International Clinical Electives

Before you begin your application, please review the following considerations:

  • Students must have completed their required MS3/Patient Care clerkships to be eligible.
  • International electives must be 4 weeks or greater in length.
  • Students taking international away electives must enroll for foreign study credit. More information about FSTDY 300 can be found here.
    • Please note that UW Study Abroad fees apply.  Students taking FSTDY 300 and additional courses in the same quarter will be charged UW tuition in addition to this fee.
  • No approval will be given for courses that are not clinically relevant e,g,:
    • Language immersion courses
    • Community education or service (safe water, dental outreach, etc.)
    • Research
  • International electives cannot be used for fulfillment of the Advanced Patient Care clerkship requirement (or surgical selectives for students enrolled in the old curriculum).
  • You must get your elective approved by the department that administers your preceptor’s specialty (ex. no FAMED electives approved by Internal Medicine).

Please be aware that not all departments offer international away electives – those listed below DO NOT accept international electives:

  • Family Medicine
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Internal Medicine

Contact department of interest to see if they offer international away electives/for additional details about course requirements.

Application for International Electives

  1. Determine your eligibility
    • Have you finished your MS3/Patient Care required clerkships?
    • Does the department you want to go through allow international away electives?
    • Is it clinically relevant?
  2. Fill out the “Student Agreement”
  3. Have your main preceptor/supervisor fill out the “Provider Agreement”
  4. Complete the top half of the “Special Assignment Credit Approval” form
  5. Submit the entire application packet to the clerkship administrator for the department under which the purview of the elective specialty is.
  6. Department reviews and if approved sends to the Dean of Medicine’s Office for final approval.
  7. Curriculum adds the clerkship to E*Value and notifies Registration and Scheduling to add your elective.

If you decide not to take an away elective after you have already gotten approval and been registered, be sure you inform the site director, appropriate Clerkship Administrator, and Registration to have the rotation removed from your schedule.

The Global Health Clinical Elective (GHCE) and Global HIV Clinical Elective are managed by the Global Health Resource Center (GHRC). Please see their website for information on their requirements and application process. These electives are sponsored by the Department of Medicine; students are registered for CONJ 625 and CONJ 626. Contact Global Health with any questions regarding the Global Health Clinical Elective.