Practical year (PJ) and clinical elective
Source: https://www.fau.eu/studying/organizing-your-studies-and-where-to-go-for-advice/going-abroad/work-experience-abroad/practical-year-pj-and-clinical-elective/ Parent: https://www.fau.eu/
Completing their practical year (PJ) abroad opens up valuable opportunities to students to gain international experience, improve their subject-related skills and gain new perspectives. This page offers important basic information, tips and advice.
Institutions, that offer places for the practical year
A list of hospitals that offer places for the practical year is available, for example, from The Electives Network (TEN) or the website of the State Examination Office in Düsseldorf. If the hospital where you wish to take your practical year is not in the above list, further details and information about the forms required is available from the Examinations Office responsible.
Austria
Students can complete their practical year in Austria at the Medical University of Vienna and the Medical University of Innsbruck.
Since these hospitals have not yet been included without restrictions on the list of the State Examination Office in Düsseldorf, additional documents must be submitted for accreditation to the Examinations Office of the Faculty of Medicine. Further information is available from the relevant contact persons.
It is still not possible to take the practical year at the Medical University of Graz.
Rigshospitalet Copenhagen University Hospital
No students from abroad are accepted between February and June and between September and January. In the eight-week period in between (July and August), only one applicant is accepted (as of July 2014).
Application
- Applicants should first apply (as early as possible) directly to the relevant hospital abroad as an application for scholarships and other funding programs is only possible afterwards.
- Please contact the Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Medicine for special documents or certificates.
- The FAU Language Centre has information about providing proof of language skills.
- Medical examinations and vaccinations are available from the Occupational Medical Service at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen.
- Before departing for your stay abroad, you must ensure that you have sufficient insurance cover abroad. This includes health insurance, professional liability insurance, and supplementary insurance, if applicable. Examples of insurance packages: Hartmannbund, Marburger Bund
- Where possible, responsibility for signing the certificate of equivalence should be clarified before students start their stay.
Timing and duration, schedule
There is the option of spending all three rotations abroad. The time schedule for the division of trimesters in the practical year is available from the Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Medicine.
Splitting
- Splitting is only permitted for the duration of a rotation and is intended for periods spent abroad, not in the home country.
- The requirement for the one-off split is that the two eight-week parts of the rotation are not shortened further by vacation or absences, as eight weeks are considered the absolute minimum for meaningful, continuous training.
Absence
- Up to 30 days’ absence are possible, see Section 3 (3)ÄAppO (German Medical Licensing Regulations for Physicians): “Absences of up to a total of 30 training days shall be credited to the training […], of which up to a total of 20 training days may be within a single training period.”
- Exception: If a rotation is split into two 8-week sections, no days of absence are permitted for this rotation. Information is available in a guide published by the Government of Upper Bavaria, available on the website of the Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Medicine.
Clinical elective abroad
- In general, Section 7 (2) ÄAppO (German Medical Licensing Regulations for Physicians) applies: “The clinical elective shall be completed **1. for a period of one month in an outpatient medical care facility under medical supervision or a suitable medical practice,\
- for a period of one month in a hospital or inpatient rehabilitation facility,\
- for a period of one month in a primary care facility, and\
- for a period of one month in a facility mentioned in numbers 1 to 3 or another suitable facility, including a public health facility, in which medical tasks are performed.”
- Pursuant to Section 7 (3) ÄAppO , clinical electives completed abroad in an outpatient medical care facility (1.) or at a hospital (2.) can be accredited. In Bavaria, a clinical elective completed in Austria at a primary care facility can be accredited provided that the doctors have comparable specialisms. See the additional sheet published by the Government of Upper Bavaria on the website of the Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Medicine.
- Forms are available on the website of the website of the Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Medicine.
Experience reports
- Experience reports overseas and Europe (Erasmus)
- EU community: database
- Experience reports for medicine worldwide
- Ranking for practical year: Practical year reports worldwide
- Marburger Bund – section for members only, registration and activation necessary
Funding opportunities
Information on funding options for stays abroad is available on the website for external scholarships for internships.
The “Allianz Ärztefinanzzentrum Berlin” also provides funding for stays abroad for medical students.
Contacts
Office of the Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Medicine
- Information events, registration for the practical year, certificates and forms, other certificates provided on request
Examination Office of the Faculty of Medicine
- Information for accreditation options for planned clinical electives/practical year rotations, submission of confirmation of equivalence and practical year confirmation, registration for second and third State Examination
- Information about funding options, management of funding programs such as ERASMUS, PROMOS etc., other matters (questions about accommodation, visas etc.)
- Medical examination for the practical year. Especially important for stays abroad: ”Medical Certification”, i.e. results of the medical examination in English and French