Elective (Personalised Learning & Development Term)

Students will have an opportunity to preference from Electives offered by UQ Learning Communities. Students can undertake an Elective at any UQ Learning Community, regardless of their Learning Community allocation. You can find the guide of the UQ Elective opportunities here (noting this is a guide only, with some disciplines not offered in all terms, and is subject to change due to operational requirements.).

Elective opportunities at UQ Learning Communities must be taken in their entirety and cannot be split with a self-arranged placement.

Students are not permitted to contact clinicians at UQ Learning Communities directly.

EOI for Specific Learning Community Electives

There may be an opportunity for students to undertake their Elective in the below fields, which are offered on an ad hoc basis. If students are interested in any of the below opportunities, they should email an Expression of Interest to med.placements@uq.edu.au, not less than 12 weeks prior to their Elective start date (application dates can be found above under 'Application & Preferencing Dates' and also here under 'Key Dates').

Students should include a copy of their CV and a brief statement outlining their interest in the field.

• Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital (Burns) – Surgical
• Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital (Radiation Oncology)
• The Prince Charles Hospital (Medical Education)

Applications will be forwarded to the clinical unit for consideration and students will be advised the outcome of their EOI in due course.

Ochsner Clinical School

Students who wish to undertake their Elective at the Ochsner Clinical School should email their expression of interest to med.ocsStudentAdmin@uq.edu.au at least 12 weeks prior to their Elective start date (application dates can be found above under 'Application & Preferencing Dates' and also here under 'Key Dates').

UQ General Practice (GP) Placements - Metro Location

The General Practice Clinical Unit (GPCU) have committed to sourcing Electives in our Brisbane-based General Practice community for students. Students (both GBCS and RCS) will be required to lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) for a General Practice Elective, no later than 12 weeks prior to the start of their Elective placement block (application dates can be found above under 'Application & Preferencing Dates' and also here under 'Key Dates').

After submitting an EOI, the GPCU team will attempt to source a placement as close as possible to the residential address provided by you. Please note that by submitting and EOI, you are agreeing to:

• Attend the practice allocated to you
• Travel up to 1 hour each way to attend the practice allocated to you
• UQ providing a copy of your application and CV to the practice/s providing student placements

The EOI form can be found here and should be emailed directly to med.gpstudents@uq.edu.au

Northside Clinical Unit - Brighton Rehabilitation Unit 

Brighton Rehabilitation Unit is part of the Community and Oral Health Directorate in Metro North Hospital and Health Service.  When available this can be preferenced in the clinical unit opportunities and will be identified as 'Brighton Health Campus (Rehabilitation)'. 

For more information on this opportunity please find it HERE.  

Students are also able to undertake a self-arranged elective somewhere other than a UQ Learning Community. Students will need to apply no later than 12 weeks prior to the commencement of their Elective (application dates can be found above under 'Application & Preferencing Dates' and also here under 'Key Dates').

It is important to note that self-arranged placements will still require the relevant approvals including a Student Placement Agreement (SPA). If a SPA is not signed by the placement provider by two weeks prior to the placement start date, the placement will not be approved and the student will be allocated to a placement with a UQ Learning Community. Students may wish to consider providers where the University has an existing relationship. A list of these providers can be found here.

Every institution has specific criterion that students must meet before undertaking a medical placement. Students must ensure that they can comply with all requirements before applying, as significant costs could occur. The Faculty can assist in certain aspects of host institution requirements, but the responsibility remains with the student. 

Please note that the MD program has set teaching periods and there is no flexibility when it comes to immersion term dates. Students will be required to start and finish their placements on the indicated dates:

Agreements

It is important to note that self-arranged Electives will still require the relevant approvals. Before a student commences an Elective outside UQ, an agreement must be in place. 

• The Faculty will arrange an agreement on behalf of students applying for a self-arranged Elective, once the academic merits have been assessed.
• Please note that an application for a self-arranged Elective will not be approved until a relevant agreement has been fully executed. 
• Remember that getting an agreement signed can be a long process. Keep this in mind when you are organising your Elective and managing the application processes through the provider and UQ. 

If an agreement is not signed by the provider by two weeks prior to the placement start date, the placement will not be approved and the student will be allocated to a placement with a UQ Learning Community. Students may wish to consider providers where the University has an agreement in place, which can be found here.

Important!

Providers that are unable to execute an SPA (and are therefore unable to host students):

• The University of Melbourne, who facilitates many placements within Victoria (such as the Royal Melbourne Hospital).  
• South Australia (SA) Health, who facilitate placements in public hospitals within South Australia.
• National University Hospital, Singapore
• Juntendo University, Japan
• The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Sites that are unable to complete the UQ Clinical Participation Assessment (CPA), and therefore unable to host students:

• University of Malta, who facilitate placements at Mater Dei Hospital, Malta

US Students

Please be advised that students undertaking Electives at the below institutions will be ineligible for US Financial Aid for their Elective immersion:

• The University of Toronto
• Lund University
• Medical University of Graz
• Seoul National University
• Tan Tok Seng Hospital
• Jikei University
• University of Tubingen
• Chinese University of Hong Kong

Queensland Health Facilities

Clinical Electives within Cairns, Townsville and Mackay Hospitals are coordinated through the team at James Cook Univeristy.  Students are not to contact individual clinicians to arrange/request clinical placement.  You can find information on the application process on their website.

