Visiting Students

Student looking out over the U of A hospital walkways

The University of Alberta has many elective and exchange opportunities for visiting students from other Canadian medical schools and international schools.

On This Page

For information about elective options, criteria, deadlines, application processes and required documents, visit the AFMC Student Portal.

Application Process

Before applying, please read the following instructions carefully. All elective applications for visiting students must be arranged through the AFMC Student Portal.

Requested elective dates must be within 26 to 10 weeks of the start date. Dates outside this range will be disregarded, and you must reapply once the 26-week window opens.

Process

  1. Complete the following items and upload them to the portal:
  2. The MD Program office will ensure your application and immunization documentation is complete. If there is missing or insufficient documentation, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will be contacted by the program office via the portal to request further documentation. If your application is marked as incomplete, you must submit all requested documentation within 30 days of being notified.
  3. When requesting an elective, submit your request through the AFMC Student Portal. Avoid reaching out directly to the department. However, if you're interested in a Rural Medicine elective, it's up to you to find a preceptor. Remember to provide the preceptor name to the MD Program in the "Student Comments on Elective" section within the portal, at least eight weeks before your desired start date. We will then check with the Department of Family Medicine to confirm the elective's availability.
  4. If your first choice for an elective isn't available, we'll move on to your next preference. If none of your requested electives can be arranged, your application will be cancelled and the full application fee will be refunded.
  5. Once your application is approved, you'll receive a confirmation email through the AFMC portal. This email will contain detailed instructions on how to access Netcare and ConnectCare, along with information about the U of A’s Human Blood & Bodily Fluid Exposure Procedure.
  6. As a visiting student, it's your responsibility to reach out to the department of your confirmed elective for all the necessary details about your experience. Your confirmation email will include the name and email of the placement contact, who can give you information about schedules, sites, preceptors and anything else related to your elective. If you don't find this information in the confirmation email, just log into the AFMC portal. You'll find the confirmed elective opportunity there, and the placement contact details will be under the "Contact" section.
  7. The MD Program office will take care of registering you with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) as a visiting student. If you cancel your elective, the MD Program office will also cancel your CPSA registration and inform the department accordingly.
  8. If you cancel an elective within six weeks of the start date due to a change of mind, or if you provide forged documents or act disrespectfully towards the MD Program office staff, a letter detailing your cancellation will be sent to your home medical school by the U of A's coordinator for electives and selectives.
  9. It's your responsibility to bring an elective assessment from your home school and make sure it's filled out by your preceptor.

Electives

If you're a medical student from a Canadian university, you can apply for electives at the U of A through the AFMC Student Portal.

Within the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry (FoMD), you'll find 20 departments, seven divisions, 13 research groups, 27 centres and institutes and eight national networks of Centres of Excellence.

Elective Requests

Medical Students from Within Canada

The U of A's Visiting Students Electives program offers more than 100 elective opportunities to students enrolled in Canadian medical schools.

If you're an undergraduate medical student from a Canadian university, you can apply for electives at the U of A through the AFMC Student Portal. All the details you need about criteria, deadlines, application processes and required documents can be found there.

Regarding pediatric subspecialty electives: If you're in Year 3 or 4 at another Canadian medical school, you're eligible for clinical electives within pediatric subspecialties. Some subspecialties may require you to have completed your core pediatric rotation beforehand.

For visiting medical students, access to systems like Netcare and ConnectCare will be provided if requested at least six weeks before the elective start date. Requests made less than six weeks in advance won't be accommodated. The MD Program office will handle these arrangements once the elective is confirmed.

Medical Students from Outside Canada

The FoMD welcomes visiting undergraduate medical students from LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) accredited medical schools in the United States, as well as students from international universities with established bilateral exchange agreements. However, international medical students who do not meet these criteria will not be accepted. Additionally, we do not offer rotations, bench research, observational or pre-clinical electives to international visiting students.

For details on schools that are part of LCME or the bilateral exchange, visit the AFMC Student Portal and check the "Student Type" under the U of A institution profile.

International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA)

If you're an exchange student wanting to complete an elective at a Canadian university, contact the local exchange officer (LEO) through the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) Exchange program with the U of A at leosr.alberta@gmail.com or leojr.alberta@gmail.com.

Additional Information

Elective Opportunities

As a student enrolled in a Canadian medical school, you have access to more than 100 elective opportunities through the U of A's Visiting Students Electives program. These electives cover various areas, including basic science, clinical specialties and medically related sciences. For more details and to submit a request for an elective, visit the AFMC Student Portal.

