Medical electives programme

Medical school students from all over the world can undertake elective attachments at Edinburgh Medical School teaching hospitals. Applications for 2025 have now closed.

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Doctors wearing a face mask

Applications for the 2025 round of our medical electives programme are now closed. We are unable to accept late submissions due to the high volume of applications received.

We aim to open applications for 2026 electives in January 2025.

Your elective placement

During your elective placement, you are given a clinical supervisor and you will join their clinical team in the ward or unit to observe and shadow their clinical practice.  

Your supervisor will give you structured supervision and a varied schedule so that you can gain experience of a range of medical conditions and NHS treatment protocols. 

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Doctors on a hospital ward

The experience you will gain

During your elective placement you will gain experience of the NHS Scotland clinical practices and will deepen your understanding of working in teams and collaboration with other professionals, often in acute situations or with advanced conditions.  

In your clinical team, you will also be meeting and listening to patients and will gain an insight into cultural and socioeconomic factors and will strengthen your communication skills.  

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Aerial shot of Princes Street

Living in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is one of the best historical and atmospheric cities in the world – it’s friendly and everything is within a walking distance – cafes, theatres, beaches and hills. 

Living in Edinburgh

Erasmus students

The MBChB programme does not participate in the Erasmus Programme, so we cannot accept Erasmus students. 

Get in touch

For medical elective related enquiries, please contact us at:

Email:  electives@ed.ac.uk

 

How to apply for a medical elective with us.

Applications for a medical elective in 2025 have now closed. Our next round of applications for a medical elective in 2026 will open in January 2025.