Elective Term MFAC3514

Be proactive – Elective/clerkship places fill up early.  The earliest starting date will be two weeks after the end of Year 5 and the elective should be completed before the commencement of the Year 6 lecture week.

Students may engage in one of the following areas:

• Any school or department within UNSW Medicine.
• In a hospital or medical institution in Australia or overseas.
• With a medical practitioner in Australia or overseas.

As with all Phase 3 courses, the elective term is eight-weeks long.  Students may undertake one eight-week placement or two four-week placements.

If you are doing two placements, please note that the minimum duration for any half-block is four weeks.

Yes.

Applying to a UNSW Teaching Hospital
Before applying to any UNSW teaching hospital for an elective place, please notify the Clinical Teaching Unit in that hospital.

Rural Placement with the UNSW Rural Clinical School
If you intend to do a rural placement, it is essential that you contact the campuses directly to liaise a placement.

Before travelling to any destination it is important to consider the risks associated with the destination, planned activities and any medical requirements or concerns you may have.

Culture, language, conditions, etc vary across the world.  By conducting a risk assessment, you are preparing yourself ahead of your travels.

It is especially important to request an appropriate person to act as supervisor, as the submission of a supervisor’s report to the Medicine Education & Student Office is required.

Some students will consider electives in countries in which English is not the first language. This needs to be considered in terms of the level of academic supervision of the proposed elective, as well as whether the lack of understanding of the local language compromises student safety in the health environment.

The elective is a learning experience and the student will need to demonstrate that the level of supervision available will enable the objectives of the elective to be achieved. In some cases lack of supervision also has implications for health risk to the student.

Make sure your student ID is included on all reports and documents submitted by your supervisor or yourself.

Unforeseen circumstances do iccur.  If such circumstances pose a risk to you while you are on placement, the faculty would like to be able to contact you so that appropriate measures may be taken to ensure that you remain safe.

Students sometimes wonder why it is that the fee for the Elective Term is the same as for each other term in Year 5 and Year 6. This is the situation for both local and international students. The reason for the fee being the same is that it is necessary for the units of credit for each course to accurately reflect the amount of work that is undertaken in that course. This is necessary so that the Academic Record is a true and accurate reflection of the work that has been undertaken by the student. In Year 6, there are five courses of equal length (8 weeks) so therefore they have the same number of units of credit (10).

The cost to the Faculty for supporting the Year 6 Elective is significantly less than each of the other four courses in Year 6. Fees are levied on the basis of units of credit and so it has the appearance that students (both international and local) are being overcharged for the Elective. However, this is taken into account when the fees for the whole program are set and if the fee for the Elective term was reduced, there would be a commensurate increase in the fees (and units of credit) for the other courses in Year 6.

If an existing agreement is not in place, then it is not likely that an agreement will be signed in time for you to attend the placement.  It is recommended that you apply for a placement that does not require a formal agreement with UNSW.

• Speak with senior students about their experience.
• MedSoc maintains a database of possible elective sites. 
• Consult with clinical supervisors who may be able to recommend enriching placements.
• Internet search using keywords e.g. Clerkships, Clinical Electives (non-JCU students), Medical Electives, Medical Clerkships, Clinical Observership Program, Visiting Student Elective Program, Visiting Student Electives, Observership

 

UNSW Clinical Schools (Metro) - They may be able to put you in touch with supervisors in UNSW associated hospitals.

• Sub-disciplines

Geneneral Practice	Sarah Jacob sarah.jacob@unsw.edu.au
Women's Health - Obstetrics & Gynaecology (O&G) Hospitals offering: The Royal Hospital for Women St George Hospital Sutherland Hospital Liverpool Hospital	Anna Ma anna.ma@unsw.edu.au
Paediatrics Hospitals offering: St George & Sutherland Clinical School (Sutherland Hospital) South Western Sydney Clinical School (Liverpool)	Leanne McQuiston SWCH-UG@unsw.edu.au
School of Psychiatry Prince of Wales Clinical School	Melissa Cahill ug.psych@unsw.edu.au (TBA)

