ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Electives beginning July 7 and July 21, 2025: applications will open on Sunday, April 13 at midnight CENTRAL TIME. 

Electives beginning August 4 and later: applications will open on a rolling schedule

• 12 weeks before the elective start date starting from May 11, 2025

Instructions on applying for ERMEP electives have changed.  Please read the ERMEP section under Application Instructions for more information. 

Please continue to visit the portail des étudiants de l'AFMC for future updates regarding application timelines, eligibility criteria, required documents, policies and fees. Students will be able to see availability of elective opportunities before submitting an application and paying the fee. Please keep in mind that an indication of availability does not guarantee a confirmed elective.

Elective Availability: uOttawa’s Electives office does not track availability of any elective opportunity and is unable to provide you with an estimation of the availability. Individual departments set their own capacities. If you are interested in a visiting elective at uOttawa, please submit an application via the AFMC Student Portal. An indication of availability on the portal does not guarantee you will be offered an elective opportunity, as there are system delays in changing capacity.

Cancellations and Changes: When you accept a visiting elective through the capacity-based model, you are committing to that elective, and no cancellations or changes will be allowed. If there are extenuating circumstances, please reach out to your home Elective Coordinator and have them help you navigate the situation, and if required, reach out to the uOttawa Elective Coordinator on your behalf.

Refund Policy: uOttawa does not offer any refunds.

1.ELIGIBILITY

To be considered as a Medical Student from a Canadian School, students must meet the following requirements:

• Students must be enrolled in an undergraduate medical education program at a medical school in Canada.
• Students must be in CLERKSHIP registered in the SECOND TO LAST or FINAL year of their medical program (not including postgraduate training) at the time of the elective and must be in GOOD STANDING.
• Students must undertake an elective for ACADEMIC CREDIT at their homeschool.
• Students must be fluent in English (oral, writing and reading proficiency) for the majority of University of Ottawa elective placements.  Electives at Hôpital Montfort and Hawkesbury General Hospital (HGH) require learners to be proficient in French and English.
  • Please note that students who are not proficient in both languages for electives at Montfort and HGH will not be eligible to complete their placement at these sites, and alternative placements will not be offered.
• The departments listed below have limits on the numbers of electives a visiting student can complete. Visiting students are eligible to complete only one elective in each of the following departments, for a maximum duration of two weeks, throughout the entirety of their medical education:
  • Plastic Surgery – Adult and Pediatric at TOH/CHEO
  • Urology – Adult and Pediatric at TOH/CHEO
  • Department of Pediatrics at CHEO/TOH
    • The Department of Pedatrics includes Adolescent Medicine, Cardiology, Child and Youth Protection (CYP), Development, Pediatric Community, Complex Care, Emergency Medicine, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, General Ward CTU, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Intensive Care (PICU), Neonatale Intensive Care (NICU at CHEO), Neonatology (NICU at Civic), Neonatology/Perinatology (NICU at General), Nephrology, Newborn Screening and Metabolics, Palliative Care, Pédiatrie communautaire Francophone (Montfort), Respirology, Rheumatology, Pediatric Neurology

Notes *It is expected that elective students will function as part of a clinical service. The students will be and should have already been exposed to taking histories, performing physical examinations, formulating differential diagnoses, and providing documentation as an integral part of the clinical team. There may also be an expectation of on call duties, depending on the elective rotation.

2. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

​ELECTIVE PLACEMENTS

• All placement requests must be made through the AFMC Student Portal to ensure registration with the Electives Office at the University of Ottawa.
• Electives are available for a maximum of twelve (12) weeks per student in one academic year (September to August).
• All electives begin on a Monday except when Monday is a public holiday; in which case, the elective will begin on a Tuesday. Start dates around public holidays will be confirmed by the department.
• Only formal clinical electives are offered. Observerships, shadowing, or site visits are not available to any visiting medical students.
• The Electives Office does not keep any waitlists for any electives.
• The Electives Office does not have access to the availability or capacity of any electives and cannot provide you with elective spaces at any time before or during the application process.
• Placement in a specific specialty, hospital or department and with a specific preceptor is dependent upon availability during the requested elective period. Submission of an elective application does not guarantee a placement. Due to the requirements of uOttawa’s own medical students and the popularity of the elective program, capacity is limited therefore not all interested students can be accommodated.
• The Electives Office does not provide a letter of confirmation of elective completion. The student’s evaluation can be used as confirmation.
• The electives are entirely educational and no salary is paid.
• Students must provide their preceptor with their home university’s elective evaluation form. If students do not receive the completed form within 2 weeks of the elective’s end, they must inform the Visiting Electives Office uoportal@uottawa.ca who will follow up with the preceptor and department to ensure completion of evaluation.
• Students not adhering to the following procedures will not be permitted to undertake electives and will have their application closed without reimbursement.
• If you need to request time off during your elective for an appointment, conference, etc., please send your request to uoportal@uottawa.ca 6 weeks prior to your elective start date.
• You are permitted to apply for an elective where capacity exists. When applying for an elective, you must select dates that have an indication of available capacity. If the first week of the elective has an indication of capacity, but the second week of the elective does not, your application will be cancelled and you will not be eligible for a refund.

Applying for ERMEP Rural Electives

The Eastern Regional Medical Education Program (ERMEP) welcomes medical students from across Canada for an enriching learning experience in rural Eastern Ontario!

If you are a learner at a medical school in Ontario, please apply directly to ERMEP.

If you are a learner attending medical school within Canada but outside of Ontario, please apply directly to ERMEP.  When an elective has been conditionally confirmed by the ERMEP Coordinator, a notification will be sent to the learner and to the Electives Office at uOttawa. You will then need to submit an application via the AFMC student portal so that your document pre-requisites (immunizations, BLS, N-95, etc.) can be reviewed and your elective confirmed. 

Applications may be submitted to ERMEP starting from April 13, 2025. 

WHO TO CONTACT

• Students are NOT PERMITTED to contact departments or preceptors at any time. This may be considered a breach of professionalism.
• You may contact our Electives Office via e-mail at uoportal@uottawa.ca or via phone at 613.562.5800 ext. 2705.
• All electives arranged directly with a preceptor or hospital outside the AFMC Student Portal is not permitted and will not be recognized as an official uOttawa elective. The student will not be covered by Commercial General Liability Insurance.

3. DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

Formats de fichiers acceptés (sauf indication contraire) : PDF, PNG, JPEG, DOC

If your documents are readily available, please provide them at the time of application. If you do not have the documents at the time of application, you may still submit your application. For outstanding documents, you must e-mail them directly to our Risk Management office at vms_csa_immunise@uottawa.ca. Our Risk Management Office may also contact you directly to provide you with a deadline to submit your outstanding documents. If you do not meet that deadline, your application will be cancelled. The delay in providing the documents will not create a delay in processing your elective request.

AVEC LA SOUMISSION DE LA DEMANDE

• All visiting students must complete the  Language Declaration form. 
  • Version française:  Language Declaration-fr.pdf

• Self-Declaration Form
  • All visiting students MUST complete the Self-Declaration form (PDF). The French version is available içi.

• Consent to Release Information Form
  • All visiting students MUST complete the  Consent to Release of Information. The French version is available içi.

• Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS)
  • If you are coming from the province of Quebec, you will need to submit a copy of a VSS that is no older than 12 months to the start of your training. The VSS must also remain valid to cover the entire duration of your elective.
  • Québec students who do not have a confirmed elective placement at uOttawa must obtain a letter from their home institution in order to apply for a Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) through their local police service. uOttawa is unable to provide a supporting letter to students who do not yet have a confirmed elective placement.

• Formulaire d’immunisation et de tests de dépistage du Portail des étudiants de l’AFMC
  • NOTE: A recent 1-step Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) is required, completed within the past 12 months and remaining valid for the entire elective.
  • If a 2-step TST has never been done in the past, it must be completed prior to the elective.

