Clinical Elective Exchange Programs

Currently, the HMS clerkship program for international visiting students is not open. Any updates on the reopening of this program will be posted on the Exchange Clerkship Program site with the HMS Registrar.  

The Office of Scholarly Engagement organizes clinical elective exchange programs with several foreign medical schools with whom HMS has historical faculty and student ties. HMS students may travel to these sites to carry out one to two month clinical electives in primary care, medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, or in specialized fields, depending on the site. At most of the sites, students must speak the language of the host country to derive benefit from the elective.  Foreign students from these sites are selected by their university to apply for clerkships at HMS.

Many of the exchange sites are ideal for HMS students who have taken one of the medical language courses offered by HMS. Some travel funding is available from the Office of Scholarly Engagement. Current students can find more information on the OSE internal website. HarvardKey log on.  

HMS has established clinical elective exchanges with the following schools abroad:

  • ChileUniversity of Chile School of Medicine and Catholic University of Chile School of Medicine in Santiago
  • ColombiaUniversity of Antioquia School of Medicine in Medellin
  • Costa RicaElectives organized by IHCAI with Costa Rican medical schools
  • GuatemalaUniversity of Francisco Marroquin Medical School clinics in San Juan Sacatapequez
  • BrazilUniversity of Sao Paulo Medical School and University of Santa Casa Medical School in Sao Paolo
  • ChinaPeking Union Medical College in Beijing
  • Taiwan Kaohsiung Medical University and National Taiwan University
  • FranceMICEFA Medical School Exchange with the University of Paris Medical Schools
  • JerusalemAl Makassed Hospital in Jerusalem, Al Quds University Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative
  • SpainComplutense University of Madrid

Candidates from these foreign medical schools are selected through a rigorous vetting process conducted by their school before they are allowed to apply to HMS for clerkships as part of this exchange program.