• All other disciplines

Hospital	Contact - Clinical Teaching Support Officer
Bankstown Hospital	Shalini Saverimuttu, +61 2 9722 8052 s.saverimuttu@unsw.edu.au
Liverpool Hospital	Jenny Ryall +61 2 9382 2646 j.ryall@unsw.edu.au
Prince of Wales Hospital	Jenny Ryall +61 2 9382 2646 j.ryall@unsw.edu.au
Royal Hospital for Women	Anna Ma + 61 2 9382 6755 Swch-ug@unsw.edu.au
St George Hospital	Claudia Metcalf +61 2 9113 2709 stgtu@unsw.edu.au
St Vincent’s Hospital	Kate Steele +61 2 8382 2023 stvcs@unsw.edu.au
Sutherland Hospital	Claudia Metcalf +61 2 9540 7597 +61 2 9540 7946 tshtu@unsw.edu.au
Sydney Children’s Hospital	Laura Derkenne +61 2 9382 5508 Swch-ug@unsw.edu.au

• Help with your CV,/Resume, Cover Letter, Interviews etc
  • see the Job Application Resources on the UNSW Employability

 

• "must contact the equivalent admin office of home institution first" means you are to register it on eMed, if they ask for proof, include the eMed registration number. Remember to check the Smartraveller Destinations page and that the country is either Level 1 or Level 2.

 

• Certificates or Proof of Infection Prevention and Control, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) etc
  • The certificates downloaded when students completed the HETI My Health Learning Modules
  • Your home hospital/clinical school might be able to provide the certificate

 

• Certificates or Proof of Mask Fitting
  • The certificates downloaded when students completed the HETI My Health Learning Modules
  • Provide the quiz results on the Personal Protective Equipment quiz from Moodle
  • Your home hospital/clinical school might be able to provide the certificate

 

Placements must be pre-approved on eMed before you can attend the placement. Register a placement on eMed when you are close to being offered it or you have paid an application fee for Elective programs through universities. 

• Registering universities on eMed while waiting on the placement details
  • Name of Hospital (if applicable) = Name of University e.g. NUS, YLL School of Medicine, Seoul National University
  • Address = Address of the university
  • Supervisor Name and Supervisor Position fields = Name of the program e.g. Visiting Student Elective Program

See the front page  section: "eMed - Registering your placement"

• When to register your placement on eMed
• How to register your placement on eMed
• Elective Term Application Form

Host forms are any forms that the host/partner ask to be signed by UNSW. The forms may have different names depending on the university or clinic e.g. "Declaration by Dean of University"; "Application Form"

Forward any forms that need to be signed by UNSW to medelectives@unsw.edu.au (remember to include your eMed registration number in the subject).

• Complete them as much as you can
• Register the placement on eMed first.

 

Letter confirming enrolment details:

You can request a Letter confirming enrolment details here. This letter is used to confirm your enrolment at UNSW.

 

Basic Life Support Certificate

• The Basic Life Support Certificate is part of the sign-off for Physical Examination Skills in Phase 2, please contact Teaching Support Team - Medicine med_students@unsw.edu.au for further guidance. If you missed out on the Physical Examination Skills in Phase 2, please ask your Phase 3 home-campus coordinator is there is any upcoming training that you can be allocated to.

 

Up to 10 UNSW students per calender year may apply to enjoy a waiver of elective fees as the benefit of a Bilateral Exchange Agreement (BEA) with NUS (National University of Singapore), YLL School of Medicine.

NUS Clinical Electives Programme for Overseas Visiting Students

• waivers are full for placements starting in 2023 and 2022

Process:

1. Register the placement on eMed
   • Name of Hospital (if applicable) = NUS, YLL School of Medicine
   • Address = 10 Medical Dr, Singapore 117597
   • Supervisor Name and Supervisor Position fields = NUS Clinical Electives Programme for Overseas Visiting Students
2. Submit an application to NUS, YLL School of medicine however, don’t pay the administrative fees yet.
   • Elective Coordinator field
     • Erin Azzopardi
     • medelectives@unsw.edu.au
     • Ph:+61 2 9385 8909
     • Mailing address: High St, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
3. Email medelectives@unsw.edu.au with the
   • NUS application number: 
   • Your passport number: 
   • Your name as it appears on the passport: 
   • The nationality of your passport: 
   • eMed Receipt Number: 
4. You will be advised if the fees are waived within 30 days.