• Proof of N95 Mask Fitting
  • This should include size and model of mask
  • Proof of mask fit is only valid for 2 years from date of issue, and it must remain valid for entire elective
  • The size and model of N95 mask must be available at the hospital of your elective (please refer to N95 Respirator Availability chart under Health & Safety)

• Proof of CPR-HCP (Health Care Provider) or BLS Provider (Basic Life Support)
  • A certification is only valid for 12 months from the date of issue, must remain valid for the entire elective, and must include an in-person component to be valid

• HIV and Hep C

• • All medical students should know their HIV and Hepatitis C status.
  • Upon acceptance, medical students are required to inform the Vice Dean, if they are positive for a blood-borne virus. The Vice Dean may consult with the Expert Board/Board of Medical Assessors or other experts as appropriate. Confidentiality concerning the applicant’s state of health will be maintained to the greatest extent possible.
  • A positive result for any blood-borne virus will not cause your faculty or institution to decline you; rather, it will result in special accommodations that will exempt you from risk-prone procedures that could put patients at risk.

Note

Any fees related to documents required upon application submission are the responsibility of the student.

The application period for electives is now CLOSED.

The upcoming CSA release schedule is as follows:

FYI: Each CSA block accepts a maximum of 50 students. Once this limit is reached, the block will close to new applications.

A CSA will be able to confirm a maximum of 6 weeks of electives (this can be two 3-week electives, three 2-week electives, or a 4-week and a 2-week elective). If you apply for more electives or weeks than you’re eligible for, the request will be cancelled. Refunds are not permitted.

1. ELIGIBILITY

To be considered as a Canadian Studying Abroad, students must meet the following requirements:

• Students must be CANADIAN CITIZENS or PERMANENT RESIDENTS.
• Students must be enrolled in an international undergraduate medical education program listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools that includes the Canada sponsor note.
• Students must be in CLERKSHIP registered in the SECOND TO LAST or FINAL year of their medical program (not including postgraduate training) at the time of the elective and must be in GOOD STANDING.
• Electives cannot be done during holiday/vacation time. Students must undertake an elective for ACADEMIC CREDIT at their homeschool.
• Students must be fluent in English (oral, writing and reading proficiency) for all University of Ottawa elective placements, which are only offered in Anglophone settings.

Notes
It is expected that elective students will function as part of a clinical service. The students will be and should have already been exposed to taking histories, performing physical examinations, formulating differential diagnoses and providing documentation as an integral part of the clinical team. There may also be an expectation of on call duties, depending on the elective rotation.

Core Rotation completion requirements for the following specialties:

Adult Neurology: student must have completed 4 weeks of Core IM clerkship rotation 

Emergency Medicine: Student must have completed at least 3 months (12 weeks) of clinical core clerkship OR must have completed 4 weeks of emergency clinical electives

Family Medicine Community: Students must have completed their Core Family Medicine Rotation and half of their program core rotations

Family Medicine Inpatient: Students must have completed their Core Family Medicine Rotation and half of their program core rotations

GIM CTU & C/T: Student must have completed 6 weeks in core Internal Medicine or 4 weeks of CTU + 2 weeks of an elective in Medical subspecialties (cardiology, respirology, nephrology, rheumatology, endocrinology, infectious disease, geriatrics, medicine, etc).

Internal Medicine Cardiology: Student must have completed half of their Internal Medicine core rotations

Internal Medicine Gastroenterology: Student must have completed 6 weeks in core Internal Medicine or 4 weeks of CTU + 2 weeks of an elective in Medical subspecialties (cardiology, respirology, nephrology, rheumatology, endocrinology, infectious disease, geriatrics, medicine, etc).

Internal Medicine Geriatrics:  Student must have completed half of their Internal Medicine core rotations

Internal Medicine Respirology: Students must have completed their Internal Medicine Clerkship Core Rotation

OBGYN: Student must have completed their  OBGYN Core Rotation

Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery: Student must have completed surgical core rotation

Pediatric Electives important note: Visiting students are only eligible for one elective for a maximum of two weeks from the Department of Pediatrics for the entirety of their medical education.