Applications for clinical Electives within the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Services must be coordinated through the Medical School's Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Team. This includes Gold Coast University Hospital, Robina Hospital, Nambour, Caloundra, Gympie, Maleny, and Sunshine Coast University Hospital.  Students are not to contact individual clinicians to arrange/request clinical placement. Please direct all enquiries to the WIL Team - med.placements@uq.edu.au

UnitingCare Hospitals

Wesley Hospital, St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, Buderim Private Hospital or St Stephen's Hospital in Hervey Bay - any students interested in undertaking an Elective in one of these facilities need to contact UnitingCare Clinical School in the first instance and are not to contact clinicians directly. You can contact them on medical.school@uchealth.com.au. For more information, including details about their non-refundable enquiry and application fees, see the UnitingCare Clinical School​ website.

Low-Middle Income Countries (LMIC)

Self-sourced Electives in low-middle income countries (LMIC), as defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), will require a Risk Assessment to be completed by the Student in UQ Safe. These placements will be considered on a case-by-case basis and approval is at the discretion of the Medical School.

DFAT 3/4/0 Countries

To ensure the health, safety and wellness of students and to ensure UQ meets it's duty of care obligations, authorised travel is not permitted to countries/regions rated by DFAT Smart Traveller as:

• Level 3 (reconsider your need to travel)
• Level 4 (do not travel)
• where no advice has been issued by DFAT Smart Traveller
• any other country, as determined by UQ

External Providers Seeking Students

External providers on occasion express an interest in providing Elective opportunities for UQ MD students. These opportunities are not endorsed by the Medical School, however details can be found  here for you to investigate further.

International Placement Portals

Opportunities offered through the below portals will still require a Student Placement Agreement with each facility prior to commencement.  If you are unsure if the Medical School have an SPA in place, please contact the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Team - med.placements@uq.edu.au

VSLO - Visiting Student Learning Opportunities

The AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) program allows you to search and apply for clinical, research, and public health opportunities in the US and around the globe. You will have access to many resources, cross-cultural tools, and information on engaging in a global health experience. Please contact the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) team for assistance with registration.

Find out more

AFMC – The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada Portal

The AFMC Student Portal is an online service to facilitate the application and placement of medical students for undergraduate visiting electives at the 17 faculties of medicine in Canada. The AFMC Student Portal services include a searchable database for visiting electives in Canada; online application process for Canadian and international students; and placement and confirmation tracking tools for elective coordinators at each faculty.

Find out more

External International Opportunities

There are opportunities for students, that are not considered partnerships, however have been established host for our students for many years.  Links and brief outlines are listed below:

U21 Health Sciences Group

The Universitas 21 (U21) Health Sciences Group is a unique global network of leading universities committed to collaboration and internationalisation.

Current member institutions offering clinical placements include:

• University of Auckland
• University of Edinburgh
• Lund University
• Tecnologico de Monterrey
• Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
• Fudan University
• Korea University

Each calendar year, only five placements are available.

Important: Before applying to U21, students should check with the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Team to ensure an active Student Placement Agreement is in place with the host institution. 

Please note that unfortunately, the below sites are unable to host UQ students as they are unwilling to execute a Student Placement Agreement:

• University of Hong Kong
• University College Dublin

Learn more about U21 placements

Work the World

Undertake your medical elective with Work the World and get perspective-shifting clinical experience in low-resource hospitals across Africa and Asia. You'll get a placement tailored to your clinical interests, guaranteed department choices, and English-speaking in-hospital supervision. Student recieve the benefits of living with other healthcare students in private, catered accommodation, 24/7 support from in-country teams, and much more. Explore options for your medical elective here: https://www.worktheworld.com.au/medical-electives.

Please view the Work the World (WTW) flyer here.

Our International Partners

University of Queensland’s Medical School has close relationships with the below overseas partners. Students who are nominated by the University will undergo a conduct check, and must be in good academic and financial standing with the University to be considered a nominee for these opportunities.

Medical University of Graz, Austria

Clinical rotations at Med Uni Graz are hands-on traineeships and are offered throughout the year.

For a list of available departments: https://www.medunigraz.at/en/university-departments. Please note that some of these departments have minimum durations. For further details, please see their flyer.

Students have to be nominated by the Faculty's Work Integrated Learning (WIL) team 7 months prior to placement commencement. If you are interested in applying for an elective, please see the below documentation. Enquiries can be directed to the WIL team - med.placements@uq.edu.au

Graz Clinical Rotations Fact Sheet
Graz Immunisation requirements
 

Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Students can still apply, however will be reviewed outside our partnership agreement.  This will be organised directly through the CUHK Incoming Elective Clinical Attachment link.