 

Follow the Overseas Placements process on the Overseas tab.

 

After you have applied to NUS and your application has been accepted by them, they will ask you for further documentation.

• Please send the documentation to medelectives@unsw.edu.au, completing what you can on the form.

• Proof of indemnity is provided in the form of Certificates of Currency, NUS Singapore already has the Certificates of Currency, which were sent to NUS Electives team in May 2022.
  • see the Risks & Insurance tab > Proof of Indemnity section

 

• The Basic Life Support Certificate is part of the sign-off for Physical Examination Skills in Phase 2, please contact Teaching Support Team - Medicine med_students@unsw.edu.au for further guidance. If you missed out on the Physical Examination Skills in Phase 2, please ask your Phase 3 home-campus coordinator is there is any upcoming training that you can be allocated to.

 

• If you are asked for the following NUS the letters, which are downloaded from the NUS portal, complete them as much as you can and email them to medelectives@unsw.edu.au:
  • Overseas-Electives-Letter-of-Good-Standing_2021-10
  • Overseas-Electives-Infection-Cg-Certification-Letter_2021-10

 

• Travel Insurance and Health Insurance see the Risks & Insurance tab > Travel Insurance section

Only complete the Domestic GP Elective - Practice Information Form if you are undertaking an Elective in a General Practice.

This form must be completed BEFORE you commence your GP elective placement as the Faculty must email paperwork to the practice.

OS-HELP - OS-HELP is a loan available to eligible students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place who want to undertake some of their study overseas.

1. Refer to the OS-HELP webpage for all information, download the forms:

   • OS-HELP Form 

   • Addendum to OS-HELP Application

2. Register the placement on eMed (see section eMed - Registering your placement on the home page)

3. Complete Section A of the OS-HELP Form.

4. Email the form to medelectives@unsw.edu.au to complete section C - Short Courses of the OS-Help Application.

   • We will also send the completed and signed Addendum to OS-HELP Application, which is to be submitted in addition to Section C of the OS-HELP Credit Approval Form.

   • Remember to include the eMed reciept numbers of all the overseas placements.

5. The forms will be returned to you to submit to the appropriate team as directed by them.

If you receive Centrelink payments, please note that your payments will be stopped once you leave the country unless you provide Centrelink with a letter from the university.

You can apply for Centrelink payments after your risk assessment has been approved by WIL Central

Next Steps:

1. Order the CentreLink Letter: How to order documentation from UNSW to prove your enrolment status: go to the UNSW Centrelink Payments website and scroll down to the section.

• If the centrelink letter doesn't contain the correct program, it may be because you are undeclared for the Medicine program. Please contact Medicine Teaching Support for further guidance ts_med@unsw.edu.au
• All questions about the form should be directed to UNSW Centrelink Payments.

2. Order the Letter confirming enrolment details . This letter is used to confirm your enrolment at UNSW.

3. When your Risk Assessment has been approved by WIL Central, (step 7 on the Overseas tab on this website),  save it as a PDF and submit it to CentreLink with the above document.

4. You submit both documents to CentreLink as per CentreLinks instructions

Please note: the New Colombo Plan Scholarship - the Elective Term is not eligible. Eligible only for Australian undergraduates who undertake up to one academic year of exchange, contact Learning Abroad & Exchange.

New Colombo Plan Mobility Grants

About the Mobility Grants

UNSW has received New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant funding for certain locations in the Indo-Pacific to support Australian undergraduate students to undertake a placement in the region.

The grants for Medicine Elective students are valued up to $3,000. 
Further details are available on the New Colombo Plan website.

Am I eligible to be nominated?

You are eligible if you meet the following:

Please note: Ticking all boxes of eligibility doesn’t guarantee you will be successful in receiving the grant.

