I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2787 
To establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a pilot program instituting 
a clinical observation program for pre-med students preparing to attend 
medical school. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 6, 2017 
Ms. KAPTUR (for herself, Mr. JONES, and Mr. RYAN of Ohio) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs a pilot 
program instituting a clinical observation program for 
pre-med students preparing to attend medical school. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans-Specific Edu-
cation for Tomorrow’s Medical Doctors Act’’ or the ‘‘VET 
MD Act’’. 
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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 under-
graduate 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, 2020. 
(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 expe-
rience commensurate with the standard expectations 
for medical school applications. 
(4) Expands clinical observation opportunities 
for all students by encouraging students of all back-
grounds to consider a career in medicine. 
(d) MEDICAL CENTER SELECTION.—The Secretary 
shall select not fewer than five medical centers of the De-
partment to carry out the pilot program under subsection 
(a). In selecting such medical centers, the Secretary shall 
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ensure regional diversity among such selected medical cen-
ters. 
(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 ex-
tent 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 ses-
sions 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 vari-
ety 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 
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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 com-
pletion 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 im-
mediate family to attend an undergraduate in-
stitution. 
(g) OTHER MATTERS.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) establish a formal status to facilitate the ac-
cess to medical centers of the Department by stu-
dent observers participating in the pilot program; 
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(2) establish standardized legal, privacy, and 
ethical requirements for the student observers, in-
cluding with respect to— 
(A) ensuring that no student observer pro-
vides 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, assess-
ment, selection and processing requirements, and 
procedures for student observers; 
(4) create an online information page and appli-
cation portal on the Internet website of the Depart-
ment; 
(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 ob-
servers; and 
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(8) establish procedures to follow up with each 
student observer to ascertain if the student was ac-
cepted into medical school. 
(h) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days before the com-
pletion of the pilot program under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary 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 appli-
cants, those accepted to participate in the pilot pro-
gram, 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 stu-
dent observers. 
Æ 
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