Undergraduate Medical School

Those interested in applying for an elective placement should note the following:

• Applications must be received at least 6 months prior to the proposed elective start date.
• A non-refundable application fee of £250 is payable once a supervisor has been confirmed. There are no tuition fees.
• Electives are offered for a period of 4 weeks (20 working days) and are within one department only, subject to availability. Unfortunately, we cannot consider requests for shorter/longer attachments or in more than one department.
• Electives must commence on the first Monday of each month.
• Students must be studying at a medical school that is listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools (http://search.wdoms.org/).
• Applicants must be in their penultimate or final year of studies.
• Placements are limited, and submission of an application does not guarantee an offer.
• Department availability depends on the popularity of your chosen speciality and on the number of consultants available to provide supervision. We cannot guarantee a placement within the first choice of speciality.
• Offers are non-negotiable
• Students are permitted only one elective placement at the University of Glasgow
• It is essential that international applicants comply with the Undergraduate Medicine International English language requirements.
• International applicants must come to the UK under the Standard Visitor Immigration category in order to carry out an elective.
• All incoming elective students are required to be covered by medical malpractice insurance for the duration of their elective. Proof of indemnity/malpractice insurance must be presented to the Electives Administrator before a placement commences. The Medical School cannot advise on insurance matters.
• Please note that the University has Teaching Hospitals across Scotland, including Glasgow, Ayr and Dumfries. Please book accommodation near your placement as specified in your Offer Letter. Applicants are responsible for arranging their own accommodation.

For full details on our application process and eligibility, please refer to our Incoming Elective Guidance Notes.

Applications for the Visiting Electives Programme have far exceeded capacity, and therefore no further applications will be considered for placements between September 2024 and August 2025. Placements are extremely limited and we will respond to applicants in due course. 

Applications for the Visiting Electives Programme have far exceeded capacity, and therefore no further applications will be considered for placements between September 2024 and August 2025. Placements are extremely limited and we will respond to applicants in due course. 

To apply for a medical elective at a University of Glasgow teaching hospital, an application form must be completed and emailed to the Medical Electives Administrator (med-sch-visiting-electives@glasgow.ac.uk) at least 6 months, but not more than 10 months prior to the proposed elective start date. Late applications cannot be accepted.

The application form must be accompanied by all supporting documentation in PDF format.

Students preparing to apply should refer to the Incoming Elective Application Form, the Incoming Elective Guidance Notes and the List of Departments Available‌.

There are no tuition fees, however the University requires an application fee of £250 per application to be paid by all applicants (UK, EU and International applicants) who are applying for a Visiting Medical Elective through the University of Glasgow Medical School. The application fee will be requested once a placement has been found and an offer made to you. It can be paid using your credit or debit bank card.

Students who arrange elective placements directly with NHS Consultants, outside of our Medical School’s visiting elective programme, should note that:

• You will not be registered at University of Glasgow.
• International students must come to the UK under the Standard Visitor Immigration category in order to carry out an elective.
• You will not able to obtain any documentation or signatures certifying attendance at University of Glasgow from College authorities.

    Clinicians who accept visiting elective students directly should:

• Ensure that their Health Board clinical negligence indemnity covers them to supervise visiting elective students, beyond those accepted to University of Glasgow Medical Elective Programmes
• Ensure that their Health Board Human Resources team have undertaken any necessary checks (e.g. Disclosure Scotland and occupational health) and issued an appropriate contract or agreement to the visiting elective student

Clinicians who wish to accept elective students through the University of Glasgow Medical School Visiting Elective Programme may join our ‘Supervisory List’ at any time by contacting us via med-sch-visiting-electives@glasgow.ac.uk.

The application fee is non-refundable. It is important that you check any specific entry requirements for the programme that you are applying to: see our 

Applicants who are part of the U21 scheme or are part of an agreed exchange programme with the Medical School may have their application fee waived. Please email the Visiting Medical Electives Secretary (med-sch-visiting-electives@glasgow.ac.uk) for instructions on how to apply without paying the application fee. We can accept a limited number of U21 applicants per year – please send your certificate promptly.