and are neither faculty, nor enrolled students, and are not eligible for appointment as a postdoctoral trainee, and otherwise meet the above criteria. Please scroll to the bottom of this website for the Visiting Scholar Policy, Guidelines and Appointment Letter Template: http://www.med.upenn.edu/evdresearch/policy.html (J-1 visa)

 

Visitors who will be at Penn for longer than one year are not eligible for an appointment as a “Visiting Scholar.” If you anticipate that the visitor will be at Penn for longer than a year, it would be best to consider an alternate classification, as listed above.

 

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

 

Susan R. Passante

Senior Executive Director, Research and Research Training

Perelman School of Medicine

156M John Morgan Building

Tel: 215-898-0131|Cell: 215-913-8268

Email: passante@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

 

Mary Anne Timmins, MEd

Administrative Director

Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs

University of Pennsylvania

Tel: 215-573-4332 | Dir: 215-573-4482

Email: timmins@pennmedicine.upenn.edu