Pediatrics Anesthesiology: Student must have experience in Adult Anesthesiology

Pediatrics Cardiology: Students must be in final year of clerkship

Pediatrics Complex Care: Core rotations in pediatrics must be complete

Pediatrics EM: Core rotations in pediatrics must be complete

Pediatrics Palliative Care: Student must have done at least 2 weeks of electives in adult palliative care

Pediatrics PICU: Core rotations in pediatrics must be complete and student must be in final year of clerkship

Pediatrics Respirology: Core rotations in pediatrics must be complete

Pediatrics Youth and Protection: Core rotations in pediatrics must be complete

Psychiatry: Students must be in their final year of clerkship

Rural ERMEP: Student must be in their final year of clerkship

2. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

ELECTIVE PLACEMENTS

• Electives are offered to Canadians Studying Abroad from the beginning of January to the end of August of each year. We do not offer electives between September and December.
• Electives are offered for durations of 2, 3, or 4 weeks. All electives begin on a Monday except when Monday is a public holiday; in which case, the elective will begin on a Tuesday. Start dates around public holidays will be confirmed by department.
• Only formal clinical electives are offered. Observerships, shadowing, or site visits are not available to any visiting medical students.
• The Electives Office does not keep any waitlists for any electives.
• The Electives Office does not have access to the availability or capacity of any electives and cannot provide you with elective spaces at any time before or during the application process.
• Placement in a specific specialty, hospital or department and with a specific preceptor is dependent upon availability during the requested elective period. Submission of an elective application does not guarantee a placement. Due to the requirements of uOttawa’s own medical students and the popularity of the elective program, capacity is limited therefore not all interested students can be accommodated.
• The Electives Office does not provide a letter of confirmation of elective completion. The student’s evaluation from their preceptor can be used as confirmation.
• All visiting students will be evaluated by the same standards as uOttawa clerkship level students.
• Please note the Elective Program is entirely educational and no salary is paid.
• Students must provide their preceptor with their home university’s elective evaluation form. If students do not receive the completed form within 2 weeks of the elective’s end, they must inform the Visiting Electives Office uoportal@uottawa.ca who will follow up with the preceptor and department to ensure completion of evaluation.
• Students not adhering to the following procedures will not be permitted to undertake electives and will have their application closed without reimbursement.
• If we are not able to secure an elective placement 8 weeks before the start of the requested elective, we will cancel your application. No refunds will be issued.
• You have 7 days to accept an elective offer. If you do not accept an elective offer within 7 days, the offer will be cancelled.
• If you need to request time off during your elective for an appointment, conference, etc., please send your request to uoportal@uottawa.ca 6 weeks prior to your elective start date.
• You are permitted to apply for an elective where capacity exists. When applying for an elective, you must select dates that have an indication of available capacity. If the first week of the elective has an indication of capacity, but the second week of the elective does not, your application will be cancelled and you will not be eligible for a refund.

WHO TO CONTACT

• Students are NOT PERMITTED to contact departments or preceptors at any time. This may be considered a breach of professionalism. All elective requests must be made through the AFMC Student Portal to ensure registration with the Electives Office at the University of Ottawa.
• You may contact our Electives Office via e-mail at uoportal@uottawa.ca or via phone at 613.562.5800 ext. 2705.
• All electives arranged directly with a preceptor or hospital outside the AFMC Student Portal will not be recognized as an official uOttawa elective and the student will not be covered by Commercial General Liability Insurance during the elective.
• For all immunization requirements and police record check inquiries, please contact our Risk Management Office at vms_csa_immunise@uottawa.ca

HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

Canadians Studying Abroad (CSA) are not automatically charged UHIP. To be exempt from the UHIP charge, students must email proof of provincial coverage (e.g., a copy of their valid health card) directly to uoportal@uOttawa.ca.

International forms of coverage are not accepted.

If a student does not have a provincial health card, they may apply for one at ontario.ca. Once eligible, there is no longer a waiting period for OHIP coverage. Proof of coverage can be a copy of your provincial health card. If you do not have a provincial health card, you may apply for one here Apply for OHIP and get a health card | ontario.ca. Send a copy of the application form to uOInternational at uhipramu@uOttawa.ca with the start and end dates encompassing the elective time in Ottawa. There is no longer a waiting period for OHIP coverage. If you are eligible, you will have immediate health insurance coverage. Find out if you qualify: Apply for OHIP and get a health card | ontario.ca

COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE

If coverage is not provided by the home school, uOttawa will provide coverage only for electives confirmed through the AFMC Student Portal. The following is the coverage provided by uOttawa:

• All registered students are covered during approved electives by the University’s Commercial General Liability insurance with a limit per occurrence in excess of C$5,000,000 inclusive for medical malpractice, bodily injury, personal injury and property damage.

3. DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

Formats de fichiers acceptés (sauf indication contraire) : PDF, PNG, JPEG, DOC

If your documents are readily available, please provide them at the time of application. If you do not have the documents at the time of application, you may still submit your application. For outstanding documents, you must e-mail them directly to our Risk Management office at vms_csa_immunise@uottawa.ca. Our Risk Management Office may also contact you directly to provide you with a deadline to submit your outstanding documents. If you do not meet that deadline, your application will be cancelled. The delay in providing the documents will not create a delay in processing your elective request.

AVEC LA SOUMISSION DE LA DEMANDE

• Proof of Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residency
  • Please submit a copy of your passport, birth certificate, citizenship card/certificate, or permanent residency card.
• All visiting students must complete the  Language Declaration form. 
  • Version française:  Language Declaration-fr.pdf
• Police Vulnerable Sector Screening (PVSS) or equivalent from country of current residence
  • If you are currently studying overseas, you are required to submit either an original hard copy or a secure electronic version of a Police Vulnerable Sector Screening (PVSS) equivalency from your country of residence.
    • Note: A PVSS equivalent is the highest level of police screening required for individuals involved in the care, training, supervision, or sole responsibility of children or vulnerable adults. Please ensure your document clearly reflects this level of screening when applying.

Requirements:

• • The PVSS equivalent must not be older than 12 months from the date of issue and must be valid for the entire duration of your elective.
  • If you are currently enrolled in a school overseas, please email FoM_CPRM@uottawa.ca with your school’s name and the country of residence for further instructions on how to obtain a PVSS equivalency.

Submitting Your PVSS Document:

• • If your results are sent to you electronically in a secure format, you must forward the original email from the police service (with the attached results) to: FoM_CPRM@uottawa.ca.
  • If your results are obtained in person or by mail, you must submit the original hard copy, along with a certified translation if applicable.
  • After your elective is approved and the CPRM team has reviewed your PVSS copy, please send the original document via a tracked courier service (e.g., DHL, UPS, FedEx) to the following address:

Université d'Ottawa
Roger Guindon Hall (RGN)
Faculty of Medicine, CPRM Office
451 Smyth Road, Room 3071
Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5
Canada

Important Notes:

• • Processing times can vary between 2 to 12 weeks, depending on your country and issuing authority. Please apply as early as possible to avoid delays.
  • If your PVSS equivalent will not be ready before the application deadline, you may still submit your application to the Electives Office. Please include a note indicating that your police check will be submitted later.
  • For any questions, contact us at FoM_CPRM@uottawa.ca.

• Proof of N95 Mask Fitting
  • You must submit a copy of your N95 Mask Fitting card or documentation with the date of the fit testing and size of mask. If you do not have proof of the N95 Mask Fitting, you will have to get it done with your local organization. If this is not possible, you will need to get this proof as soon as you arrive in Canada. If you will complete the N95 Mask Fitting in Canada, you must schedule your arrival in Canada accordingly because you cannot begin your elective without the completion of the N95 Mask Fitting.
  • Should you have any questions regarding this requirement, please send an email to vms_csa_immunise@uottawa.ca.
  • Here are organizations in Ottawa to book an N95 appointment:
    • Levitt Safety: OttawaFitTest@levitt-safety.com
    • Gem Health Care Services: 613-761-7474
• Self-Declaration Form
  • All visiting students MUST complete the Self-Declaration form (PDF). The French version is available içi.
• Consent to Release Information Form
  • All visiting students MUST complete the  Consent to Release of Information. The French version is available içi.
• Formulaire d’immunisation et de tests de dépistage du Portail des étudiants de l’AFMC
  • Note: If a student had the 2020 AFMC Student Portal Immunization and Testing Form completed prior to January 1, 2023, the student may continue to use the previous versions of the Form for the duration of the student’s time in medical school.
• Proof of CPR-HCP (Health Care Provider) or BLS Provider (Basic Life Support)
  • A certification is only valid for 12 months from the date of issue and must include an in-person component to be valid
• Health and Safety Modules
  • Once you have a confirmed elective at uOttawa, you will be sent a link to several health and safety modules that must be completed at least 4 weeks before the elective start date.
• Attestation of Core Rotations & Electives
  • Please fill out the following form from here: AFMC Student Portal Attestation of Core Rotations and Electives (uottawa.ca)

Note

Any fees related to documents required upon application submission are the responsibility of the student.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Electives beginning July 7 and July 21, 2025: applications will open on Sunday, April 13 at midnight CENTRAL TIME. 