• You are an Australian Citizen
• You have accepted a placement in one of the following Indo-Pacific countries
  • Fiji
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Malaysia
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
• You have registered your placement on eMed
• Your Risk Assessment has been approved by WIL Central (see the process on Overseas tab)
• You are enrolled or will be enrolled in MFAC3514 Elective Term
• You are in Year 5
• You are in good academic standing
• You have not accepted an NCP Mobility Grant in the past

Ineligible

• International students, New Zealand citizens and Australians with Permanent Residency are ineligible for NCP funding.

IMPORTANT: If you change countries or do not go to the country registered on eMed, you may have to refund the grant as these are for the specific destinations listed above.

How to "apply"

There is no formal application process.

1. Register your placement on eMed

2. After the deadline dates, eligible students are automatically considered for a grant and are nominated by the Faculty of Medicine & Health to UNSW Learning Abroad & Exchange.

   • There are a maximum number of grants and students are considered using WAM.

   • In order to be nominated, the application just need to be submitted by the deadline dates.

3. UNSW Learning Abroad & Exchange will review the nomination.

4. If you are successful, you will receive an email from UNSW Learning Abroad & Exchange inviting you to accept or decline the nomination approximately 6 weeks after the Round 1 or 2 deadline.

   • In order to be awarded the grant, the application needs to be fully approved by WIL Central (see Elective Term MFAC3514 webpage > Overseas Tab > Step 7). The deadline for full approval is before your departure date from Australia. 

Deadline

The dealine to register placement in eMed to be considered for the New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility Grants to ensure enough time to review and transfer the funds to your account before your placement starts.

• Round 1: Monday 8th August 2022
• Round 2: Monday 3rd October 2022

If you have any questions, please email medelectives@unsw.edu.au

To encourage medical students who are considering undertaking a Pathology elective. Scholarship value $2,000. One scholarship is offered for a project associated with pathology and designed for the duration of one elective term or the duration of the Bachelor of Medicine (or equivalent) degree course. Closing date for projects is 31 May each year.
More information: Application forms and guidelines are available from the RCPA website. Log on to:http://www.rcpa.edu.au
Go to Publications and Forms/Document Library > Select Category: Grants and Awards then click search to find the list of application forms.
Alternatively, you can contact Colin Underwood for an application form: Telephone (02) 8356 5821 or email colinu@rcpa.edu.au

• Rural Clinical Training and Support program

This Program is open each year to Student Members of MIGA - Membership is free. The Program offers up to five Grants to assist students in meeting their elective travel costs and to supply aid to the community they visit. This year Applications open on 1 May each year and close at 4pm (EST) on 26 August. Recipients will be notified after 1 October each year.
Details are available from the Marketing Coordinator on 08 8238 4444. Further details and an Application Form can be downloaded from http://www.miga.com.au/

This is an application for an elective as well as a scholarship for that elective. There are 15 scholarships spread equitably across Australia and New Zealand which offer $500 towards travel and expenses (conditions apply).
Email your CV to the Program Co-ordinator lucy.evans@ausstat.com.au
Please include a letter that outlines why you would like a rural scholarship and what your career plans are. Tell them a bit about yourself - what your hobbies are and what you have enjoyed about your medical career so far. They would also like to know what sort of rural elective you would like. They will then advise the successful applicants by telephone and will discuss options before linking you up with a rural hospital so that you can make final arrangements. Upon completion of the elective you will be required to submit a report to AUSSTAT as well as to UNSW.

Membership of the Australian Chinese Medical Association is open to all medical practitioners registered in NSW. Its objectives are to promote the professional standards and education of members, and to promote the health of Chinese Australians.
ACMA has created a bursary valued at up to $2000, to assist with Elective Term expenses. The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate interest in Chinese Community Health either in Australia or overseas.
Applicants should submit a CV and Elective Term proposal via email to the office of ACMA (office@acma.org.au) by 30th June each year. A short list of applicants may be required to be interviewed in person or by telephone. The winner of the bursary will be notified by 31st August each year. The award will be presented at the Annual Dinner of the Association in November each year.
The winner will be required to submit a report on his or her Elective Term for publication in the ACMA Newsletter.
Further information: students should call (9873 6222) or email (office@acma.org.au)

Please be advised that it is students’ responsibility to consult the following information via the Queensland Health website.

