Undergraduate elective funding

The medical student elective can bring enormous benefits for a successful career in anaesthesia, pain, medicine and intensive care medicine.  

Grants will only be awarded to applicants who intend to spend time away from their base academic institution, and whose travel, accommodation and subsistence costs are increased as a result. 

Preference will be given to those applicants who can show the relevance of their intended elective to anaesthesia, intensive care or pain relief. A key focus of the Association is support for projects in the developing world, hence elective placements supporting work in developing countries are given priority.

The Association is keen to support medical student elective placements which:

• Prepare students for a successful career in anaesthesia, pain, peri-operative, and intensive care medicine
• Help to develop a student’s interest or passion that can then make an impact on patient care both at the time and in the future 
• Are well organised with consideration of personal safety, patient safety, appropriate supervision (both clinical and non clinical) and with support in place in the event of any difficulties 

To complete your application you will need to supply: 

• Your personal details 
• Details of visiting centre and dates of attendance 
• A description of experience to be gained and projects to be performed (500 words max) 
• Information about why you have chosen this specialty (200 words max) 
• The amount of funding applied for 
• Details of any other funding applications you have made.

Amount per applicant - Up to a maximum of £750 (broken down into travel and accommodation)

Eligibility criteria - You must be a medical student studying in Great Britain or Ireland  

Frequency - x2 a year

Funding partners - Association of Anaesthetists 

Applications are assessed by a panel of undergraduate elective assessors and members of the Research & Innovation Committee using the scoring criteria. All applications are blinded to reviewers.

Case studies

In the meantime, if you're thinking about applying for an undergraduate grant, here are three reports from previous grant recipients to inspire you.

• Read about Phil Sparks' adventures with a mobile ambulatory surgery in Ecuador in 2018
• Zoe Honniball stayed a little closer to home with an elective in Shetland in 2017
• Chengyuan Zhang got a little more than he bargained for during his elective in Nepal, in 2015

You might also be interested in: