Elective placements

The University of Leeds radiography course provides students with three weeks at the end of year 3 in which they can travel and gain work experience in a hospital healthcare setting anywhere in the world.

As a diagnostic radiography student at Leeds you will have the opportunity to arrange electives during the last three weeks of your final year.

These placements can be carried out anywhere in the UK and allow you to explore how other trusts operate, providing you with experience of new clinical environments such as paediatric hospitals or regional trauma centres. You will also be able to explore the speciality of diagnostic radiography that you aspire to focus on as you further develop your career.

You may choose to take your elective abroad to explore how healthcare is delivered in different countries. Previous diagnostic radiography students have travelled to countries in Europe, Africa, Australia, Asia, the USA and Canada.

Students interested in carrying out their electives in Africa, Asia and Latin American are able to arrange their electives through Work the World, and those that have done so previously have had amazing personal and professional experiences.

Whichever route you choose, the elective is likely to be one of the most enjoyable and memorable components of your study at the University of Leeds.

International work-based learning module

Our year 3 diagnostic radiography students have the opportunity to choose an international work-based learning module, spending three weeks with our clinical partners in Malta, Sweden or Denmark.

This optional module enables you to explore the organisation and delivery of diagnostic imaging in your chosen focused area of practice but within a different healthcare system, allowing you to make comparisons to what you've experienced in the UK.

Feedback from previous students has been very positive and they valued the opportunity to observe practice outside of the UK.

International colleagues indicate that our students have been excellent ambassadors for our programme and the University of Leeds.

Please note that elective placements are currently subject to restrictions due to COVID-19. This means it might not be possible to undertake a placement either nationally or internationally as we adapt the scheme to ensure student welfare and safety. – Updated 20 August 2020 at 9.00am

Here's a video of one of our students in Tanzania, to give you a sense of life on an international elective placement: