If you ask a doctor about their favourite time at university, more often than not they talk about their medical elective. It’s usually the first and only opportunity that medical students get to decide what they would like to focus on, and where the experience should take place.
However, it’s easy to stress about your elective as it’s a new and unfamiliar concept that requires a lot of planning. I will try to break it down for you here.
When do electives happen?
Each medical school will provide a timeslot in the penultimate or final year of study for students to go on their elective (most students choose after finals). The length can vary, but most are between six and eight weeks long, and there is often the opportunity for more than one experience during this time.
Where should I go?
Australia? Vietnam? Malaysia? America? Germany? The UK? Brazil? There are countless options, and each place will offer a unique healthcare experience in that country or region.
It can be challenging to decide where to go as there are so many excellent options. It may be useful to consider if there is a specific specialty within medicine that you are most interested in and try to find a placement suited to your interests.
Others like to consider where they want to travel and then seek a placement in that region. Alternatively, you might choose an area across the world where you have friends or family living. Whatever you choose to prioritise is up to you.
How do I find a placement?
Often, the most stressful part of planning your elective is securing a placement. Some students may have friends or family healthcare roles available abroad and this is often a no-brainer, but this isn’t the case for most. Don’t worry though – there are lots of places to search for placements.
The first place I would recommend is your university. Electives run every year and links are often made between universities and hosts, which can be used in the following years. There are also several websites that have great options from around the globe – for example, MedicsTravel and The Electives Network.
A slightly more time-consuming but often effective way to find a placement is by simply Google searching your chosen specialty and location online. You can then email or call the places you would like to go. You may be surprised by the responses you receive!
How to fund an elective
As you can probably imagine, a six-to-eight-week trip to an exotic location will cost a fair bit of money. There are many options for getting support, so try not to panic if your budget is only enough for a few days.
The first place to look is the Turing Scheme. This is a must if you are planning an elective abroad, as they can often cover a large portion of your elective costs, including travel and accommodation.
Aside from this option, there are lots of grants and bursaries you can apply for that can help towards funding your elective. They can be general, but more often than not they’re specific to either a specialty or a region in the world. You may be asked to write a short piece about your elective in return.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that there is nothing stopping you from applying to all of the relevant bursaries or grants.
How to keep the cost down
When calculating your budget, there are many things to consider, such as travel, spending money, vaccinations, elective insurance, sustenance and more.
Travelling with friends can often significantly reduce costs, as you can split things like accommodation and food. Although not too common, some placements include budget-friendly accommodation in their cost. Staying with friends or family is also a great option if this is available to you.
Do I have to go abroad?
Absolutely not! While travelling abroad is the most common option, there is nothing stopping you from planning your elective in the UK. There are so many things to do here, and this is actually the choice I made. From placements in urban or rural hospitals to NHS leadership and management experience, the options are endless.
Most importantly, your elective should provide you with experiences in a field within medicine that you are most interested, whether it’s abroad or not.
I did a medical education elective with my faculty, supporting them with curriculum design, hosting medical careers events and obtaining student feedback. As I would like to tailor my career to medical education in the future, this experience was invaluable.
Final thoughts
An elective abroad requires a lot of planning, so make sure you start early. Elective travel insurance, medical indemnity and vaccinations are a must, so make sure these are sorted well in advance. It’s worth spending some time preparing, so that things run smoothly.
Your medical elective will hopefully be one of the best experiences of your life!