Administrator, Visiting Electives
MD Program Office
1-002 Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E1
The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta in Edmonton has a storied history of success in world-class education, research and patient care. It is home to 20 departments, 7 divisions, 13 research groups, 27 centres and institutes, and 8 national networks of Centres of Excellence.
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All required documentation must be submitted within 30 days from the notification of your file being incomplete. If this requirement has not been met, your elective may be cancelled, and a letter of professionalism sent to your home school due to insufficient documentation.
Due to changes in policies and lack of availability for training positions at the University of Alberta, the Faculty of Medicine does not accept visiting elective students unless they are part of an official exchange.
Currently, the formal bi-lateral exchanges we offer are:
There are no exceptions to this rule. Additionally, we do not offer observerships or shadowing.
For more information, please contact visitingelectives@ualberta.ca
IFMSA:
**IFMSA EXCHANGES WILL NOT BE OFFERED UNTIL 2024**
For medical students enrolled in an undergraduate medical education program, in their last year of medical school, within a country that is currently participating in the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association (IFMSA) bi-lateral exchange program. The University of Alberta hosts a total of FOUR (4) exchange students per year. For more information regarding this bi-lateral exchange please contact your Local Exchange Officer (LEO) or your National Exchange Officer (NEO) at your home school. Please do not apply for an elective as an IFMSA student until you have been approved by your local and/or national exchange officers. For additional information, please visit this site.
Asia
China
Japan
Hong Kong
Indonesia
Nepal
Philippines
South Korea
Taiwan
Africa
Ghana
Kenya
Morocco
Tunisia
Europe
Austria
Bulgaria
Catalonia
Croatia
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Montenegro
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Serbia
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Middle East
Azerbaijan
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Oman
North & South America
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Columbia
Guatemala
Panama
Paraguay
Mexico
Peru
Karolinska Institutet:
One (1) incoming student in their final year of medicine will come to the University of Alberta for an 8-week duration from Karolinska Institutet. As nominated by your home school International Coordinator.
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU):
Four (4) bilateral exchange students from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) in Munich, Germany are accepted each exchange season.
Medical University of Graz:
Four (4) bilateral exchange students from the Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria are accepted each exchange season.
Zhejiang University:
Two (2) exchange students from Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China per academic year.
School |
Canadian Student Application Fee |
Canadian Student Acceptance Fee |
International Student Application Fee |
International Student Acceptance Fee |
Additional Fees Outside Portal |
University of Alberta |
$50 |
$150 |
$50 |
$150 |
In the event of human blood/body fluid exposure or any injuries that occurred while on elective here:
IMMEDIATELY with blood or bodily fluid exposure:
Remove contaminated gloves, clothes, etc.
For sharps injury, allow wound to bleed freely for 1-2 minutes – do not squeeze. Wash area with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub and cover with a dressing.
For mucous membrane (e.g. eyes, nose, mouth) and non-intact skin, flush with large amounts of water for 10-15 minutes.
Report incident to the Charge Nurse and your preceptor immediately to complete Source Risk Assessment & obtain first aid.
Follow faculty specific reporting protocol. If you are at:
AHS facility call 1-855-450-3619
Covenant Health Facility call 1-855-342-8070
REPORTING:
ALL INJURIES &HBBFE INCIDENTS (including those related to COVID-19) that occur while in a learning environment MUST be reported to the MD Program office within 48 hours.
To report, visit https://www.ualberta.ca/human-resources-health-safety-environment/environment-and-safety/index.html to:
Complete the on-line University of Alberta Incident Report.
Complete the Alberta WCB Worker’s Report of Injury.
Note: Medical Program students must submit both forms within 48 hours to the MD Program office via email at UME.HBBFE@ualberta.ca
For additional help contact:
MD Program: 780-492-6350
Non-Mandatory Support:
Office of Advocacy & Wellness (OAW): 780-492-3092
AMA Physician & Family Support Program 24/7 at 1-877-767-4637
Students are automatically registered for no charge with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta upon confirmation of their elective. With the implementation of Bill 21, the CPSA now must collect Criminal Record Checks (CRC) for all new applicants November 19, 2018 forward. Information regarding the new criteria is as follows:
You will still need to fill out the form from the CPSA, as this will pertain to your elective with us. You will NOT have to send in a Criminal Record Check.
If you were just accepted and try to contact CPSA, they may not have received your elective details as it is sent to them in a weekly report. They will not do anything until they receive confirmation from us that you have accepted an elective.
The UME office, or Visiting Electives are not able to provide you your CPSA number.
Cancellations for any reason at any point after submission are non-refundable.
If an elective is cancelled with less than 6 weeks notice, a letter of professionalism will be sent to the student’s home school. Students may cancel up to or on the 6th Monday prior to the start of their confirmed elective without penalty.
All cancellation requests must be received through the AFMC Student Portal.
It is the responsibility of all visiting students to contact the department directly for more details surrounding their confirmed elective.
Please check your confirmation email or the confirmed elective specialty in the uAlberta portal catalogue for the name and email of the placement contact. These administrators can provide you with extra information regarding your elective such as site and preceptor information as well as other pertinent details.
Please contact the department a minimum of 3-4 weeks before your scheduled elective for these important details.
Preceptor Evaluations
It is the student’s responsibility to bring an elective evaluation from their home school to have completed by their preceptor. It is best to have this completed BEFORE you leave to ensure that it is completed.