CUHK accept 2 students for electives each academic year, with applications required at least 6 months in advance.

Note that these placements are self-funded, however students may be eligible for funding from OS-HELP Loan. There is no language requirement as the medium of instruction is English.

Expressions of interest should be sent from your UQ email account to the WIL Team - med.placements@uq.edu.au. The email should include your name and student number, elective block number, which university you are interested in, and 3 discipline preferences. Applications will be submitted on a first served basis.

Jikei University, Japan

Jikei accept 2 students for electives each academic year, with a block out for August. 

Note that these placements are self-funded, however students may be eligible for funding from OS-HELP Loan. There is no language requirement as the medium of instruction is English.

Expressions of interest should be sent from your UQ email account to the WIL Team - med.placements@uq.edu.au. The email should include your name and student number, elective block number, which university you are interested in, and 3 discipline preferences. Applications will be submitted on a first served basis.

Universitat Tübingen, Germany 

The Medical Faculty, Tübingen, is glad to offer medical observerships or clinical electives for medical students. Tübingen is a lovely small university town in Southern Germany. Placments are in Internal Medicine (ICU), Anaesthesiology, Gynaecology, Invasive Radiology, Neurosurgery, other disciplines on demand . It is advantageous to speak German, however not required.

Expressions of interest should be sent from your UQ email account to the WIL Team - med.placements@uq.edu.au. The email should include your name and student number, elective block number, and 3 discipline preferences. Applications will be submitted on a first served basis.

Application pack and information

Please know that the application pack requires students to sign a waiver. We encourage you to seek out your own independent legal advice prior to signing this. UQ Union provide free legal advice for students. 

Kobe University, Japan

UQ Medicine has recently established a partnership with the School of Medicine at Kobe University in Kobe City, Japan. Through this collaboration, Kobe University can accommodate three MD program students for a period of six weeks each. If nominated, students are to take full advantage of the six-week duration provided by Kobe University (Note that for students from universities other than UQ, placement duration is four weeks).

Applications are due at least six months prior to placement commencement.

Knowledge of the Japanese language is beneficial, however students are not required to be fluent.

Expressions of interest should be sent from your UQ email account to the WIL Team - med.placements@uq.edu.au. The email should include your name and student number, elective block number, and 3 discipline preferences as outlined in the below flyer. Once accepted by Kobe, you will be sent an application pack outlining your requirements for your placement.

Applications will be submitted on a first in, first served basis.

Kobe University Elective Program flyer
Kobe University Elective website

Step 1: Notify the WIL Team
Before applying for a self-arranged Elective, students must notify the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Team of their intended host site by emailing med.placements@uq.edu.au.

Step 2: Application Deadlines
Applications for self-arranged Electives must be submitted at least 12 weeks before the Elective start date. Specific deadlines are available on the Key Dates page.

Step 3: Submitting Your Application
Applications are submitted through the self-placement submission link on your InPlace page. Ensure your application includes the following:

• A 200-word statement outlining the goals of your proposed Elective
• For international placements (if travel is permitted):
  • A signed Student International Placement Declaration Form 
• Evidence of confirmation from your proposed supervisor, specifying your agreed Elective dates.

Step 4: Application Review and Approval
After the submission deadline, the Elective Coordinator will review all applications for approval. You will be notified of the outcome.

Step 5: SPA Arrangements
Once approved, the WIL team will arrange the Student Placement Agreement (SPA) with your host site. Please note:

• Securing an SPA can be a lengthy process, and in some cases, placements may not proceed if an SPA cannot be finalised.
• If an SPA cannot be secured, students will be allocated an Elective placement at a UQ Clinical site.

Step 6: Final Approval
After both Elective Coordinator approval and SPA finalisation, you will receive confirmation of final approval via email.

Important Note: Do not make any travel arrangements until you receive final approval.

Your provider may require you to submit certain documents when you apply for an Elective.  You can find information on who to contact below.

* This Letter will be issued only to students who are currently in good standing with the University and have a clear conduct report.  
^The Medical School's OHS team carry out respiratory equipment fit testing to verify correct fitment and seal of disposable respiratory masks rated for P2 (Australia) or N95 (other national jurisdictions).  Please email the team stipulating which country you’ll be working in. Testing is carried out at Oral Health Centre, Herston or by prior arrangement at limited other locations.

If the documentation your require is not found above, please email the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Team for further advice - med.placements@uq.edu.au. 

Centrelink

Students who receive Centrelink payments and are planning to complete an Elective outside of Australia could be at risk of having their payments ceased.  Students should contact Centrelink directly for further advice. 

If Centrelink request a statement from your education institution, please use the Request function via myRequests on your My.UQ page. If you require any assistance with requesting certified documents online, you can contact Student Central for assistance:
Phone: 1300 275 870 (Option 1) 8.30am—5pm