Electives
Medical Electives are an important part of the MB BS curriculum at Newcastle University.
Visiting Student Elective Programme
We accept final or penultimate year medical students for our Visiting Elective Programme year-round, and welcome applications from local and international students.
We work closely with NHS Trusts across the North East of England, offering placements in:
- Newcastle*
- Northumberland**
- Gateshead
- Cumbria
- North Tees
- South Tees
- Sunderland
- Durham
- Darlington
* The Great North Children’s Hospital cannot accept further applications for 2026.
** Northumberland accepts electives only in July and August.
Criteria
Eligibility & Key Requirements
To apply, you must:
✅ Be a final‑year or penultimate‑year medical student at the time of placement
✅ Submit your application at least 6 months before your proposed start date
✅ Have secured a supervisor and agreed provisional dates before applying
✅ Provide all documents listed in Section 1 of the Visiting Elective Policy at the time of application
We cannot accept:
❌ Graduates
❌ Students from other non-medical degree programmes
❌ Medical students earlier than their penultimate year of study
❌ Incomplete applications
❌ a placement that starts earlier than 6 months from the point of application
Electives are available between 4 and12 weeks in duration, depending on the capacity of the supervisor.
Late or incomplete applications are not accepted and will be automatically rejected.
Fees
There is no tuition fee for an elective placement, but a non‑refundable administration fee does apply:
| Elective Duration | Non-refundable administration Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 4 weeks | £250 |
| Over 4 weeks | £500 |
For further guidance please download our Visiting Elective Policy which contains full details on fees, payments and the application process.
Application Process
The online application form consists of two stages, as outlined in our Visiting Elective Policy
After submitting your application:
- You will receive an acknowledgement email within 2 weeks confirming receipt of your application
- Your application and documents will then be reviewed
- If successful, you will receive an offer letter within 1 month of your application, confirming your placement details
- The offer letter will include a link to pay the non‑refundable administration fee and deadlines for any remaining documents (See Section 2 of the application process, found within our Policy)
Incomplete applications will not receive an offer letter and will be automatically rejected. If an incomplete application is rejected, any new application must be made at least 6 months ahead of a planned start date.
International students will receive a VISA Support Letter approximately 3 months prior to their elective start. More information can be found within our Policy.
All successful applicants will also receive information on completing an online health screening, pre-registration form and arrangements for their first day and any required induction.
Applicants are responsible for:
- Finding and securing their own supervisor
- Agreeing placement dates
- Arranging accommodation (note: some supervisors work across multiple sites)
- Organising travel
- Ensuring sufficient funds for fees, travel, accommodation, and living costs
- Submitting all required documents by the deadlines in Sections 1 and 2 of our policy
Failure to meet any of the deadlines or requirements outlined in our policy may result in cancellation or rejection of a placement.
Please note: Applications may also be rejected if a department or trust has reached capacity (even if a supervisor has provisionally agreed to the placement).
Newcastle University reserve the right to temporarily close the elective application portal if an unprecedented number of requests are received at any one time.
Elective period
Electives are accepted year-round with the exception of bank holidays and university closure periods.
We reserve the right to temporarily close the application portal if we reach capacity, and applicants would be informed of this immediately upon receipt of their application.
Start Dates:
Electives normally begin on a Monday, unless this falls on a British Bank Holiday, in which case the start date moves to the next working day.
Closure periods:
Newcastle University is closed during public bank holidays and for a short time during the Christmas holiday period.
- Last elective start date in December is the second Monday of the month
- Earliest elective start date in January is the third Monday of the month
Start dates on an application form must match those agreed with your supervisor.
Outgoing Electives for Newcastle MB BS Students
Students enrolled on the Newcastle University MB BS programme will complete an 8‑week medical elective in Semester 2 of Year 5 (January–March). The elective forms part of the student‑selected component of the degree programme, offering students the opportunity to explore almost any medical specialism in any safe location in the world.
Many students choose to complete part of their elective abroad, with destinations including Australia, Canada, Cambodia, Japan and Thailand. Students who remain in the UK for all or part of their elective have the opportunity to work alongside world-leading experts and gain valuable and diverse clinical experience.
Students receive a brief introduction to electives in third year before starting to plan their elective in year 4. Throughout fourth year, students receive full guidance and support on:
- Health and safety
- Travel planning
- Choosing a destination and specialty
- Setting aims and objectives
- Information on grants and bursaries
- Elective opportunities
Students are given access to comprehensive resources, including a Medical Elective Handbook, FAQs, bursary information, elective opportunities, and past student feedback, which is all accessible via our Medical Learning Environment (MLE).
The elective is often one of the most rewarding parts of medical training, and we look forward to supporting our students in planning their experience.
Students can address all queries to medical.electives@newcastle.ac.uk