There have been changes to the OHS provisions in Queensland and it is essential for students to comply with Government legislation which includes an e-learning OHS module which is at this link: http://www.elearn.com.au/qh_external/

Please contact the Education Support Administrators/ Clinical Teaching Support Officers at each Clinical Schools / Campuses

Organisations offering elective opportunities

Listed below are some links that students had previously provided us with to share (and there are no formal agreements with UNSW Medicine.

Australia

Electives resources on the AMSA website - https://www.amsa.org.au
'Beyond Borders' is a pocket-size book written specifically for Australian medical students and deals with the preparation for and the undertaking of elective placements. Aspects covered include Personal, Professional, Health, Cultural, Practical, Social and Financial. A copy is held at the Medicine Education & Student Office.

Rural Attachment Programs Coordinator
University of Sydney
Department of Rural Health
PO Box 457
Broken Hill NSW 2880
Tel: 08 8080 1241
Fax: 08 8087 5240
Email: hbeck@gwahs.nsw.gov.au
They can link students with a local GP and also establish involvement with outreach as well as hospital-based activity.

Royal Flying Doctor Service, Broken Hill, New South Wales

The May Shaw Nursing Home, Swansea provides opportunities for medical students who seek a rural elective in Tasmania. For information contact one of the doctors on (03) 62578205.

The NTGPE coordinates placement program for undergraduate medical students in the Northern Territory. offering medical students placements in remote Aboriginal community clinics and hospitals.

Christian Blind Mission, the largest non-government blindness agency in the world with programs in over one hundred countries is offering to sponsor a medical student elective. Funds will be provided to cover travel and Limited accommodation costs for a period of 6 weeks. The purpose of the elective is to give a medical student exposure to a blindness project anywhere in the world. There are two requirements:
a) That the student take some skills to the project and be able to commence work on arrival.
b) That data is collected, analysed and published in the form of a letter or manuscript in a recognised ophthalmic journal.
All enquiries regarding this elective and how to satisfy the above criteria can be directed to:
Dr Henry Newland
Director
Department of Ophthalmology
Royal Adelaide Hospital
Tel: (08) 8222 5222
Fax: (08) 8222 5221
Email: raheyes@mail.rah.sa.gov.au

Oportunities for electives in a range of community-orientated projects with an African organisation which has strong links to Australia. Send a cv to Dr Paul Bedwell: pjbedwell@gmail.com
For further information see http://kenyaaid.org/

Arranges elective placements in Ghana, Mongolia, Mexico, Peru, Senegal, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and China.
Contact Will Pashley, Projects Abroad Australia & NZ, Tel: 1300 132 831 | Mob: 0404 712 638
http://www.projects-abroad.com.au/projects/

Work the World provides medical students with safe, structured, individually-tailored hospital placements in Africa, Asia and South America. Food, accommodation and 24/7 support are included.
More information: http://www.worktheworld.com.au

Students wishing to observe and learn aspects of the Indian Health System may undertake specialties supervised by a Head of Department. Students will conduct histories and examine patients or scrub for surgery and observe certain procedures. There is no remuneration. However, students will be offered local accommodation. This is a Christian institution and it is expected that students will uphold the ideals of the Hospital. A letter of good standing must be supplied. Once students are selected they need to deposit £225 (Sterling) in person on arrival in India towards accommodation and food in the hospital up to three weeks and for every additional week £75. Successful applicants should send a cheque to “Friends of St Stephen’s Hospital” C/o Dr Brian P Betts, 68, Halkingcroft Langeley, Slough SL3 7AY, UK or pay on arrival at the hospital, whatever is easier.
More information and application procedure you can browse the Website at http://ststephenshospital.org

International Cooperation Center - Brochure

Electives & Exchanges Officer
Tel: 020 7848 8151
Email: electives@kcl.ac.uk

The Community Health Centre was started in 2002 with some Australian assistance and has steadily expanded since then to a facility that services a local and surrounding population of over 50,000 people. 
For more information, click here.

