Requirements
If you are planning to do an International Elective the forms must be submitted to the Electives Coordinator at the Medical Education Office (www.med.uottawa.ca/electives/eng/international_electives.html), by email (elective@uottawa.ca) or in person in Room 2046 for approval at least 2 months prior to the start of the elective. You must keep in mind the long time frame required to set up the elective. The Office of Global Health reserves the right to refuse acknowledgement of the elective if applications are submitted less than two months in advance of the starting date.
STEP 1:
After finding an International Elective, your elective must be pre-approved by the Medical Education Office and Global Health Office. The following forms must be completed:
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Application Form for an International Elective
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Release of Liability Form
- You are required to provide as much information on where you are planning to do your elective (Country, Title of Elective, Supervisor’s Name, Name & Address of Hospital, Dates of Elective, etc.).
- You are required to investigate the intended location and provide your analysis of the risk factors that will be posed by the requested placement. Visit the link below to get information about country’s risk factors- i.e. political instability, infectious diseases, crime, etc. The website address is that of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), which provides travel updates regarding health and safety around the world. The website address is: http://www.international.gc.ca/international/index.aspx.
- We also ask that you identify your learning objectives.
STEP 2:
Once your application has been received and verified by the Medical Education Office, it will be forwarded to the Global Health Office.
The Global Health Office has been established to facilitate international/global health activities throughout the faculty. For medical students electives our goal is to try to ensure an educational experience that is enriching and safe for students as well as the host communities.
The Global Health Office will be in touch with you to confirm your international elective and to ensure that you have carried out the following:
- Provide us with objectives reflecting your elective
- Taking part in a Pre-departure Training (if applicable*)
- Debriefing session (if applicable)
- Submit a summary/reflection based on your experience
- Register your experience on www.actionglobalhealth.com
It is your responsibility to:
- Have a Valid Passport
- Obtain a Visa (if applicable)
- Visit a Pre-travel Clinic
- Have appropriate insurance (health, evacuation and malpractice, if applicable)
Pre-departure Training
Students wishing to participate in an international elective in a country that carries a warning of "Exercise high degree of caution" on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada website, it is mandatory that you register and attend one of the 3 or 4 pre-departure training sessions that the Office of Global Health offers every academic year. It is recommended that you attend a pre-departure training course early on in your MD degree if you are planning on participating in an international elective, even if it is in a few years time, since you will have more free time now than later. Once a student has attended a training session, they receive a certificate of completion and are not required to attend a second session throughout their undergraduate education.