Electives in Medicine
Studying for an elective as part of your MBChB means that you can choose both the topic to study and where you study it
An elective is part of the curriculum where you have the flexibility to choose both your study topic/specialty and location, giving you the opportunity to learn medicine in a different context. Electives help to develop your clinical knowledge and skills, attitudes, and global perspectives in addition to promoting personal and professional development.
Many students choose to complete their elective in another country and some take advantage of opportunities within the UK. As part of our Global Health teaching we encourage you to take full advantage of the great opportunity and privilege that an elective provides.
The elective is completed in your final year, though preparation typically begins 12-18 months earlier. You have an eight week block, in which you are required to complete a minimum of six weeks clinical placement.
Responsible Elective programme
Electives are a great opportunity and privilege. There is recognition that electives in in low-middle income countries (LMIC) can have positive and negative consequences for hosts. As such, Dundee Medical School has been a leader in developing a Responsible Elective programme, providing more ethical placements for those wishing to undertake their elective in LMICs. We currently have partner sites in Malawi and Zambia and are exploring a new partnership in Rwanda
The Responsible Elective programme gives you the opportunity to embark on an exciting and challenging clinical placement, with a trusted host in a low income country, where you can grow professionally and personally.
You will have the option to complete an extended elective, allowing you ten weeks with your host, rather than six weeks. This is because our partners advise us students are of more benefit to them this way as they have longer to ‘find their feet’ and integrate in to the clinical environment, which also leads to a better educational experience for you.
Another key component of this programme is that you are required to fundraise for their host. These elements of the programme help ensure that hosts, with limited resources, benefit from providing elective opportunities.