International Electives

After finding an international elective, your elective must be pre-approved by the Medical Education Office and the Office of Internationalization. You must be in good standing and your name should not appear on the Academic Concern List. Please see Student Guide  for definition.

Once your application has been received and verified by the Medical Education Office, it will be forwarded to the Global Health Coordinator at the Office of Internationalization who will be in touch with you to confirm the status your international elective.

International electives must be a minimum of two weeks in duration (70 hours).

The following must be completed:

• Application Form for an International Elective and Release of Liability

You are required to provide as much information as possible on where you are planning to do your elective (Country, Title of Elective, Supervisor's Name, Name & Address of Hospital, Dates of Elective, etc.).

• A risk assessment is required. Visit the Global Affairs Canada website to get information about a country's risk factors, i.e. political instability, infectious diseases, crime, etc. The website provides travel updates regarding health and safety around the world.
• Identify your learning objectives and provide them on your application.

The application form with all required information must be submitted to the Electives Coordinator at the Medical Education Office by email or in person in Room 2046 for approval at least 2 months prior to the start of the elective.

Note
 It is expected that 4^th year students will be in Canada and continental USA on CaRMS Match Day. That being said, international electives are not permitted during that period. This is to ensure students can be easily contacted and are able to urgently return to Ottawa should the need arise. Our concern lies in the event of an "unmatch" as timelines involved in this process can require less than 24 hours turnaround.

Once your application has been received and verified by the Medical Education Office, it will be forwarded to the Global Health Coordinator at the Office of Internationalization who will be in touch with you to confirm the status your international elective.

NOTE: Once permission is granted by the Faculty, it is wise to reconfirm with your supervisor.

Before your elective

• Follow all instructions on the Travel Resources page to plan for your elective abroad.

• Complete a mandatory Pre-departure Training (unless otherwise instructed).

It is your responsibility to:

• Have a Valid Passport.
• Obtain a Visa (if applicable).
• Visit a Pre-travel Clinic.
• Have appropriate insurance (health, evacuation and malpractice, if applicable).

After your elective

• Attend a debriefing session (if applicable).
• Submit a summary/reflection based on your experience.
• Register your experience on the Action Global Health website.
• Complete a post-elective survey (emailed to you upon return from your elective).

The Office of Internationalization is responsible for the Global Health Program, which was established to facilitate international/global health activities throughout the faculty. For medical student electives their goal is to try to ensure an educational experience that is enriching and safe for students as well as the host communities.

Global Health Program Website

Desiree Miller-McCaughey, Global Health Program Coordinator

Please note that there are bursaries available through the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) for electives done in underserviced areas in Ontario, Canada, as well as in developing countries.

Ontario Medical Foundation Electives Bursary Programme Application Form (PDF)

All registered students are covered during approved electives by the University’s Commercial General Liability insurance with a limit per occurrence in excess of C$5,000,000 inclusive for medical malpractice, bodily injury, personal injury and property damage as described in detail in the policy.