ISSIE is an autonomous institution based in Chile that draws together academics and health professionals interested in supporting medical education and the training of future health professionals from a critical point of view, which highlights the psychosocial and anthropological aspects of health, with the aim of producing doctors and professionals with an understanding of the holistic, integral and socially responsible practice, that is necessary for addressing disease and illness in respect to treatment as well as prevention.
Programs include:
Education in social and intercultural health and equity for local and international students
Course: Sociocultural determinants of health and their impact in medicine
Visitational program to primary care clinical settings in Chile, Bolivia and Peru
Organized by the Institute for studies in Social and Intercultural Health and Equity Santiago, Chile
The contact at ISSIE is Dr Heraldo Povea. His email is hspp@vtr.net
More information see programs

Visiting Student Electives - UCL Medical School welcomes international and UK medical students to our electives programme. The aim of this programme is to enable visiting students to pursue in depth an area of their own interest, and to gain experience of clinical practice in the UK healthcare system with the same rights, duties and responsibilities as UCL medical students.

At UNSW we take your wellbeing and safety very seriously. When undertaking Placements or work integrated learning (WIL) locally or overseas we are particularly mindful of additional risks that you might face including the possibility of encountering sexual misconduct. 

Complete the Sexual Misconduct eLearning Module on Moodle using the Student self Enrolment key = Misconduct.

Investigate options.

• Speak with senior students about their experience.
• MedSoc maintains a database of possible elective sites. 
• Consult with clinical supervisors who may be able to recommend enriching placements.
• Internet search using keywords e.g. Clerkships, Clinical Electives (non-JCU students), Medical Electives, Medical Clerkships.
• See the Opportunities tab for more information

Try to apply for places at least 12 to 18 months in advance.  Popular placements get filled very quickly.  The earlier you apply, the better you can plan for the Elective.

• Academic letter of Good Standing - A letter confirming that you are a medical student, your year of study etc. Sometimes a host calls is a Letter of Recommendation. Request it from medelectives@unsw.edu.au.
• Host forms - forward any forms that need to be signed by UNSW to medelectives@unsw.edu.au (remember to include your eMed registration number in the subject). The forms may have different names depending on the universtiy or clinic e.g. "Declaration by Dean of University"; "Elective Application Form"
  • Complete them as much as you can
  • Register the placement on eMed first.

• The Basic Life Support Certificate is part of the sign-off for Physical Examination Skills in Phase 2, please contact Teaching Support Team - Medicine med_students@unsw.edu.au for further guidance. If you missed out on the Physical Examination Skills in Phase 2, please ask your Phase 3 home-campus coordinator is there is any upcoming training that you can be allocated to.
   

Once you progress to Phase 3 in Year 5, you will be able to register your intended placement on eMed (navigate to the Opportunities tab).

Very often you will not know who your clinical supervisor will be.  In this case, in the Supervisor Field, enter the name of the coordinator that you had corresponded with regarding the placement, if that is not known, enter TBC.

• Once the supervisor name is confirmed, email medelectives@unsw.edu.au with the eMed reference number (e.g.ABCDEF1) and we will update it for you.

Register as many placements on eMed as you like. 

When you have paid the Application fee for the Clerkships at other university, log the Placement on eMed.

Remember: your placement must be pre-approved before you start your placement.

Students will often apply for more placements than they need.  After the faculty grants pre-approval, please either confirm or refuse offers of placements as soon as possible.

If you are taking up a placement away from home, you will need to plan for travel, accommodation, visas, immunisations, etc.

Supervisors will be expected to comment about your attendance during and the level of commitment towards the placement.  Please ensure that your supervisor completes an assessment at the end of your placement and submit it to medelectives@unsw.edu.au.

Primary Care/General Practice placements within Australia requires a separate log of details.  You will need to keep a record and submit it to undergrad-sphcm@unsw.edu.au at the end of the placement.

Students will need to submit their reports in eMed – There is a text-box in which you can enter your report.  You are only required to submit one report for the entire elective; regardless of the number of placements.

If there are outstanding supervisor’s reports, you will be asked to follow up on them.

Email questions about reports to med_students@unsw.edu.au  

• The Elective term in BMed MD program is a short study period, and overseas travel poses a high risk to your progression in Year 6. 
• Please take into consideration what happens if you are stuck overseas as you have to follow local rules (e.g. lockdown; close contact isolation or you contract COVID) and you aren’t able to get back to Australia in time to begin year 6.
• You may need to quarantine on arrival in the country, before leaving the country, on arrival in Australia.
• Visa's you may need a specific visa to undertake placements in the country you are visiting.
•  
• All International passenger arrivals  cannot enter a NSW hospital for at least 7 days after arrival to Australia, as they are a high risk setting. Please take this into consideration when organising your travel. As you cannot go into a hospital in at the start of Term 1, year 6.

  • NSW Health guidelines for all international arrivals

  • International air travel to and from NSW

  • NSW Health guide to healthcare visitation - see the sections "Visitors will generally be permitted if they"

     

• OS-HELP - OS-HELP is a loan available to eligible students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place who want to undertake some of their study overseas.

  • Please refer to the OS-HELP webpage for all information.

  • OS-HELP form - Complete Section A, then forward to medelectives@unsw.edu.au to complete section C - Short Courses

  • please contact the Student Financials Office on (02) 9385 3091 or at fees@unsw.edu.au as it is administered by them.

• New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility Grants - Navigate to the Opportunities tab > Scroll down to the Scholarships, Grants, Loans section > Click on New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility Grants.
• Host forms - forward any forms that need to be signed by UNSW to medelectives@unsw.edu.au (remember to include your eMed registration number in the subject). The forms may have different names depending on the universtiy or clinic e.g. "Declaration by Dean of University"; "Elective Application Form"
  • Complete them as much as you can
  • Register the placement on eMed first.

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1.    Before you apply for international placements, check

• the Smartraveller Destinations page and research the country.

- Placements WIL BE considered for countries with advice level:

- Level 1: Exercise normal safety precautions

- Level 2: Exercise a high degree of caution

- Placements WIL NOT BE considered for countries with advice level:

- Level 3: Reconsider your need to travel

- Level 4: Do not travel

• Global 24, which is UNSW’s emergency response provider. Login to  using your student ID email z[studentnumber]@ad.unsw.edu.au > Click on Country Information > Search for the country your placement is in > click on the Risk tab:

- Placements WIL BE considered for countries with risk levels: Negligible, Low or Medium

- Placements WIL NOT BE considered for countries with advice level: Critical

• It is highly recommended to complete the Global 24 E-Learning Modules 

• Read the background information on your ‘Country Information’, it will help you to complete the Risk Assessment form

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2.   DO NOT Book any travel arrangements (Flights, Accommodation, Visas etc) until after you have received approval for the Risk Assessment (step 7)

• If you really need to buy flights, purchase flexible or fully-refundable flights as travel insurance usually doesn't cover flights cancelled due to COVID-19 airline staffing issues.

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3.   Register the placement on eMed. Students can apply for more than 1 overseas placement however, you must apply for at least 1 domestic placement as your back up plan.

• For Electives through universities (we can update the details later)
  • Supervisor Name: Name of the person or team or department that is administrating your application
  • Hospital: Name of the University you are applying to
  • Address: Address of the University you are applying to

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4.   The faculty will review the placement.

- You can see the Status on eMed

---

5.   If the placement is pre-approved on eMed, go to step 6.

- If your placement is declined, find another international placement

---

6.   All students interested in undertaking a placement overseas must complete the Learning Abroad Pre-Departure Tutorial. in Moodle.

- Log into Moodle using your student ID, and enter the enrolment key UNSW_NCP2021

- All BMed students must complete the following modules in this order:

• INTRODUCTION
• IN-PERSON LEARNING ABROAD
  • You've been nominated
  • For Learning Abroad Short Programs (You will be undertaking 'Internships, Placements, Work Integrated Learning')
• PREPARING TO GO ABROAD
  • Complete all of the modules
  • Download this "Risk Assessment Form" (not the one on the moodle course)
• WHILE ABROAD

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7.   Once you have decided on the placement you would like to accept, complete the "Risk Assessment Form". Complete the UNSW Travel Risk Assessment form using DFAT Smart traveller and Global 24 ‘Country Information ’.