Campus Tour

Curious about what the U of A campus looks like? Take a Virtual Campus Tour before you arrive.

Cancelling an Elective

If you cancel an elective less than six weeks before its start date, you may receive a letter of unprofessionalism sent to your home medical school. We will then cancel the elective with the department and site, and you'll also be unregistered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. Application fees will not be refunded.

Note: If an elective is canceled more than six weeks before the elective start date, we will cancel the elective with the department and the site. You will also be unregistered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. Application fees will not be refunded.

Changing an Elective

We do not accept elective changes for any reason. If you wish to change an elective, you must cancel your current application and submit a new one, along with the required fee, through the AFMC Student Portal.

Clinical Jackets + Stethoscopes

Clinical jackets and stethoscopes are your responsibility as a visiting student.

Criminal Record Check

A criminal record check is required for all visiting students.

Elective Length

An elective period can be arranged for one to four weeks in length, depending on individual departments and their availability.

Elective Requirements

If you're a visiting Canadian or American medical student applying for electives, you must have completed the basic sciences (pre-clinical) part of your curriculum and be in the clinical (clerkship) years at a CACMS- or LCME-accredited medical school.

Financing

Financing for an elective experience is your responsibility as a visiting student.

Fitness Centre + Library Borrowing Privileges

Fitness centre and library borrowing privileges are not available for visiting students.

Health + Safety Procedures

Your physical safety is important to us. In the event of exposure to human blood or bodily fluid, any other non-blood borne infectious risk or any other injuries that occur while on your elective, please follow the procedures below.

Human Blood + Bodily Fluid Exposure

Visiting students must follow the U of A’s Human Blood & Bodily Fluid Exposure protocols. In the event of human blood/body fluid exposure or any injuries while on elective, follow the steps below.

Blood or bodily fluid exposure:

  1. Remove contaminated gloves, clothes, etc.
  2. For sharps injuries, allow the wound to bleed freely for one to two minutes — do not squeeze. Wash the area with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub and cover with a dressing.
  3. For mucous membranes (e.g. eyes, nose, mouth) and non-intact skin, flush with large amounts of water for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Report the incident to the Charge Nurse and your preceptor immediately to complete a Source Risk Assessment and obtain first aid.
  5. Follow faculty-specific reporting protocol. If you are at:
    1. An Alberta Health Services (AHS) facility, call 1-855-450-3619
    2. A Covenant Health Facility, call 1-855-342-8070

Reporting Any Exposure, Injury or Other Hazardous Incident

All injuries and Human Blood & Bodily Fluid Exposure (HBBFE) incidents (including those related to COVID-19, environmental hazards or other non-blood-borne infectious risks) that occur during your learning experience must be reported to the MD Program office within 48 hours. You can report them by visiting the Health, Safety + Environment site and completing the steps below.

  1. Complete the University of Alberta Incident Report form online.
  2. Complete the Alberta WCB Worker’s Report of Injury.

Note: Visiting medical students must submit both forms within 48 hours to the MD Program office via email at UME.HBBFE@ualberta.ca.

For additional help or further information, please contact the MD Program at 780-492-6350.

Immunization Forms

Visiting students must use the AFMC Student Portal Immunization & Testing Form to document their immunization records and submit them along with their application through the portal. If it is incomplete at the time of submission, it will be flagged for further follow-up. This will not delay processing, however, all immunizations must be completed within 30 days of being notified that the application is incomplete.

Netcare + ConnectCare Access

After you apply through the AFMC Student Portal and your elective is confirmed, you will receive a confirmation email automatically generated from the AFMC Student Portal. This email will contain further instructions, including how to request access and the online training link for Netcare and ConnectCare. You must request access to Netcare and ConnectCare no later than six weeks before the elective start date. Failure to do so before the deadline will result in no access being granted. Access arrangements are handled by the MD Program office.

Pagers

If you require a pager, please go to the MD Program Office (Katz 1-002, North Campus) before the start of your elective. Our office is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Parking

It is your responsibility to pay for parking during your elective. Parking permits are not granted to visiting students, however, there is ample pay parking available on campus and at various elective sites.

Personal Health Coverage

Personal health coverage is your responsibility as a visiting student.

Office of Professionalism

To learn more about the U of A's mistreatment and professionalism policies, including the processes for reporting mistreatment, visit the Office of Professionalism.

Travel

Travel arrangements are your responsibility as a visiting student.