Please note: McMaster runs on a capacity-based system. It is not guaranteed that all of the electives and sites below will be available for every block.

Important Information

LANGUAGE

Must be fluent in English

APPLICATION SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Applications can only be submitted during the application window outlined in the AFMC portal. All applications will be processed within one week of submission. If an elective has not been offered at the one-week mark, your application will be considered cancelled. Please note: Multiple applications submitted to McMaster for the SAME DATES or CONFLICTING DATES will not be processed. In the case where multiple applications with conflicting dates have been submitted, only the earliest submitted application will be processed, and the additional conflicting applications will be CANCELLED. Electives are 2 weeks in duration. International students are restricted to a maximum of 4 weeks of electives in their final/clerkship year. No exceptions or extensions will be made.

IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

See the Immunizations Requirements tab below for details. For immunization enquiries, contact the Health Screening Office at 905-525-9140 ext. 22249, hrsadmin@mcmaster.ca.

CRIMINAL RECORD REQUIREMENTS

We no longer accept Criminal Record Disclosure to Consent Forms. We have new Police Records Check Policies which are currently in effect.

COMMUNICATION

Visiting students are strictly prohibited from contacting preceptors, faculty, or department administrators to arrange elective requests outside of the AFMC Student Portal. Any attempts to do so are considered unprofessional, and a Letter of Unprofessionalism may be sent to your home school. All elective requests must be handled by the UGME Elective Office. Please do not contact physicians/departments directly. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that all applicants will secure an elective.

CONFIRMATION

Once an elective has been confirmed, there will be no changes permitted. If you need to cancel an elective, both the UGME Electives Office and preceptor need to be notified, in writing, no later than 6 weeks prior to the start date. International applicants, please refer to both the “International Students” tab and “International Student Policies” link below for details on the application/lottery process.

TEACHING SITES

Electives are available in Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo campuses and our Mac-CARE regions listed in the table below.

If you wish to be placed in a certain region, please indicate this in the notes section of your application and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Important notice for visiting elective students

McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine does not provide housing, travel, and preceptor funding for visiting elective placements in any of the regions.

Please click here to view a map of any of our McMaster regions.

MAC-CARE ELECTIVE PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Campus & Communities within Campus:

• Burlington Clinical Education Campus
  Burlington
• Grand Erie Six Nations Clinical Education Campus
  Brantford
  Caledonia
  Delhi
  Dunnville
  Hagersville
  Ohsweken
  Paris
  Simcoe
• Halton Clinical Education Campus
  Halton Hills
  Milton
  Oakville
• Niagara Regional Campus
  Beamsville
  Fort Erie
  Grimsby
  Niagara Falls
  Niagara-on-the-Lake
  Port Colborne
  St. Catharines
  Smithville
  Welland
• Waterloo Regional Campus
  Cambridge
  Fergus/Elora
  Guelph
  Kitchener-Waterloo
  Mount Forest
  Palmerston

OBSERVERSHIP AND SHADOWING

• Only requests for clerkship electives are processed by the Visiting Electives office at McMaster University.
• Requests for pre-clerkship electives, observerships, and job shadowing of physicians is not permitted at any of our hospital teaching sites.

EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT

• Please note that the supervising physician is responsible for evaluating students while on an elective.
• It is the responsibility of every visiting student to ensure that their assessment form has been completed and returned to their home school. The Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine UGME administration will not be responsible for tracking down any assessment/evaluation forms after the student has returned to their home school.

Travel &
Accommodation

Students are advised to make arrangements for accommodation before arrival. All communications and arrangements are the sole responsibility of the student. The Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University assumes no responsibility. It is recommended not to make binding arrangements until written confirmation of an elective placement is received from the Visiting Electives Office.

The following resources are available:

• Hamilton Region
• McMaster University Off-Campus Housing
• Hamilton Tourism or Tourism@hamilton.ca
• MedsHousing or Airbnb

Cancellation &
Change Requests

Cancellation policy and professionalism

• Elective changes are not permitted once you have accepted an elective offer. 
• Once an elective is confirmed and accepted, there will be no refund for cancelled placements.
• Should you decide to cancel the elective period once it is confirmed, you will be required to notify us at least six weeks prior to the commencement of the elective period.
• If the above polices are not followed, students may be cited for a breach of professionalism.
• Students are expected to follow the code of conduct for McMaster University and its affiliated sites

Documents Requirements

Immunization Requirements

See Immunization Requirements tab for details

Confidentiality Agreement Form

• This is only for students who have confirmed electives.
• In order to obtain computer access at HHSC sites, you are required to complete and submit a Confidentiality Agreement Form (CAF) through the AFMC portal.

