VET MD Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans-Specific Education for 
Tomorrow's Medical Doctors Act'' or the ``VET MD Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR CLINICAL OBSERVATION BY PRE-MED STUDENTS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry 
out a pilot program to provide undergraduate students a clinical 
observation experience at medical centers of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
    (b) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program 
under subsection (a) for a three-year period beginning not later than 
August 15, 2019.
    (c) Goals.--The Secretary shall ensure that the pilot program under 
subsection (a) meets the following goals:
            (1) Increases the awareness, knowledge, and empathy of 
        future medical professionals toward the medical conditions 
        common to veterans.
            (2) Increases the diversity of the recruitment pool of 
        future physicians of the Department.
            (3) Provides a diverse clinical observation experience 
        commensurate with the standard expectations for medical school 
        applications.
            (4) Expands clinical observation opportunities for all 
        students by encouraging students of all backgrounds to consider 
        a career in medicine.
    (d) Medical Center Selection.--The Secretary shall select not fewer 
than five medical centers of the Department to carry out the pilot 
program under subsection (a). In selecting such medical centers, the 
Secretary shall ensure regional diversity among such selected medical 
centers.
    (e) Clinical Observation Sessions.--
            (1) Sessions.--The Secretary shall ensure that each medical 
        center of the Department selected under subsection (d) provides 
        clinical observation sessions as follows:
                    (A) Each session shall allow for, to the extent 
                practicable, not fewer than 20 students to participate 
                in the session, which shall consist of not fewer than 
                60 observational hours.
                    (B) Each center shall carry out three sessions per 
                calendar year, from four to six months in duration with 
                minimal overlap.
                    (C) A majority of the observational hours shall be 
                spent observing a practicing physician. The other 
                observational hours shall be spent in a manner that 
                ensures a robust, well rounded experience that exposes 
                the students to a variety of aspects of medical care 
                and health care administration.
            (2) Consideration of areas with staffing shortages.--In 
        carrying out paragraph (1)(C), the Secretary may consider 
        providing clinical observation sessions with physicians 
        employed in occupations with large staffing shortages, such as 
        occupations relating to women's health and psychiatric care and 
        occupations identified under section 7412 of title 38, United 
        States Code.
    (f) Students.--
            (1) Selection.--The Secretary shall select to participate 
        in the pilot program under subsection (a) undergraduate 
        students who are--
                    (A) citizens of the United States; and
                    (B) enrolled in an accredited science or medical 
                program of study.
            (2) Priority.--In making such selection, the Secretary 
        shall give priority to--
                    (A) students who, at the time of the completion of 
                their secondary education, resided in a health 
                professional shortage area (as defined in section 332 
                of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e)); and
                    (B) students who are the first in their immediate 
                family to attend an undergraduate institution.
    (g) Other Matters.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) establish a formal status to facilitate the access to 
        medical centers of the Department by student observers 
        participating in the pilot program;
            (2) establish standardized legal, privacy, and ethical 
        requirements for the student observers, including with respect 
        to--
                    (A) ensuring that no student observer provides any 
                care to patients; and
                    (B) ensuring the suitability of a student to 
                participate in the pilot program to ensure that the 
                student poses no risk to patients;
            (3) create a standardized application, assessment, 
        selection and processing requirements, and procedures for 
        student observers;
            (4) create an online information page and application 
        portal on the Internet website of the Department;
            (5) identify participating medical centers and clinicians;
            (6) notify the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House 
        of Representatives and the Senate of the medical centers 
        selected under subsection (d) in a timely manner to facilitate 
        program awareness;
            (7) publish the locations of such centers, and other 
        information on the pilot program, not later than 180 days 
        before the date on which applications are required to be 
        submitted by potential student observers; and
            (8) establish procedures to follow up with each student 
        observer to ascertain if the student was accepted into medical 
        school.
    (h) Report.--Not later than 60 days before the completion of the 
pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate a report on the results of the pilot program, including--
            (1) the number and demographics of all applicants, those 
        accepted to participate in the pilot program, and those who 
        completed the pilot program; and
            (2) the results of a reflection survey designed by the 
        Secretary to assess the experience of the student observers.

Summary: Veterans-Specific Education for Tomorrow's Medical Doctors Act or the VET MD Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a three-year pilot program at at least five VA medical centers to provide undergraduate students a clinical observation experience. The VA shall ensure that such program: increases the awareness, knowledge, and empathy of future medical professionals toward the medical conditions common to veterans. Increases the diversity of the recruitment pool of future VA physicians. Provides a diverse clinical observation experience commensurate with the standard expectations for medical school applications. And expands clinical observation opportunities for all students by encouraging students of all backgrounds to consider a career in medicine. The VA shall select undergraduate students who are US citizens enrolled in an accredited science or medical program of study to participate in the program, with priority to students who resided in a health professional shortage area and who are the first in their immediate family to attend an undergraduate institution.