Current Students Support

International Opportunities

The Medicine International Team provides a broad range of support for current students including with applying for electives and other overseas placements.

Electives & Summer Electives

The Medicine International Office offers current medical students information, advice on how to apply for electives, and scholarships. The Office will also assist students with visa letters and elective applications forms. 

  1. Summer Electives Competition: Through our Alumni connections UCD School of Medicine has a number of elective opportunities in North America, which are advertised to students through the Summer Electives Competition in November/December each year.
  2. UCD School of Medicine is a member of the Universitas 21 Clinical Elective Exchange Programme. The programme entails that U21 institutions that have a medical degree offer up to 5 short-term Medical Clinical places to U21 students each year, waived from administration fees. The U21 network strives to create a distinctive experience and resource for students that will prepare them for life and work across borders, boundaries and cultures in the increasingly globalized 21st century society. Medical schools worldwide recognize the increasing importance of global health training and the benefits of international clinical rotations for a physician's development.  Students may also apply for scholarships via this competition.
  3. UCD School of Medicine can apply for clinical electives in the US through Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO). The VSLO program helps medical and public health students connect with institutions offering short-term elective opportunities that can enhance their medical education. These elective opportunities include observerships, summer research programs, clinical opportunities, away rotations, away electives, clinical rotations and visiting opportunities. To register please e-mail medicine@ucd.ie

Medical Student Overseas Relief

Medical Students Overseas Relief (MSOR) is a voluntary society run by UCD medical students to raise funds for hospitals and clinics in the developing world. Every summer since 1974, UCD medical students have travelled to third world countries to assist, voluntarily, in humanitarian medical work. Over the past 37 years, UCD students have gone to over 30 different developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

This charitable organisation aims to bring aid to underfunded healthcare institutions in developing countries. This aid is in the form of vital drugs, essential surgical and life-saving equipment, monetary donation and the voluntary work of the medical students. One of the core principles of MSOR is its policy on fund raising - all students must pay for their own travel and accommodation expenses. Hence every penny raised by MSOR goes directly to the hospital and those who need it most.

To find out more about UCD Medical Society Overseas Relief (MSOR) please visit here.