Let’s start from the bottom: what exactly is “the elective”? Well, Wiki will tell you that an elective is: “a placement undertaken as part of a medical degree where the content and setting of the placement are largely decided by the student undertaking it”. Basically, it’s the part that we medical students look forward to; “a lot of time to do whatever, wherever”.

I started planning my elective about a year before I was meant to go and found myself very confused. So like anyone, I decided to ask around to my friends and the year above. Some gave good advice and some just confused me. But, the best bit of advice I got was to firstly decide what I wanted out of my elective. Do I want to chill and lounge around for 7 weeks? Do I want to work very hard and go in 9-5 every day? Or do I want a mix of both?

So, that was my story. Now let me help you with your very own. I’ve compiled below a step-wise approach to planning the best elective. Start by deciding your goals and then find out which locations and hospitals are best suited to those goals using The Electives Network website. Be pro-active and persistent throughout!

We’ve compiled a list of the most commonly asked questions by those starting to plan their elective, including “how to decide elective goals”, “USMLE for USA”, “funding, visas and insurance”. We’ve also provided some links to useful resources!