Visiting electives policy

General Policies

•    Applications will only be considered for electives in June/July 2025 and any applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. 
•    Electives at Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust only take place in the advertised four-week blocks between June and July; we are unable to consider requests outside of these dates.
•    Electives are observer roles and applicants must choose one department only for the duration of their elective; split electives will not be considered. 
•    Successful applicants will be contacted regarding their preferred specialty. Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust will try their best to allocate students to a suitable department, however please note that we cannot guarantee that students will be allocated their first choice. 

Eligibility 

•    Students must be registered in their final or penultimate year of medical school at the time of the elective. 
•    Students must be studying at a medical school that is listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools to be considered for an elective. 
•    Students from countries not deemed to be majority English speaking must meet our minimum requirements of IELTS 7.5 overall with no less than 7.5 in the Spoken English. Any applicants who do not meet these requirements will not be considered for a place. For equivalent English Qualifications, read entry requirements, University of Leeds. For the list of countries deemed to be majority-English speaking, please visit the government website.

Please note that even if your medical degree has been taught in English, this is not sufficient evidence of English Language proficiency.  

Finance 

•    The University does not charge a tuition fee or administration charge for electives with Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust. However, students are required to cover their living and travel expenses and, if applicable, any costs relating to criminality checks, scrubs or visa applications. 
•    The University does not charge for Occupational Health Clearance Checks. 

Health Insurance 

•    Students must ensure they have their own personal health insurance. Supporting documentation will be requested during the application process. 

Cancellation of a Medical Elective Placement

•    If at any time an applicant wishes to withdraw their application or cancel after an offer of an elective, this should be done immediately and in writing to the Medical Electives Team at electives@leeds.ac.uk.

Placement Information 

•    Students attending an elective will be expected to order and pay for their scrubs (clinical uniform) in advance of the elective using the website link provided by the Medical Electives Team. 
•    Students are expected to attend the elective as agreed with their elective supervisor. If a student fails to attend, the Dean of the home medical school will be notified and where appropriate, non-attendance will be reported to UK Visas and Immigration Office, in accordance with their regulations. 

Any other queries can be sent to the Medical Electives Team at electives@leeds.ac.uk.