Electives
Elective placements are an important part of the medical school curriculum.
Visiting Elective Students
Visiting Elective applications are currently closed but will re-open on 1st July 2026. The earliest elective start date will be January 2027.
We accept final or penultimate year medical students for our Visiting Elective Programme year-round, and welcome applications from UK 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.
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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 for 4–12 weeks.
Late or incomplete applications are not accepted and will be automatically rejected.
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Fees
There is no tuition fee, but a non‑refundable administration fee applies:
| Elective Duration | Non-refundable administration Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 4 weeks | £250 |
| Over 4 weeks | £500 |
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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
- Your application and documents will be reviewed
- If successful, you will receive an offer letter confirming your placement details within 1 month
- The offer letter will include a link to pay the non‑refundable administration fee and deadlines for remaining documents (See Section 2)
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.
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Your Responsibilities
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 the policy
Failure to meet any requirement may result in cancellation or rejection of the 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). We reserve the right to temporarily close the application portal if an unprecedented number of requests are received at any one time.
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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 immediately upon receipt of their application.
Start Dates:
Electives normally begin on a Monday, unless this falls on a Bank Holiday, in which case the start date moves to the next working day.
Closure periods:
Newcastle University closed during public/bank holidays and for a short time during the Christmas holiday period.
- Last elective start date in December: second Monday of the month
- Earliest elective start date in January: third Monday of the month
Start dates must match those agreed with your supervisor.
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Documents & Resources
- Visiting Elective Policy (PDF Download) Full programme details, please read in full
- Elective Reference Letter Template (PDF Download) To be completed by your home institution
- Declaration Form (PDF Download) Must be read, signed and uploaded with application
Please visit our FAQ page here for additional guidance
If you have any queries after reviewing our policy, please do get in touch with the team at medical.electives@newcastle.ac.uk
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Outgoing Electives (Newcastle MBBS Students)
As part of the MBBS programme, Newcastle students complete an 8‑week elective in Semester 2 of Year 5 (January–March). The elective is part of the student‑selected component of the degree, offering students the opportunity to explore almost any medical specialty in almost any safe location in the world.
Around two‑thirds of students choose to travel abroad, with destinations including Australia, Canada, Cambodia, Japan and Thailand. Students who remain in the UK for their elective have the opportunity to work alongside leading experts and gain valuable and diverse clinical experience.
Students are provided with an introduction to electives in third year and then throughout year 4 they are provided guidance on:
- Health and safety
- Travel planning
- Choosing a destination and specialty
- Setting aims and objectives
- Information on grants and bursaries
- Elective opportunities
Students can access comprehensive resources—including the Medical Elective Handbook, FAQs, bursary information, elective opportunities, and past student feedback—via the Medical Learning Environment (MLE).
The elective is often one of the most rewarding parts of medical training, and we look forward to supporting you in planning your experience.
Students can address queries to medical.electives@newcastle.ac.uk