Only do this step if you have completed all steps above including that you have pre-approval on eMed

• WIL Central will assess the form 

- If you receive approval for the Risk Assessment, go to next step

- If your Risk Assessment is declined, find another placement. 

 

Completing the Travel Risk Assessment Form

Section 1 – Name, destination/s and proposed travel

• Choose For a WIL Activity

Section 2 – Host and Activities

• Fill out the row “For WIL Activity” 

•    WIL Partner Organisation – the name of the hospital / GP practice name / Specialist's practice name / the university you are applying via.
•    Nature of WIL Activity - Placement (internship)
•    UNSW WIL course/IT - MFAC3514 Elective
•    Is the WIL activity paid or unpaid? Unpaid

Section 3.  Please indicate the Smartraveller DFAT level and the overall risk level from Global 24.

• The levels can change at short notice, always look at it for the latest level.

Section 4. Does this travel relate to activities that may have exposure to safety, economic, or geopolitical risks?

As a Medicine placement can be a high risk activity due to things like exposure to disease, contaminated sharps injury, occupational violence, lifting, supporting and moving patients, work-related stress
Choose 
•    Potential for activity to be high risk in destination
•    Potential for activity to be high risk for individual traveller
•    Potential for wellbeing issue to arise

Refer to the websites above for country specific information
•    Potential for safety of traveller / party to be compromised

Signature Section 

•    Traveller signature - Student to sign and enter the date you signed the form

•    For Short programs - Faculty contact name - Leave Blank

•    For WIL - Faculty or WIL Central contact name - Enter "Erin Azzopardi", no signature is required.

Email the Risk Assessment form to WIL Central.

WIL Central can take up to 3 weeks to review the Risk Assessment Form.

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8.   Register with UNSW Learning Abroad Short Programs

• You will receive important updates and reminders regarding your travel.
• Complete these sections:
  • PERSONAL DETAILS
  • ACADEMIC DETAILS
• Do not Complete these sections, you can submit the form without entering details in these fields:
  • OVERSEAS PROGRAM DETAILS
  • TRANSFER OF CREDIT

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9.   Travel Insurance (Click here for more information).

- IMPORTANT: Once you have received travel approval from WIL Central book flexible or fully-refundable flights as travel insurance usually doesn't cover flights cancelled due to COVID-19 airline staffing issues.

- Travel insurance is the responsibility of the student and is not covered under UNSW indemnity. When you buy Travel insurance, you will be provided a certificate of insurance by the company you purchased it from.

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10.  Make the travel arrangements only AFTER

- you have pre-approval on eMed

- your Risk Assessment is approved

- AND you have Insurance

IMPORTANT: Once you have received travel approval from WIL Central book flexible or fully-refundable flights as travel insurance usually doesn't cover flights cancelled due to COVID-19 airline staffing issues.

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11.   Send your itinerary to Global 24/G24/Safeture App (you will recieve an email with further instructions when WIL Central has registered you from WIL.Central@unsw.edu.au)

• Once you have booked your flights you are required to send your itinerary to Safeture to upload to the G24 app. To do so, send your itinerary from your UNSW email account (zID@ad.unsw.edu.au) 

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12. Only withdraw your "Plan B" domestic placement on eMed if you have not been offered the placement by; or you have declined the offer to the hospital/GP/Medical Center

• Regarding declining the domestic offer, it’s up to you to make the decision. Think about what you would do if, between now and the start of your overseas placement, DFAT changes Hong Kong to a Level 3 or 4 due to another COVID strain outbreak or political unrest, and you can’t go. I understand it’s a hard decision to make as you don’t want to mess around the domestic placement host/partner.

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13. Centrelink Payments

If you receive Centrelink payments, please note that your payments will be stopped once you leave the country unless you provide Centrelink with a letter from the university.

See more information on the Opportunities Tab > Scholarships, Grants, Loans section > click on Centrelink Payments

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14. OS-HELP - Overseas Loan

See if you are eligible and the process to apply  the Opportunities Tab > Scholarships, Grants, Loans section > click on OS-HELP - Overseas Loan