Student Evaluations: It is the student’s responsibility to complete an evaluation of their elective upon completion. This evaluation is to be returned to the Undergraduate Medical Education office via email, fax, or can be brought to the UME office and dropped off. See the top right-hand corner of this page for contact details.
N95 Respirator Mask-Fitting
Visiting students scheduled to attend Alberta Health Services (AHS) sites must be fitted with an N95 Respirator Mask as per policy standards. These respirators are required by AHS for encounters with certain types of infectious disease such as influenza, H1N1, SARS, tuberculosis, Varicella, Measles, dust and mold and are available on unit carts for use if needed.
Each student engaging in a teaching-hospital placement is required to carry evidence that this requirement has been met. It is expected that students from outside Edmonton will arrange to meet this standard within their local university according to guidelines set by their Occupational Health and Safety Office.
You must come prepared:
NOTE: According to the CSA standards the fit testing must be done at least every 2 years according to point 9.1.6. As far as AHS is concerned, in order to work with patients who require N95 protection, you must have proof of up to date fit testing. If you opt out of fit testing all together or choose not to renew, you must be reassigned to another patient or ward where N95 is not required.
This list is subject to change without notice. Last updated May 2023
Or you can email visitingelectives@ualberta.ca to receive a copy of our accommodations list from local hosts.
Travel arrangements are the responsibility of the student.
Typically, your home school will verify criminal and vulnerable sector checks. We will only ask you for a copy if your home school is unable to verify them.
Availability depends on several factors, such as the availability of preceptors and the number of openings available, the number of other students applying for the same dates/locations, etc.
The UME will automatically register visiting students with a CPSA number once they’re confirmed for an elective through the Portal. With the implementation of Bill 21, the CPSA will be emailing you directly as you will need to send them a copy of your CRC (Criminal Record Check) that MUST be valid at the time of your elective and will need to fill out a registration form with them in order to receive your CPSA#. UME is no longer able to provide you with your CPSA#.
Yes. In order for visiting medical students to be accepted over the summer, they MUST meet the following criteria: 1) Registered medical student at the time of the elective, 2) Considered a clerk at the time of the elective, 3) Covered by malpractice insurance and 4) You must receive credit for that elective. If you will NOT be considered a clerk and are only a pre-clinical student, we are unable to accept your application.
Yes, in the following specialties: Adult Neurology, Anatomy, Arts in Medicine, Cardiac Surgery, Clinical Cardiology (Critical Care Unit-CICU) RAH, Clinical Hematology, Critical Care (ICU), Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine – Community (Red Deer), General Internal Medicine Ward Consultation – UAH, General Surgery, Genetics, Nephrology, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Palliative Care, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Endocrinology, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Physiatry), Plastic Surgery, Public Health & Preventative Medicine, Rural Family Practice, Surgical Education, Urology Surgery.
Yes: Diagnostic Radiology, General Pathology, Hematological Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, Medical Genetics, Medical Microbiology, Nuclear Medicine, Public Health & Preventative Medicine, Psychiatry, or any of the Surgery sub-specialties.
No, due to the limited number of hospital sites and UofA students doing their core pediatric rotations.
No. Dermatology electives are an assortment of clinics and preceptors. There is only one pediatric dermatologist, so students will likely be exposed to pediatric dermatology as long as the pediatric dermatologist is scheduled during the same elective time.
No. These preceptors are reserved for UofA students doing their core rotations.
Students can make a note of the preceptor on their application as to who they would like to be matched with, but it is NOT a guarantee that they will be matched with them. Other student requests and the availability of individual preceptors are some of the determining factors that will affect whether students can be matched with their noted preference.
Yes, students from a three-year medical school program can apply if they will be in their clerkship year at the time of their elective.
We do not accept change requests. Any changes or additions to dates, specialty, location or preferred order of specialties will require a new application and fee, after which placement in queue will be according to the new application submission date. Unless we receive a formal cancellation request, we will continue to process your original application exactly as it was submitted.
For University information in regards to Covid-19, please watch our uAlberta Portal homepage for updates or visit our University of Alberta website.
The AFMC Student Portal Helpdesk is where you can ask questions, consult help documents, and find general information related to visiting electives in Canada.
Or reach us directly at
service@afmcstudentportal.ca
Not ready to talk to someone? You can also download a series of comprehensive student resources.
Login
Register
Search Electives
The AFMC Student Portal Helpdesk is where you can ask questions, consult help documents, and find general information related to visiting electives in Canada.
Or reach us directly at
service@afmcstudentportal.ca
Not ready to talk to someone? You can also download a series of comprehensive student resources.
Login
Register
Search Electives
© Student Portal 2022
The AFMC Student Portal for visiting electives is currently closed. Visiting Electives for the Class of 2022 were suspended during the AFMC Board meeting on April 18, 2021. That includes electives for both Canadian and International students. The Undergraduate Deans of Canada’s medical schools are meeting on a regular basis and the decision to re-open the Portal will be made collaboratively and consistently across the country taking into account learning opportunities, provincial covid restrictions and other public health concerns.
We are working with our new Service Provider to build out the new visiting elective service portal. It will be ready when electives are offered again.
The AFMC Student Portal will be offline starting December 23, 2021. The refreshed portal will being rolling out in late February 2022.
For MCAT® Fee Assistance Program Applicants please verify eligibility and submit application through our AFMC website.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.
If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk at service@afmcstudentportal.ca