Elective Term

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 exisiting 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.

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.

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)

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

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

International Cooperation Center - Brochure

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.

Students who spend part of their elective term in a GP practice in Australia must print out and complete the GP form below. Note that claims cannot be made on overseas placements. This form should be returned to the Education Support Officer, School of Public Health and Community Medicine by email at undergrad-sphcm@unsw.edu.au on completion of the elective.
• GP Elective form

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

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/

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/

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

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/

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 informaiton: 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

SHAWCO Health co-ordinates six clinics which operate at night, on a weekly basis in various Cape Town communities and paediatric clinics every second Saturday morning. In 2009, SHAWCO introduced a Wednesday morning paediatric screening clinic, run in conjunction with the School of Child and Adolescent Health at UCT, City Health and Environmental Health.
These clinics often serve as the only port-of-call for community members who work during the day, or who cannot make the trip to the neighbouring day hospital. The clinics either operate from permanent health facilities or from SHAWCO Health’s three, fully-equipped mobile clinics.
During clinics, patients are seen by medical students under the supervision of a qualified volunteer, or locum, doctor who oversees the proceedings, verifies diagnoses and provides advice. Clinical year medical students (4th to 6th MBChB) are responsible for clerking, examination, treatment and health promotional education of patients, while guiding and teaching pre-clinical students who observe and examine patients under guidance. This fulfils another major role of the clinics: providing education and experience to future doctors and instilling a passion for primary health care.
Contact: SHAWCO Head Office, Braemar Cottage, Faculty of Health Sciences, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0) 21 406-6740 Fax: +27 (0) 21 406-6741 quentin.isaacs89@gmail.com or  health@shawco.org

St Lucia, South Africa
The South Africa medical elective placement is aimed at medical students and people that are wanting to study medicine. You will be placed at one of the local hospitals or clinics in the area, learning from qualified doctors and nurses whilst gaining practical experience. There are strong academic and practical components to this project so that you get the most out of your placement whilst enjoying all that the area has to offer.
Zavora, Mozambique
The Mozambique medical elective placement is aimed at medical students and people that are wanting to study medicine, like remote areas and being away from it all. You will be placed at one of the local hospitals or clinics in the area, learning from qualified doctors and nurses whilst gaining practical experience. You will have the opportunity conduct research, health education, monitoring and practical work, so that you get the most out of your placement while enjoying all that the area has to offer.
More information and to apply for this opportunity please visit http://www.mozvolunteers.com

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

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

More information: https://www.scholarships.unsw.edu.au/scholarships/id/1201

Investigate options. Speak with senior students about their experience. Consult with clinical supervisors who may be able to recommend enriching placements.

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.

Once you progress to Phase 3 in Year 5, you will be able to register your intended placement on eMed.  Having all the information on hand would help the faculty to grant you pre-approval.

Very often you will not know who your clinical supervisor will be.  The faculty will accept the name of the coordinator, as the supervisor, that you had corresponded with regarding the 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.