Information on Clinical Electives for Foreign Medical Students

The National Cheng Kung University Hospital, affiliated with the College of Medicine, offers clinical electives for foreign students who have completed basic medical sciences and part of required clerkship at their home medical school. To be eligible for a limited number of clinical clerkship positions, applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Students must be healthy and in good academic standing at their home medical school.
2. Students must have completed clinical rotations at their home institution.

Applications

The applicant must submit the following documents six months prior to the beginning date of the elective clerkship:

1. A completed application form with a recent photograph attached
2. A letter of recommendation from the Director of Academic (Student) Affairs or the Dean of the Medical School
3. A certificate of curricular credits (with transcript information if applicable)
4. Curriculum vitae
5. Statement of clerkship purpose
6. A photocopy of passport (bio page)

Upon receipt of the above documents, the application will be reviewed by the chairperson(s) of the respective department(s). A formal invitation will be issued directly to the applicant once accepted.

No training fees will be charged for students from partner universities. Any subsidy or stipend for the applicant’s stay in Tainan during the elective term is not provided by the hospital. Applicants are responsible for their own health care and should purchase personal health/travel insurance beforehand.

Students can apply any month except July to September (summer vacation period).

The Department of Internal Medicine offers sub-specialties which rotate every two weeks. Applicants should specify the sub-specialty of their choice: Cardiovascular, Chest/Pulmonary Medicine, Hepato-gastroenterology, Rheumatology and Immunology, Hemato-oncology, Nephrology, Infectious Diseases, Endocrinology.

Applicants for the Department of Surgery should also specify their sub-specialty preference.

Credits & Evaluation

Credits for clinical electives taken by foreign students are not provided by NCKU Hospital or College of Medicine. Students may provide their university’s evaluation form to assess performance and achievement.

Personal Insurance

• Elective students at NCKU must have proper personal medical insurance or overseas travel insurance while in Taiwan, obtained before the elective starts.
• Please bring a photocopy of your travel insurance plan upon arrival.

Living Costs

Living expenses vary depending on lifestyle, including food, shopping, and travel. Estimated cost: NT$8,000–10,000 per month. Students can refer to websites such as Expatistan or Numbeo for comparisons.

Application Form and Handbook

Please CLICK for application form and handbook information.

Contact

Completed application and other necessary documents should be emailed to: