The HOSTS (Helping Our Students To Succeed) program matches SOM alumni volunteers across the country with SOM fourth-year medical students in need of complimentary overnight accommodations while conducting their residency interviews. Residency travel dates typically occur from September through January. The program fosters mentoring relationships between the SOM students and alumni.
What to know before you go
We ask the alumni host to provide complimentary overnight accommodations in their homes. While it is possible that hosts may be gracious to offer transportation to/from interviews and airports, meals or city tours, students should not have an expectation of benefits other than complimentary accommodations. Students participating in the HOSTS program are asked to send a thank-you note to the host family and to complete an on-line evaluation following the visit.
We encourage students to have a meaningful dialog with the alumni host about the residency program, local hospitals and clinics, quality of life issues (e.g. local housing market, cost of living, and local school systems), and other pertinent topics. We hope students will approach the time spent with the alumni as a valuable learning experience. If the host family is agreeable, we encourage students to commemorate the visit with one or two digital photos of themselves and the host family. The photo will be used as part of a HOSTS program photo gallery on the School of Medicine alumni web page.
Students are ambassadors for SIU School of Medicine and should behave in a thoughtful, professional, respectful and courteous manner at all times. Students should be gracious guests, refraining from being disruptive to the household in any way (e.g.. late arrival without notification, bringing unexpected guests, immodest clothing, cigarette smoking, and so on).
Submitting this Student Registration indicates you will abide by the guidelines for participation in the HOSTS program, including the use of photos in SOM publications and other media.
The student registration form must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the interview dates to allow adequate time for a host family match. Please be certain you are committed to the residency interview before submitting this request. Requests for tentative interviews result in cancellations that may make alumni less willing to agree to host students in the future.
Please contact the SOM Alumni Affairs office at alumniaffairs@siumed.edu or call 217.545.7800 for assistance or to report a problem with this form.