Medical Electives Abroad for Canadian Students | Global Clinical Experience with Go Elective

Embarking on a medical elective abroad is a transformative experience—one that goes beyond textbooks and simulation labs. For Canadian medical students, international electives offer an unparalleled opportunity to build clinical confidence, gain cross-cultural understanding, and expand one’s professional worldview.

Go Elective’s medical electives in Kenya and Tanzania are designed to complement Canadian medical school curricula while immersing students in high-volume public hospitals and vibrant cultural settings. Whether you're training at the University of Toronto, McGill, UBC, or another Canadian medical school, these electives allow you to step out of the familiar and grow in ways no local placement can offer.

Why Medical Electives Abroad Matter for Canadian Students

Canada’s healthcare system is advanced, structured, and largely publicly funded. However, it does not expose students to the variety of clinical and infrastructural challenges found in resource-limited settings. Medical electives abroad serve as a powerful contrast—giving you perspective on:

Tropical and infectious diseases rarely seen in Canada
Healthcare delivery in under-resourced environments
Cross-cultural communication with patients and healthcare teams
The importance of innovation and adaptability in clinical decision-making

Students return with sharpened clinical acumen, renewed empathy, and a deeper appreciation for global health equity.

The East African Healthcare Landscape

In both Kenya and Tanzania, healthcare is delivered through a mix of public and private systems, with public hospitals serving the majority of the population. These hospitals often face:

Limited resources (e.g., intermittent lab access, limited imaging options)
High patient loads with fast turnover
Prevalent diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB, maternal complications, trauma, and non-communicable diseases

Through your placement at facilities such as Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital in Mombasa or Mount Meru Regional Referral Hospital in Arusha, you’ll engage in meaningful clinical work under the supervision of experienced physicians.

What You’ll Learn:

Managing conditions under diagnostic uncertainty
Prioritizing care when resources are constrained
Building rapport with patients across language and cultural barriers
Adapting clinical practice to new systems of triage, charting, and ward structure

Tailored Clinical Electives Tailored

Go Elective offers hands-on, structured medical electives in a range of specialties, including:

General Medicine
Surgery (general, pediatric, trauma)
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Pediatrics and Neonatology
Emergency Medicine
Infectious Disease
Psychiatry and Mental Health (select locations)

You'll work directly with attending physicians and residents, participate in ward rounds, scrub into surgeries, assist in deliveries, and even observe rare pathology. These are real hospitals, with real patient care responsibilities—making for a deeply immersive learning experience.

All electives align with core competencies and requirements recognized by Canadian institutions. Past participants from UBC, Dalhousie, McMaster, and Western have used their Go Elective experiences to fulfill medical school credits or bolster residency applications.

Go Beyond the Hospital: Safari, Culture & Adventure

Your elective is not just about the clinic. It’s a cultural journey too. Outside your clinical hours, Go-Elective Safaris offers exciting excursions and guided experiences including:

Wildebeest migration safaris in Maasai Mara or Serengeti
Weekend trips to the white-sand beaches of Diani or Zanzibar
Visits to local schools, orphanages, or community health projects
Cultural cooking classes, Swahili lessons, or Maasai village tours

For Canadian students used to snow-covered sidewalks, this is a vibrant and sunny backdrop to your learning.

What’s Included in the Program?

Go Elective takes care of the logistics so you can focus on learning. The program includes:

Pre-departure support
On-ground orientation and 24/7 support
Comfortable carted accommodation
Wi-Fi
Airport transfers and in-country transport
Cultural excursions and weekend trip options

Learn more about what’s included.

How to Apply for Your Medical Elective

Step 1: Visit goelective.com and review the available destinations and dates.

Step 2: Fill out the online application form at goelective.com/apply selecting your preferred department(s), arrival window, and duration. You can also write to hello@goelective.com

Step 3: Receive a personalized response from our team with a tailored placement plan.

Step 4: Secure your spot with a deposit, then receive your pre-departure guide and support on visa, vaccinations, and packing checklist.

Step 5: Fly out and begin your clinical and cultural immersion experience!

Electives are available year-round. Most students choose summer placements between June and August—but slots fill up fast. Book early to last minute disappointment.

Final Thoughts: Why Canadian Medical Students Choose Go Elective

In a competitive global health landscape, Canadian students need more than great academics—they need real-world, cross-cultural clinical experience. Whether you're preparing for CaRMS, seeking medical school credit, or simply hoping to see the world through a physician’s eyes, Go Elective is your gateway.

This is your chance to experience medicine where it’s practiced with resilience, creativity, and heart.

> Inquire today or reach out to us via hello@goelective.com