University Of Alberta

Contact Information

Administrator, Visiting Electives

MD Program Office

1-002 Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E1

About the Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta in Edmonton has a storied history of success in education, research and patient care. It is home to 20 departments, 8 research institutes and 12 research centres. The Faculty is part of the College of Health Sciences, offering opportunities for interdisciplinary training, research and service to the community. It is ranked No. 5 in Canada by Times Higher Education and has nearly 17,500 alumni worldwide.

Policies &
Requirements

1. ELIGIBILITY

Students enrolled in Canadian medical schools.
University of Calgary Students
You do NOT need to apply for a Rural Family Medicine elective through the portal, as UofC students are able to do any rural electives throughout Alberta through their home school. All other students must apply for a Rural Family Medicine elective through the portal.

2. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

All Domestic Visiting Elective applications must be made through the AFMC portal using the Capacity Based Model instructions.
For Rural Family Medicine electives: Once an elective has been confirmed through the portal, the student will then be emailed a list of possible preceptors to contact. The student is then responsible for finding their preceptor and communicating this confirmed information back to the placement contact.
Follow all AFMC Capacity Based Model processes.
Once you have an accepted elective in the portal, you will receive a Welcome email letter from our Visiting Electives office with more information.

3. DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

Acceptable file formats (unless otherwise specified): PDF, PNG, JPEG

All required documentation must be submitted a minimum of 6 weeks before your elective start date.

WITH APPLICATION SUBMISSION

A recent and clear photo of yourself (PNG, JPEG, GIF)
(Registrant Account)
Immunization Records & Serology Results
The AFMC Immunization Form is available on this page.
Police Records Check for Service with Vulnerable Sector
Must be dated from within a year of the start of the elective
A Letter of Good Standing

AFTER ELECTIVE CONFIRMATION

Other required documents
Only required upon request

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:

International Federation of Medical Students’ Association (IFMSA)
Karolinska Institutet
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU)
Medical University of Graz
Zhejiang University

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.

Health & Safety

The Medical Student Exposure to Infectious and Environmental Hazards Procedure outlines the steps any student needs to take in the case of injury, incident or exposure, including human blood/body fluid exposure or airborne exposure. The document includes an algorithm to demonstrate the steps that need to be taken in the case of any injury, incident, or exposure that might occur while at the University of Alberta.

Important
Information

Netcare Access

Students must request access for Netcare no later than 6 weeks before the elective start date.
Not all electives require Netcare access. Students should consult the individual elective opportunities within our institution pages to determine which electives require access.
Students who do not place this request before the 6-week deadline will not be granted access and must make alternative arrangements with their preceptor.
Students with confirmed electives will receive further information about how to request Netcare access with their confirmation email from the Portal.
For further information on Netcare, please email edm.academicmedicine@ahs.ca.
The identification number box can be left blank on the Confidentiality Form.

CPSA

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:

STEP 1
CPSA will email you with a form that will need to be filled out. Fill this out, send it in and wait for further instructions.
STEP 2
HOLD OFF on sending in your CRC until you have received an email from CPSA with further instructions.
STEP 3
Once you have received the email from CPSA, you can forward your CRC to registration@cpsa.ab.ca.

University of Calgary Students

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.

Student Declines & Cancellations

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.

Confirmed Elective Details

Placement contacts will reach out with elective details/specifics approximately 2-3 weeks prior to the start of an elective. Should you not hear from the placement contact 2 weeks before your elective start date, please contact visitingelectives@ualberta.ca for more information.

Preceptor & Student Evaluations

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.

Upon completion of an elective, students will receive an emailed evaluation from our Visiting Electives office to be completed online.

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:

Ensure you are clean shaven or you will not be able to be fit tested. Men with beards or any stubble cannot be fit tested. A well-trimmed moustache to the corners of the mouth that does not interfere with the seal of the respirator will pass the testing.
Do not eat, drink, chew gum, or smoke within 30 minutes of your appointment or you will not be able to be fit tested at your scheduled time and may need to be rescheduled at your own expense.
Do not use any strongly scented products, such as perfume, cologne, after shave, etc. on the day of your respirator fit test, as this may affect your ability to detect the testing solution.
Bring a water bottle, you are required to rinse your mouth during the testing.
New testing is required every 2 years (or sooner if the participant experiences any facial changes).
The following organizations offer fit testing
- - Edmonton First Aid
  - SafeCom Training Services Inc.

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.

Travel &
Accommodation

Accommodation Listings for Visiting Medical Students

This list is subject to change without notice. Last updated May 2023

https://www.cfms.org/ (click on resources → discounts)
https://www.medshousing.com/
https://www.airbnb.ca/
Other Rental Websites – Elev; Rentals.ca; 4Rent; NextHome; RentFaster Edmonton; View it; R entseeker; Rental Source; Kijiji Edmonton; Craigslist Edmonton

Or you can email visitingelectives@ualberta.ca to receive a copy of our accommodations list from local hosts.

Travel

Travel arrangements are the responsibility of the student.

Parking

Visiting students must pay for parking during their elective.
Campus Parking Services does not offer weekly passes.
Daily pay parking ($15-$21/day) is available on the University of Alberta campus. Please call Campus Parking Services at 780-492-7275 for more information.
Reciprocal parking passes for UAH/GNH are available for a fee. Follow this link for more information.

Transportation

Public transportation available
Light-rail transit (LRT) and bus. Follow this link for more information. UAH and RAH are located directly on the LRT lines which run as early as 5:10am and as late as 1:45am. Save transportation costs by purchasing a monthly pass or a 10pk of tickets.
UofA Bike Library
Bike rentals, April to mid-November. $10/week. Follow this link for more information.
Taxis
Uber
Car rentals
Depending on the location of accommodations, there are many that are within walking distance to UAH or RAH.

FAQ

Do I need to include my Criminal Record and Vulnerable Sector Check with my application?

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.

Do visiting students need to register for a CPSA number?

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#.

Does UofA allow visiting students to take electives during the summer?

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.

Are there some specialties that are generally more available/less competitive than others?

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.

Can students specify a certain preceptor to be matched for an elective?

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.

If a student is from a three-year medical school, (ie. University of Calgary, McMaster) can they still apply?

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.

Cancellation &
Change Requests

In the AFMC Capacity-Based Model, students are not permitted to cancel an accepted elective placement. If there are mitigating circumstances, students must contact their home schools for permission to cancel an elective placement with a visiting school. The home school’s Elective Office must notify the University of Alberta’s Electives Office that an elective placement has been approved for cancellation.
Should a confirmed/accepted elective be cancelled by the University of Alberta (via site or preceptor) due to unforeseen circumstances, a student must notify their home school, as well as the University of Alberta Electives Office. Should the student wish, all attempts will be made by University of Alberta’s Electives Office to find a reasonable alternative for the selected elective period, however the office cannot guarantee that a replacement elective placement can be confirmed depending on capacity.
Non-compliance with these cancellation policies are considered unprofessional and written notification will be sent to a student’s home Elective Director (Elective Coordinator copied).

School	Canadian Student Application Fee	Canadian Student Acceptance Fee	International Student Application Fee	International Student Acceptance Fee	Additional Fees Outside Portal
University of Alberta	$0	$150	N/A	N/A

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