FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Help…… my elective has fallen through and I don’t know what to do now!

The main thing is to keep calm. The process all depends on what has changed and how big a change there is to the project. Remember, your local supervisor and the electives team will try to help you, but you must let them know.

If it is only the project title/ content which has changed slightly, this is easily rectified. If needs be, your local and host supervisors will normally try to help you come up with alternative projects, probably in a similar field to your planned project. Once this is done you should notify Diane Gerrie (diane.gerrie@abdn.ac.uk) and where applicable, any funding bodies, as many bursaries are linked to specific topics/projects or locations.

Where the whole elective has fallen through, a project is still salvageable but we will require you to do more work. Again your local supervisor should be your first point of call. They may have alternative suggestions of projects either here or elsewhere. Although you may have dreams of spending 8 weeks in the Bahamas, if your elective falls through 2 weeks before starting you may have to be more realistic. Students still complete excellent electives in Aberdeen and it will probably be less stressful to arrange something here at the last minute. If you are determined to spend it overseas you will probably have to be more flexible with location and/or speciality.

If your local supervisor is unable to help, contact the electives team. They cannot plan a new project for you but may have suggestions of other people to contact or what to try next.

Once a new project has been arranged you should complete a new elective outline (ideally signed by your local supervisor) and send to Diane Gerrie (diane.gerrie@abdn.ac.uk) Where applicable, you should also notify any funding bodies as they are often linked to locations and/or projects. You should also make sure that the original host supervisor and any accommodation provider is notified.

How long does my elective report need to be?

Your report shold be 5000 word (+/-10%). The elective report section gives more detail on the content and format of the report. You can also view previous prize winning elective reports in the previous electives section of the website.

I am not going to be able to submit my elective outline on time. What do I do?

Outlines should be submitted online and the system for this will close down at 5pm on deadline day, 24 February. If you are going to be unable to submit on time you should notify Diane Gerrie (diane.gerrie@abdn.ac.uk ) of the reasons. Extensions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances and will always be confirmed by email. You should aim to complete the outline as soon as possible - there will be a penalty for late submission. Ultimately, if you do not submit a satisfactory outline your class certificate may be withheld and you could become ineligible to sit the fourth year exams! This only happens in extreme circumstances

I am not going to be able to submit my elective report on time. What do I do?

You should contact Diane Gerrie (diane.gerrie@abdn.ac.uk) as soon as you realise you are not going to be able to submit the report on time. Extensions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances and will always be confirmed by email. Penalties will be applied as detailed in your handbook and on the website.

My host institution has asked for confirmation of my status as a student and/or a Dean's letter. Where can I get this from?

You are able to download a Dean's letter from https://www.abdn.ac.uk/medical/electives/my_elective/standard_letter which will suffice in most instances. If you have a form which requires a signature, please pass this to Diane Gerrie (diane.gerrie@abdn.ac.uk) who will arrange this for you.

Does the University provide me with indemnity or travel insurance?

No, the University does not provide indemnity insurance for electives. You probably took out indemnity insurance through MDU or MDDUS when you entered 1^st year. You should contact them or check their website for details of what is covered. You may be asked by your host institute to provide a certificate or confirmation of insurance.

The University’s travel policy covers anyone travelling “under the auspices of the University”. This should cover your elective. However, we would still recommend you take out your own travel insurance especially if travelling to more exotic locations. In all instances, you must check the travel advice given on the FCO website http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/ as any insurance will be void if they have advised against travel.

Can I do my elective over the summer or outwith term time?

No, afraid not. All students are allocated a set period to undertake the elective, and it must be carried out for the duration of this 8 week period. We do allow for a few days travel at each end, so you must not take time off either the preceding or subsequent blocks for elective travel.

Do you require feedback from my host supervisor?

Yes, we will write to host supervisors during the block for very brief feedback on your performance during the elective.

Do I need to fund the elective myself or can the University pay towards it?

The elective should be entirely organised and funded by you. There are bursaries and prizes available, either awarded by the University or externally. The "funding my elective" section of the elective website gives more information on this.

Will I need ethical approval for my elective?

You should discuss whether your project will need ethical approval with your host supervisor as each country/location will have different rules. You should allow 6-9 months for ethical approval so it should be discussed early in the planning process. It is your responsibility to ensure approval is obtained in time to start the elective but host supervisors should help with the application process.

Will I get my report back?

With the exception of prize winning reports, you can collect your report from the office at the end of the year.