In order to be considered for an Elective Placement you must meet the entry requirements set out below. We would recommend that you ensure you are able to meet all of these requirements before applying.

The Clinical School regrets that any applicants who do not meet the entry requirements set out below will not be considered for a place.

Payment deadlines are strict in order to accommodate for the appropriate administrative processes. Please make sure that you are able to pay by the deadlines that are provided.

Fees

There are no tuition fees for a Cambridge Elective Placement but students are currently required to cover the following costs (Please note that in 2024 we will be waiving the initial application fee for students whose home medical school is in a Hinari A or B country. Please see the list here . You can therefore ignore the payment email you will receive after submitting your application)

Stage 1	Non-Refundable Application Fee *please note that for 2024, this fee will be waived for applicants from Hinari A and B countries	£60
Stage 2	Non-Refundable Registration Fee (includes Occupational Health Fee and Administration Fee)	£480
Stage 3	Non-Refundable Accommodation Fee	£860

Entry Requirements

Entry Requirement	Additional Information	Required	Application Stage
Students must be in the final 18 months of their medical studies for the duration of the placement that they are applying for.	If you have graduated you are not able to undertake an elective placement with the School of Clinical Medicine.	Yes	Stage 1 Application
Placement preferences	Students may list up to 5 placement preferences (specialities) from the same block (time period) on their application.	Yes	Stage 1 Application
Scanned original of your official University Transcript must be provided	The official transcript must be on headed University paper and stamped with the official University Stamp. Please note that this must be your full Academic record/Transcript. We will not accept a statement of results or any other documentation. If the transcript is in a language other than English you will also need to provide a certified translation.	Yes	Stage 1 Application
Reference from the Dean of your University	You must provide a scanned original that has been signed by the Dean or another appropriate member of senior staff from your University. The letter must be on headed University paper and stamped with the official University stamp. The following information must be included: • Expected date of graduation (month and year) • Assessment of character and conduct • Assessment of academic ability • Knowledge of English Language - written and spoken • Confirmation of their support of your application • Confirmation that you will be within the final 18 months of your medical studies at the time of the elective. The reference must be deemed satisfactory by the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine.	Yes	Stage 1 Application
Payment of £60 application fee.	Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email with an application number/ID and a link to our payment page. Please complete the payment immediately. Your application will not be processed unless we have received this fee. If you are submitting more than one application you are only required to pay one application fee. (i.e. If you are submitting an application for Block 1 and an application for Block 2 you are not expected to pay £120. As long as you have paid £60, all of your submitted applications will be considered. When you receive your confirmation email for your second application submission, please ignore the request to pay.	Yes	Stage 1 Application Payment of the application fee is the final step of Stage 1 applications and applicants will be notified in August if you are successful. If you are applying for Block 1, processing your application will be prioritised in April in order to give enough time to process your application through stage 2. Therefore, please make sure that you have paid your application fee immediately after submitting your application as any applications without payment cannot be processed.
Students who are applying from countries where English is not the first language are required to provide the relevant documentation to demonstrate that they are able to read and speak English competently	Only specific English Language Certificates will be accepted and they must be dated no older than two years prior to the start date of the elective placement. Detail of which certificates are accepted can be found here. Students who are currently enrolled in a course that is entirely taught and assessed in English will not require a language test. Proof of this will be required by means of an official Dean's letter. Find more information here	Yes Only required for students applying from countries where English is not the first Language. If you are from a country where English is a first language (eg: Australia, Canada, please provide a scanned copy of your passport instead)	Stage 1 Application
Original copy of your passport	A verified and stamped coloured copy of your passport (valid for the selected placement dates) must be provided.	Yes	Stage 2 Application This stage is only for students who are offered a provisional Elective Placement. All aspects of Stage 2 must be completed by the deadline given in the applicant's provisional offer letter, usually 1 month from the date of the letter.
Original copy of a police background check / police certificate of good conduct	This must be deemed satisfactory by the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine. For UK students this should be an enhanced DBS check and for international students it should be equivalent to the UK enhanced DBS check. Further information about the enhanced DBS check can be found here. Please note: We can only assist with DBS queries from University of Cambridge students. All other students will need to contact their home universities. (The government's DBS pages can be found here).	Yes	Stage 2 Application This stage is only for students who are offered a provisional Elective Placement. All aspects of Stage 2 must be completed by the deadline given in the applicant's provisional offer letter, usually 1 month from the date of the letter.
Health Assessment form and Immunisation records	Information about the Health Assessment and required information can be found here.	Yes	Stage 2 Application This stage is only for students who are offered a provisional Elective Placement. All aspects of Stage 2 must be completed by the deadline given in the applicant's provisional offer letter, usually 1 month from the date of the letter.
Payment of a non-refundable Occupational Health Fee	Information about the Health Assessment and Occupational Health fee can be found here.	Yes	Stage 2 Application This stage is only for students who are offered a provisional Elective Placement. All aspects of Stage 2 must be completed by the deadline given in the applicant's provisional offer letter, usually 1 month from the date of the letter.
Payment of a non-refundable administration fee	Payment is required by the date specified in the provisional offer letter. This will normally be 1 month from receipt of the letter.	Yes	Stage 2 Application This stage is only for students who are offered a provisional Elective Placement. All aspects of Stage 2 must be completed by the deadline given in the applicant's provisional offer letter, usually 1 month from the date of the letter.
If you are a national of a country outside the UK or Ireland you will need to complete a Visitor Visa form as part of the Stage 2 application. The information from the Visitor Visa form will be used by us to issue a Visitor Visa letter for immigration purposes.	The Visitor Visa form must be completed and returned by the date specified in the provisional offer letter. This will normally be 1 month from receipt of the letter. We will then issue a Visa letter to you to apply for a Visitor Visa within 3 months of the elective start date and not before. For more information about Visas please click here.	Yes Required for all non-UK or Irish nationals	Stage 2 Application This stage is only for students who are offered a provisional Elective Placement. All aspects of Stage 2 must be completed by the deadline given in the applicant's provisional offer letter, usually 1 month from the date of the letter.
Proof of Covid-19 immunisation from an MHRA approved vaccine	Acceptable evidence: • The NHS COVID pass, or equivalent from NHS Scotland, NHS Wales or the Department of Health in Northern Ireland; or • The EU Digital COVID Certificate; or • A certificate in English, French or Spanish issued by the competent health authority which contains: a) your full name b) your date of birth c) the name and manufacturer of the vaccine that you received d) the date that you received each dose of the vaccine e) details of either the identity of the issuer of the certificate or the country of vaccination, or both. *please be aware that we require proof of all doses of you vaccination	Yes	Stage 2 Application This stage is only for students who are offered a provisional Elective Placement. All aspects of Stage 2 must be completed by the deadline given in the applicant's provisional offer letter, usually 1 month from the date of the letter.
Payment of accommodation fee	(Please note, your placement will not be confirmed until you have paid your accommodation fee). The accommodation provided as part of the placement is compulsory for all students wishing to undertake an Elective Placement. Accommodation must be paid two months prior to arrival at the latest. If we have not received payment of accommodation fees at least 2 months before the start date of your placement then you will be withdrawn from the programme and your place will be offered to the next person on the waiting list. For more information about the accommodation provided please click here.	Yes	Stage 3 Application Only following successful completion of Stages 1 and 2 and receipt of placement confirmation.

If you have any questions please check our FAQ page.