Below is a list of some of the organisations that offer grants and bursaries for medical students looking to do electives.
These are all independent of the RMBF, so please contact the relevant organisation directly for more information via the website links and contacts provided below.
See our section on charitable trusts for tips on how to apply.
The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland Elective Bursary
All medical students in Great Britain and Ireland are eligible to apply to the AAGBI for funding towards a medical student elective period. Preference will be given to those applicants who can show that their intended elective has an anaesthetic, intensive care or pain relief interest.
BlackStone Tutors
BlackStone Tutors offer The Simmonds Bursary for medical school students undertaking an elective within the next twelve months. The bursary of £250 is available for medical students undertaking an elective in the UK or abroad, with a research component.
British Society of Dermatologists
The British Association of Dermatologists offers grants to encourage students to undertake small research projects or optional periods in the study of topics related to dermatology or skin biology.
British Society for Haematology
The Society provides Student Scholarships with a maximum value of £1,000 to support UK-based undergraduates undertaking electives in the field of haematology.
British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons
BAPRAS offers students bursaries intended to provide financial support for medical students who wish to undertake research, travel or an elective in a subject related to plastic surgery.
British Geriatrics Society
Offers a limited number of grants to enable medical students to make use of their elective period for a project concerned with health or health care in old age, either in the UK or abroad.
British Medical and Dental Student’s Trust
A registered charity in both England and Scotland, which provides travel scholarships to help support medical and dental students going abroad for their electives.
British Neuropathological Society
Offers a selection of awards, including bursaries for electives
CoScan Travel Awards
The Travel Award Scheme offers valuable assistance to young people travelling to the Nordic countries for study or adventure.
Dermatology Foundation
The Dermatology Foundation’s Research Awards Program offers career development awards, fellowships, and grants that are intended to advance the early academic careers and research efforts of physicians and scientists in dermatology and cutaneous biology.
Edward Boyle Medical Elective Bursaries
The Edward Boyle Medical Elective Bursaries offer financial support to medical students at UK universities who wish to spend their elective period in a low or middle income country of the Commonwealth.
The Electives Network
For over a decade, The Electives Network (TEN) has been building a comprehensive elective database, complete with contact details, photos, feedback reports, and case studies. Membership to The Electives Network is free for UK medical students through The MDU. TEN also have a team of elective experts on hand 24/7 to help you with advice and one on one information. Awards include the Dr Hamilton Award and the Electives Network Award.
Email: [email protected]
Website
Faculty of Occupational Medicine
The Faculty of Occupational Medicine has two elective prizes, the Mobbs Corporate Health Fellowships and the Exxon Mobil Medical Student Elective award. These are are open to medical undergraduates and doctors in Foundation Years 1 and 2. The aim is to enable students and junior doctors to experience work in an occupational health/medicine environment, in the UK or overseas.
Gen Foundation
The Gen Foundation supports those who excel in the areas of biological, chemical, botanical, and food sciences.
Institute of Medical Ethics
The Institute of Medical Ethics (IME) offers grants, student elective bursaries, internships and scholarships (covering the next academic year) for students wishing to do an intercalated degree in medical ethics or an allied subject. These grants are only for undergraduate students.
Jewish Medical Association UK
Provides two main types of such scholarship awards: those for electives in Israel, which are open to all UK medical students; and those for international electives, which are given to students that take part in student Jewish Medical Association (UK) events and activities. In addition, the Association provides support for Israel medical students, recommended by their medical schools, for electives in the UK.
JPT Family Trust Medical Science Award
This supports medical students and junior doctors aged 21-30 who wish to study or practice in Asia.
Kidderminster Medical Society
Provides a small set of awards for students with a connection to the Wyre Forest Area of North Worcestershire.
Lady Allen of Hurtwood Memorial Trust
Applications are invited from candidates with a scheduled project in mind who can offer full details of how the award will help them to gain specific knowledge and experience which will enhance the quality and nature of their work with young children and their families.
Medical Women’s Federation
The Medical Women’s Federation awards and oversees a variety of grants and prizes throughout the year. Contact the central office or visit the website to download application forms and view deadlines.
MDDUS
MDDUS Student Members can also benefit from the opportunity to apply for an elective travel scholarship from the British Medical and Dental Student Trust (BMDST).
Nursing Association of Jamaica
A national non-profit making charitable association formed in 1978. They offer one-off grants for students of health education or sciences, primarily from black and minority groups.
Pathological Society
The Society offers a range of grants to support high quality research in pathology and travel to encourage collaboration and the learning of new techniques.
Reg Gilbert International Youth Friendship Trust (GIFT)
GIFT supports outgoing young UK citizens to establish friendships and direct cultural contacts through ‘homestay’ visits with indigenous communities in developing countries. They give a limited number of bursaries each year to young adventurers who have made their arrangements through bona-fide organisations who arrange homestay projects in third world countries. Independent travellers would need to submit a comprehensive and verifiable breakdown of their arrangements.
UK Kidney Association
The UKKA awards bursaries each year to medical students planning to undertake electives with a significant renal component, either clinical or research.
Royal College of Physicians London
Offers various grants and bursaries.
Royal College of Radiologists
Ten bursaries funded by The Royal College of Radiologists, to assist UK clinical medical undergraduate students to undertake periods of elective study, in the UK or abroad, in clinical radiology.
Royal College of Surgeons
The Preiskel Prize is an award for clinical students wishing to pursue a career in surgery and planning to undertake an elective in surgery in the developing world.
Royal Society of Medicine
The RSM runs a variety of competitions and awards for medical students. See the RSM website for a full list of awards and prizes.
The Scar Free Foundation
The Scar Free Foundation offers £1200 awards for students to undertake their electives for research in the area of ‘disfigurement and visible loss of function.’ Projects can be undertaken in either the U.K or abroad.
Society for General Microbiology
SGM offer a limited number of awards to enable medical, dental and veterinary science undergraduates to work on microbiological research projects during their elective periods/extramural studies.
St Francis Leprosy Guild
The St. Francis Leprosy Guild provides funding for elective students wishing to undertake their elective on a leprosy-related subject.
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries
Provides three Elective Prizes of £750.00 each for Medical Student Electives in the fields of Conflict and Catastrophe Medicine.
If you know of any more organisations or awards to add to this list, please get in touch.