Application Timeline & Instructions
March of MS3 Year
- While 3rd year students are scheduling electives for 4th year, consider participating in a funded international clinical elective in the Spring Semester of MS4 year. Most students choose to travel during January-Mid-March depending on the timing of their required rotations.
- NOTE: you must be back on campus to attend the required Transition to Residency Course – which is typically in late March/early April (Please check with the Registrar Office as the exact dates change each year).
- Schedule a meeting with IMSE Directors (Dr. Laura Greisman and Dr. Radhika Sundararajan @ IMSEdirectors@med.cornell.edu) for guidance and advice.
- Applications are due in mid-May. Additional applications after the initial deadline may be accepted on a case-by-case basis pending availability at certain partner sites.
May/June
- Applications are reviewed by the International Electives Committee and conditional/final approvals should be completed by the end of June.
MS4 Year: Late August/September
- The Co-Directors will send an introductory email to connect you with the partner site coordinator. It is YOUR responsibility to work with the partner site coordinator to complete any additional paperwork or secondary application process for host institution and meet any of their required deadlines.
- Refer to the Student Travel Handbook to complete all pre-departure requirements.
November/December
- Attend the required Pre-Depature Workshop
Guidelines to Receiving Financial Support
Global Health donors have generously provided Fellowships to help defray the costs of taking an international clinical elective. We are delighted to announce that students will be reimbursed up to $3000 for four-week electives, and up to $3500 for six-to-eight-week electives. Reimbursable expenses include airfare (we strongly recommend you purchase refundable tickets), pre-travel health costs (travel clinic, vaccines, malaria prophylaxis), visas and housing. Up to half of the total reimbursement can be provided prior to travel, and the remaining after completion of the required deliverables (narrative reflection, poster at the Spring IMSE Fellows reception in May). Details and instructions can be found in the attached student travel handbook.
*Please Note: this is a unique elective opportunity and while our office wishes to provide as much support as possible to allow access for ALL students to have the opportunity to experience an international elective - this is an OPTIONAL experience and there will still be some anticipated out-of-pocket cost to participation. The generous endowed funds and scholarships have been established to minimize this out-of-pocket cost and to support the next generation of physicians to help attain a global perspective and understanding of the delivery of health care.
**Please Also Note: Exceptions to this funding policy are the four-week electives where funding is provided by our partner institutions (Max Kade Elective in Austria). If you are participating in one of these rotations, you should receive instructions from your elective site on how to proceed with your travel costs.
Student Resources
MS4 International Clinical Elective Application
This is the Application required by IMSE. Please note there are several required parts to the application all of which must be submitted to the IMSE Office via email (wcmstudents-imse@med.cornell.edu).
MS4 International Clinical Elective Application Rubric
To help you complete your application, we have provided you with the rubric used by the International Electives Committee to score your application.