Computer/IT/Patient File Access

Students will be contacted regarding mandatory computer access training session prior to the start of their elective.

Police Records Check / Vulnerable Sector Screening

Criminal Record Policy – Canadian Students ONLY

Students with a home school in Canada are required to accurately list all prior addresses they have resided in for more than six months consecutively for the past five years prior to their elective start date on their Vulnerable Sector Check application.

When applying for a visiting elective, students must upload a pdf of their Vulnerable Sector Check with their application on the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) portal. Failure to upload this documentation may result in delayed processing of an elective application or a cancelled elective.

It is recognized that similar documentation may be a requirement of the student’s home university therefore, VSCs must be issued with McMaster University or the student’s home school listed as the requesting agency.

Vulnerable Sector Screens must be issued within 12 months of the end date of the elective. If a student’s current VSC or Police Certificate will expire before or during the elective, the student may submit their current document with their application but must, at least 8 weeks prior to the elective start date, upload a new VSC or Police Certificate which is valid until the end of the elective.

Visiting Elective students must make readily available the original copies of uploaded VSCs and/or Police Certificates as they can be requested for verification by the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, the FHS Professionalism Office or the clinical site when attending an elective. Failure to produce original copies when requested may result in a cancelled elective

For Toronto Police Record Requests: an original copy of the “Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information” form is required when requesting a Vulnerable Sector Screen (VSS) from Toronto Police Services. Once your elective is confirmed please email fhsprof@mcmaster.ca with your full name, AFMC application number and your Toronto home address so that a form can be mailed to you. In the interim, a previous police check or letter stating your intent to obtain a Toronto VSS should be uploaded with your application.

Criminal Record Policy – International Students ONLY

1. International students (which includes Canadian citizens who are studying abroad) are required to provide a Police Certificate from each country or territory that they have resided in for more than six months consecutively for the past five years prior to their elective start date.
2. Police Certificates must be issued within 12 months of the end date of the elective. If a student’s current Police Certificate will expire before or during the elective, the student may submit their current document with their application but must, at least 8 weeks prior to the elective start date, upload a new Police Certificate which is valid until the end of the elective.
3. Once the police record check is obtained, the document must be scanned and uploaded onto the AFMC portal.

Failure to submit the police record check may result in the AFMC application not being processed.

Visiting Elective students must make readily available the original copies of uploaded Police Certificates as they can be requested for verification by the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, the FHS Professionalism Office or the clinical site when attending an elective. Failure to produce original copies when requested may result in a cancelled elective.

For Toronto Police Record Requests: an original copy of the “Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information” form is required when requesting a Vulnerable Sector Screen (VSS) from Toronto Police Services. Once your elective is confirmed please email fhsprof@mcmaster.ca with your full name, AFMC application number and your Toronto home address so that a form can be mailed to you. In the interim, a previous police check or letter stating your intent to obtain a Toronto VSS should be uploaded with your application.

McMaster University IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS

ALL students must be cleared by the Health Screening Office before they may attend their elective.

Health Screening Office contact:  hrsadmin@mcmaster.ca, 905-525-9140 ext 22249

AFMC Student Portal Immunization and Testing Form: 

https://afmcstudentportal.ca/immunization/

Influenza vaccine:

• Current seasonal vaccine required for electives occurring between November and June.
• Provide proof of vaccination directly to the placement site when you arrive for your elective, OR provide a letter from a physician with your application if unable to receive the vaccine due to medical reasons. 

Blood Borne Viruses (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV):

• Serologic testing for blood borne viruses mandatory ONLY for confirmed electives in obstetrics, gynecology, emergency and all surgical specialties.
  • Test for Hepatitis B infection (HBsAg) is documented in Section H of the AFMC Student Portal Immunization and Testing Form (copy of lab report also accepted).
  • Copies of lab reports for Hepatitis C and HIV serology required, these may be submitted after an elective specialty is confirmed.  Tests must be dated after March 1st the year of medical school entry, OR within 4 years prior to the elective start date, whichever is LATER. 
• Students who have infection with blood borne viruses must SELF-REPORT their status to the McMaster Associate Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education (905-525-9140 ext 22141).