Independently Organized Placements
Students in Year 1, Year 2, or Year 4 of the MD Program may apply for an Independently-Organized International Health Equity Learning (IHEL) Placement at an institution or organization that is not currently a Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry partner site. This includes all summer school programming along with pre-clinical or clinical electives hosted at a site that is not a Schulich partner location.
These placements provide students with flexibility to pursue unique international learning opportunities that align with their academic interests, professional goals, and health equity learning objectives. All independently organized placements are subject to a comprehensive review process conducted by both the Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) Office and the Schulich Internationalization Office.
- Please note: Approval is not guaranteed. Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and must satisfy all academic, safety, and administrative requirements.
Application Information:
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.
- All applications must be submitted at least 90 days prior to the planned departure. Late applications (with a planned departure date within the 90 day period) will not be accepted.
- All applicants must include a Letter of Academic Good Standing in support of their application. Participants must remain in Academic Good Standing for the duration of the program.
- Learners with a Professionalism Flag of a Level 2 or higher will not be considered. Learners who receive a Professionalism Flag of a Level 2 or higher will not be permitted to continue with the program.
- Learners in Year 1 or Year 2 may not depart for travel prior to the last curricular session in June and must return before the start of the first curricular session in August/September.
- Learners making travel or other arrangements in advance should consider flexible or refundable options, since changes in their academic standing may affect their eligibility to participate.
Please note the following important points when planning (or applying for) an independently-organized placement:
- You must have approval from your proposed partner site. This includes a letter of support on headed paper (or via a departmental email address) of your preceptor confirming that they agree to host you during the dates within your application, for the departments that you are proposing.
- Your preceptor must live in the country you plan to travel to and be employed at your proposed host site.
- You must have a schedule that you plan to adhere to, which you must share as part of your application. This should clearly outline your planned learning activities, clinical experiences and anticipated timelines and responsibilities.
- Western adheres to a student safety abroad policy. If your planned destination is within a Level 3 or Level 4 Destination (High and Extreme risk), it may not be authorized.
- Approval is not guaranteed.
- If your host destination requires a letter of support from Schulich, please email the Internationalization Office, as this can be provided to you.
Application Review & Timeline:
Independently-organized placement applications undergo a comprehensive, multi-stage review process involving several university offices at Western at the proposed host. Depending on the proposed destination, required documentation, risk assessment, and the need for additional approvals, the review process may take several weeks or longer.
Learners should not expect an immediate decision and are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Submission of an application does not guarantee approval, and applicants will be contacted for additional information or documentation during the review process.
Applications undergo a thorough review process that considers:
- Educational value and learning objectives
- Host institution suitability
- Student safety considerations
- Placement supervision and support
- Compliance with MD Program requirements
- Risk management and university policies
For more information on applying for an Independently-organized placement or to hear about destinations that former students have travelled to, contact the Internationalization Office (internationalization@schulich.uwo.ca).
