Student
Exchange
Program

Each year, more than 15.000 medical students embark on a journey to explore health care delivery and health systems in different cultural and social settings. This is achieved by providing a network of locally and internationally active students that globally facilitate access to research and clinical exchange projects, which usually last four weeks. Through our programming and opportunities, we aim to develop both culturally sensitive students and skilled researchers intent on shaping the world of science in the upcoming future. Our exchanges programs are key promoter of intercultural understanding and cooperation amongst medical students and health professionals, which much needed in our globalized world as IFMSA believes.

All exchanges last for four weeks, and are handled in a bilateral basis. The students are offered a spot in the department or the research project of their choice, as well as lodging, accommodation and often a social program. They are assigned a tutor during their entire exchange, that make sure that the students are actively participating and improving their skills.

A lot of measures are taken to provide a good academic quality of the program. The most important one being the student handbook, that is a book of records of the tasks performed by the student and that also contains checklist of skills of certain departments. Some of those checklists have been developed in the previous years in collaboration with WONCA, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the World Federation of Neurology.

The other second important measure is the official certificate, that is only delivered to the students if all the requirements are met, if the student handbook is fulfilled, and if at least 80% attendance of the clerkship is secured. This certificate is signed by both the tutor and hosting exchange officer, and allows most of the student to get credits from their home university.