Electives beginning August 4 and later, applications will open on a rolling schedule

• 12 weeks before the elective start date starting from May 11, 2025

Instructions on applying for ERMEP electives have changed.  Please read the ERMEP section under Application Instructions for more information. 

Please continue to visit the portail des étudiants de l'AFMC for future updates regarding application timelines, eligibility criteria, required documents, policies and fees. Students will be able to see availability of elective opportunities before submitting an application. Please keep in mind that an indication of availability does not guarantee a confirmed elective.

Elective Availability: uOttawa’s Electives office does not track availability of any elective opportunity and is unable to provide you with an estimation of the availability. Individual departments set their own capacities. If you are interested in a visiting elective at uOttawa, please submit an application via the AFMC Student Portal. An indication of availability on the portal does not guarantee you will be offered an elective opportunity, as there are system delays in changing capacity.

Change Request: No changes will be made to any confirmed electives or electives that have been offered to you. No changes will be made to an elective request that has been declined by the department.

Refund Policy: uOttawa does not offer any refunds.

1. ELIGIBILITY

To be considered as a MD Extension Program candidate, students must meet the following requirements:

• Students must be enrolled in an undergraduate medical education program at a medical school in Canada.
• Students must be registered as an unmatched Canadian medical student with their homeschool.
• Students must not have received their MD degree.
• Electives cannot be done during holiday/vacation time. Students must undertake an elective for ACADEMIC CREDIT at their homeschool.
• Students must be fluent in English (oral, writing and reading proficiency) for the majority of University of Ottawa elective placements.  Electives at Hôpital Montfort and Hawkesbury General Hospital (HGH) require learners to be proficient in French and English.
  • Please note that students who are not proficient in both languages for electives at Montfort and HGH will not be eligible to complete their placement at these sites, alternative placements will not be offered if a confirmed placement is cancelled due to language proficiency.
• The departments listed below have limits on the numbers of electives a visiting student can complete. Visiting students are eligible to complete only one elective in each of the following departments, for a maximum duration of two weeks, throughout the entirety of their medical education:
  • Plastic Surgery – Adult and Pediatric at TOH/CHEO
  • Urology – Adult and Pediatric at TOH/CHEO
  • Department of Pediatrics at CHEO/TOH
    • The Department of Pedatrics includes Adolescent Medicine, Cardiology, Child and Youth Protection (CYP), Development, Pediatric Community, Complex Care, Emergency Medicine, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, General Ward CTU, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Intensive Care (PICU), Neonatale Intensive Care (NICU at CHEO), Neonatology (NICU at Civic), Neonatology/Perinatology (NICU at General), Nephrology, Newborn Screening and Metabolics, Palliative Care, Pédiatrie communautaire Francophone (Montfort), Respirology, Rheumatology, Pediatric Neurology

NOTES: *It is expected that elective students will function as part of a clinical service. The students will be and should have already been exposed to taking histories, performing physical examinations, formulating differential diagnoses, and providing documentation as an integral part of the clinical team. There may also be an expectation of on call duties, depending on the elective rotation.

2. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

ELECTIVE PLACEMENTS

•  All placement requests must be made through the AFMC Student Portal to ensure registration with the Electives Office at the University of Ottawa.
• Electives are available for a maximum of twelve (12) weeks per student in one academic year (September to August).
• Electives are offered for durations of 2. All electives begin on a Monday except when Monday is a public holiday; in which case, the elective will begin on a Tuesday. Start dates around public holidays will be confirmed by the department

• Only formal clinical electives are offered. Observerships, shadowing, or site visits are not available to any visiting medical students.

• The Electives Office does not keep any waitlists for any electives.

• The Electives Office does not have access to the availability or capacity of any electives and cannot provide you with elective spaces at any time before or during the application process.

• Placement in a specific specialty, hospital or department and with a specific preceptor is dependent upon availability during the requested elective period. Submission of an elective application does not guarantee a placement. Due to the requirements of uOttawa’s own medical students and the popularity of the elective program, capacity is limited therefore not all interested students can be accommodated.

• The Electives Office does not provide a letter of confirmation of elective completion. The student’s evaluation can be used as confirmation.

• The electives are entirely educational and no salary is paid.

• Students must provide their preceptor with their home university’s elective evaluation form. If students do not receive the completed form within 2 weeks of the elective’s end, they must inform the Visiting Electives Office uoportal@uottawa.ca who will follow up with the preceptor and department to ensure completion of evaluation.

• Students not adhering to the following procedures will not be permitted to undertake electives and will have their application closed without reimbursement..

• If you need to request time off during your elective for an appointment, conference, etc., please send your request to uoportal@uottawa.ca 6 weeks prior to your elective start date.

Applying for ERMEP Rural Electives

The Eastern Regional Medical Education Program (ERMEP) welcomes medical students from across Canada for an enriching learning experience in rural Eastern Ontario!

If you are a learner at a medical school in Ontario, please apply directly to ERMEP.

If you are a learner attending medical school within Canada but outside of Ontario, please apply directly to ERMEP.  When an elective has been conditionally confirmed by the ERMEP Coordinator, a notification will be sent to the learner and to the Electives Office at uOttawa. You will then need to submit an application via the AFMC student portal so that your document pre-requisites (immunizations, BLS, N-95, etc.) can be reviewed and your elective confirmed. 

Applications for the 2025-26 academic year may be submitted to ERMEP starting from April 13, 2025.

WHO TO CONTACT

• Students are NOT PERMITTED to contact departments or preceptors at any time. This may be considered a breach of professionalism. All elective requests must be made through the AFMC Student Portal to ensure registration with the Electives Office at the University of Ottawa.
• You may contact our Electives Office via e-mail at uoportal@uottawa.ca or via phone at 613.562.5800 ext. 2705.
• All electives arranged directly with a preceptor or hospital outside the AFMC Student Portal will not be recognized as an official uOttawa elective and the student will not be covered by Commercial General Liability Insurance during the elective.

3. DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

Formats de fichiers acceptés (sauf indication contraire) : PDF, PNG, JPEG, DOC

• Self-Declaration Form
  • All visiting students MUST complete the Self-Declaration form (PDF). The French version is available içi.

• Consent to Release Information Form
  • All visiting students MUST complete the Consent to Release of Information. The French version is available içi.

• Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS)
  • If you are coming from the province of Quebec, you will need to submit a copy of a VSS that is no older than 12 months to the start of your training. The VSS must also remain valid to cover the entire duration of your elective.

• Formulaire d’immunisation et de tests de dépistage du Portail des étudiants de l’AFMC
  • NOTE: A recent 1-step Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) is required, completed within the past 12 months and remaining valid for the entire elective.
  • If a 2-step TST has never been done in the past, it must be completed prior to the elective.

• Proof of N95 Mask Fitting
  • This should include size and model of mask
  • Proof of mask fit is only valid for 2 years from date of issue, and it must remain valid for entire elective
  • The size and model of N95 mask must be available at the hospital of your elective (please refer to N95 Respirator Availability chart under Health & Safety)

• Proof of CPR-HCP (Health Care Provider) or BLS Provider (Basic Life Support)
  • A certification is only valid for 12 months from the date of issue, must remain valid for the entire elective, and must include an in-person component to be valid

• HIV and Hep C

• • All medical students should know their HIV and Hepatitis C status.
  • Upon acceptance, medical students are required to inform the Vice Dean, if they are positive for a blood-borne virus. The Vice Dean may consult with the Expert Board/Board of Medical Assessors or other experts as appropriate. Confidentiality concerning the applicant’s state of health will be maintained to the greatest extent possible.
  • A positive result for any blood-borne virus will not cause your faculty or institution to decline you; rather, it will result in special accommodations that will exempt you from risk-prone procedures that could put patients at risk.

Note

Any fees related to documents required upon application submission are the responsibility of the student.