Questions	Answers
Q. When can I apply for a placement in 2023? And 2024?	A. The 2023 incoming elective placements are all full and we are no longer accepting applications. Applications for 2024 will open on 1st February 2023.
Q. How many placement preferences can I include on my application?	A. Students may list up to 5 placement preferences (specialties) on their application within the same block. (eg: 1.8, 1.6, 1.4, 1.2, 1.10)
Q. What are the fees for doing a Cambridge Elective Placement?	A. The Clinical School does not charge tuition fees to attend the Cambridge Elective however students will be required to cover an initial application fee, accommodation and administration fees as detailed on the Entry Requirements & Fees page. A list of the placements we can offer for 2024 will soon be available on the 2024 Specialties and Dates page. Please read these carefully before considering which block you would like to apply for. Please note that for 2024 applications there is a £60 application fee that must be paid after submitting your applications. After submitting the application form you will be sent an email containing a link to our payment portal.
Q. If I want to submit more than one application, do I have to pay more than one application fee?	A. No. If you are submitting more than one application you are only required to pay one application fee. For example: if you are submitting an application for Block 1 and an application for Block 2 you are not expected to pay £60 each time.
Q. Do I need to take out malpractice insurance?	A. The School of Clinical Medicine does not indemnify medical students and we would encourage you to take out cover for the duration of your elective placement.
Q. Can I do my elective placement for more than 6 weeks?	A. No. The maximum duration of the Cambridge Elective Placement is 6 weeks within the block dates specified.
Q. Can I do less than 6 weeks for my elective placement?	A. It is sometimes possible to do a shorter elective placement (minimum of 4 weeks) but the elective will still have to be within one of the published elective blocks. If you require a shorter placement please include this in the notes section at the end of your application. Please note that you will still be required to pay the full amount for your accommodation.
Q. Can I split my elective placement and do more than one specialty?	A. No. We are only able to offer one specialty per elective placement.
Q. What dates are the elective placements?	A. The list of the placements we can offer for 2024 will soon be available on our 2024 Specialties and Dates page.
Q. If I withdraw from the elective, can I get a refund?	A. None of our fees are refundable once paid except under special circumstances (eg: cancellation due to Covid) How much you pay of course depends at what stage you withdraw from the process. If you are successful at stages one and two, and you withdraw from the placement no later than 2 months before your placement starts then you will not have to pay the accommodation fee. However, if you withdraw from your placement any later than 2 months before your placement starts then you will have to pay the full accomodation fee (£860 for 2023 and 2024) unless there are agreed upon special circumstances.
Q. My University requires additional forms to be signed by the School of Clinical Medicine or my Supervisor before my placement starts how can I arrange this?	A.We are unable to sign any additional documentation prior to your arrival. If you need proof that your placement is confirmed you will need to use the confirmation email that you are sent by the Clinical School.
Q. My University requires additional documentation to be completed by the School of Clinical Medicine after my placement has taken place how do I arrange this?	A. At the end of your placement you will be provided with two letters that confirm the dates of your placement and the department that you did your placement with. These letters will be stamped with the official stamp. The School of Clinical Medicine is unable to sign, stamp or provide any other documentation so please check with your University that this will be sufficient before applying.
Q. Can my reference be signed by someone other than the Dean?	A. Yes, Associate or Assistant Deans can also sign your reference.
Q. Do I have to provide my full university transcript or do you accept alternative documentation such as a recent results statement?	A. You must provide your full official university transcript. If it is in a language other than English then you will also need to provide a certified translation.
Q. I am from a country where English is not the first language but my course is taught in English. Do I still have to provide one of the English Language Assessments that you have specified on your website?	A. If you have evidence that your course has been fully taught and assessed in English, you will be able to submit this evidence as part of Stage 1. You will need to provide proof by means of an official Dean's letter confirming that this is the case. If you have a Degree/BA or other equivalent University qualifications dating no more than 30 months and undertook in an English speaking country, you may be exempt. Further details can be found here.
Q. I have not received an email confirming that my application has been received is this normal?	A. Due to the high volume of applications that we receive we are unable to confirm receipt of applications by email. If your application has been submitted successfully you will receive a message on the screen after you have pressed the 'submit' button.
Q. My University requires that my supervisor provides an evaluation of my placement how do I arrange this?	A. At the end of your placement you can ask your supervisor to complete this for you.
Q. Do you accept Erasmus trainees?	A. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept Erasmus trainees. The only official elective we offer is the Cambridge Medical Elective.
Q. Can you guarantee that I will be scrubbing every day?	A. The amount of scrubbing you will do will depend on the department you choose for your elective and whether you are cleared by the OH team for EPP. You also have to bear in mind that some departments may have a high number of fellows and Cambridge medical students which may limit your opportunities to be 1st or 2nd assistant in theatres. However, you will have access to our state of the art facilities in the Deakin Centre (situated just opposite your accommodation) for regular clinical skills sessions.
Q. I applied early on but haven't been notified of the outcome of my application. What should I do?	A. You will be notified of the outcome of your application after the application window closes. Only exception: students who apply to blocks 1 and 2 will be notified of the outcome of their application sooner, although we cannot give a specific date.
Q. Is there any funding available from the University of Cambridge to help me finance my elective?	The Clinical School is hoping to offer bursaries for Hinari A and B students in 2023 and 2024. Further information of this will be uploaded on our website. We therefore encourage non-Hinari students to check with their home University about any bursaries, grants or prizes that are on offer and which could help finance their elective.