Elective Placement Programme for Overseas Medical Students

Medical elective is a short-term programme designed for undergraduate students in medical and allied health sciences. This enables the international students have wider range of exposure and experience of medical education in a developing tropical country. This gives an opportunity to work with different population, experience diversity of diseases and the infra structure of health care system in Srilanka. In addition, they get the benefit of learning clinical skills, examination techniques and detecting clinical signs, developing humanities, life style and professionalism in a diverse community.

The elective programme at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna offers elective placement for students currently registered for a medical or allied health science degree in an overseas university or medical school.

• We expect an elective student should possess basic knowledge and prior experience in the discipline in which he/she has applied to do en elective
• Clinical departments offer electives for medical students who are in their 3^rd year or above
• Pre and pare clinical departments offer electives for all students eligible for electives

• Most of the clinical departments are functioned at Teaching hospital, Jaffna. The faculty will provide elective placement at the following University departments

Clinical departments:                                              

• Medicine
• Surgery
• Paediatrics
• Gynaecology & Obstetrics
• Psychiatry

Pre and Para clinical departments

• Anatomy
• Community and Family Medicine

Speciality departments (functioned under Teaching hospital, Jaffna)

• Cardiology
• Cardiothoracic surgery
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Chest Medicine
• Genitourinary
• Rheumatology
• ENT
• Nephrology
• Plastic surgery
• Gastroenterology
• Anaesthesia
• Ophthalmology

• Most of the clinical elective placement are based at the Teaching hospital, Jaffna except the following specialities
  • Department of Psychiatry: at Psychiatry unit, Tellipallai (13 km away from Jaffna city)
  • Oncology department: at TRIAL Cancer hospital, Tellipallai (13 km away from Jaffna city)
  • Chest hospital: Central Chest clinic, Jaffna ( 2km away from Jaffna city)
• Please note elective students are expected to arrange their own transport for their appointments to these relevant centres
• Community Medicine and Family Medicine are attached to the relevant departments at Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna and to community outreached centres as per their shedudule

• Maximum duration of elective placement in each department is 4 weeks
• Minimum duration should be 1-2 weeks
• Maximum duration of elective placement is 3 months

• All applications are accepted online.
• Visit to our website https://www.med.jfn.ac.lk and find the elective appointment page and click on ‘’apply’’
• Complete the application online
• Attached the required documents
  • A letter of request for elective placement with preferred speciality/specialities with duration (with tentative dates)
  • A professional photograph of the applicant
  • A letter of confirmation of your studentship from your medical school or university attached
• All incomplete applications will be rejected at the time of submission or at the time of processing
• Once the application successfully submitted, you will be notified via email

• Processing of application will take minimum of 2-3 months
• Once the processing completed, the decision of acceptance/rejection of your elective placement will be notified
• Please note that the decision will be made on the availability of the department, elective speciality and duration, examination dates and out of bounds from the hospitals
• Notification of acceptance will be email to you with payment details
• Once the payment made, you will receive a payment conformation letter
• The elective confirmation letter will be followed in 2- 4 weeks for you to process your visa

• A fee of US $ 75 per week should be paid for all the elective appointments
• In addition to the above fee, an administration fee of US 20 will be charged irrespective of the duration of elective placement
• This fee should be paid online to the financial department, University of Jaffna with the reference number
• This fee does not include your expenses of immigration and emigration or visa process

• Students who choose following specialities will be placed in university departments at Teaching hospital, Jaffna
  • • General Medicine
    • General surgery
    • Paediatrics
    • Gynaecology & Obstetrics
    • Psychiatry
    • Community & Family Medicine

              Students who request to do other specialities (other than mentioned above) will be

              placed at the Teaching hospital, Jaffna.

• A percentage of payment will be shared with the hospital according to their placement

• The faculty will not supporting for the visa processing at this stage

• Please inform us your confirmed date of arrival prior to your commencement
• Please notify if there any changes on your circumstance (Eg: dalay of arrival)
• You are expected to bring true copies of payment slip, and submitted documents (Elective request letter, Dean’s letter and photograph)
• You are expected to meet the elective coordinator on your arrival. Location will be informed to you

• Smart professional attire or scrubs can be worn during the appointments
• Casual wear (shorts, t-shirt) is not permitted

• If you decided to cancel your elective, please kindly notify us immediately
• If you notify at least 2 weeks before the commencement of your appointment, any paid elective fee will be refunded
• The refund process could take up 3-4 months
• No refund will be given if notification is received less than 2 weeks before the commencement of your elective date or if you withdraw after the elective has begun

• Relevant departments will provide students with documents detailing the schedule during the appointment, details of consultant/s they will be attached/supervised
• During the clinical appointments, students will also be directed to the wards. The heads of the departments or the supervisor will provide students with documents, including the ward schedule, details regarding the appointment, such as what to expect and available learning opportunities
• You are expected to inform your absence during your placement to your supervising consultant or head of the department

• You are expected to arrange your own accommodation. Housing facilities (i.e. guest house, motels or hotels) are available in close proximity to the university and hospital
• Food is available in the University canteen as well as at eateries around the hospitals

If any further quarries, you may contact the elective coordinator on electivemedicine@univ.jfn.ac.lk