Block electives are full-time elective placements. Over the course of the program, 24 weeks of block electives are required. The first block elective occurs after MF4, in the summer between first and second year. Students participate in 7 weeks of electives during that block. In the Clerkship, 17 weeks of elective time is available.

The Family Medicine Experience (FME) is a mandatory elective rotation during Pre-Clerkship in which students have clinical, in-person contact with patients in order to practice clinical skills in an observed, primary care clinical setting.  The FME runs for 12 hours over two full days or three to four half-days.

Horizontal Electives are entirely optional observership or shadowing experiences undertaken concurrently with other parts of the curriculum. Horizontal electives are not required for completion of the UGME curriculum.

Horizontal Research Electives are entirely optional research opportunities undertaken concurrently with other parts of the curriculum in order to strengthen critical thinking, research, and learning skills. Horizontal research electives are not required for the completion of the UGME curriculum.

Pre-Clerkship Electives are mandatory blocks of curriculum time dedicated to full-time elective activities.

Clerkship Electives are mandatory blocks of curriculum time that allow students to hone their skills in exploring a variety of clinical areas and dedicating time to research.

Reading Electives are an optional means of completing an elective while still allowing students to explore areas of interest in greater depth through directed reading under the guidance of a preceptor.

Research Electives are an optional means of completing an elective while still allowing students to explore areas of interest in greater depth through directed research under the guidance of a preceptor.

Visiting electives are Clerkship block electives secured via the AFMC Student Portal and completed at other Canadian medical schools. Visiting electives are subject to the parameters (i.e. duration, expectations, supervision) of Clerkship block electives.

International electives are Pre-Clerkship or Clerkship block electives completed outside of Canada. International Electives are required to be at least four weeks in duration to ensure that the student is receiving a valuable learning experience abroad. International electives are subject to the parameters (i.e. duration, expectations, supervision) of the clinical block elective being replaced.

This is only for students who have confirmed electives.

In order to obtain computer access at HHSC sites, you are required to complete and submit a Confidentiality Agreement Form (CAF) through the AFMC portal.

Students will be contacted regarding mandatory computer access training session prior to the start of their elective.

Students with a home school in Canada are required to accurately list all prior addresses they have resided in for more than six months consecutively for the past five years prior to their elective start date on their Vulnerable Sector Check application.

When applying for a visiting elective, students must upload a pdf of their Vulnerable Sector Check with their application on the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) portal. Failure to upload this documentation may result in delayed processing of an elective application or a cancelled elective.

It is recognized that similar documentation may be a requirement of the student’s home university therefore, VSCs must be issued with McMaster University or the student’s home school listed as the requesting agency.

Vulnerable Sector Screens must be issued within 12 months of the end date of the elective. If a student’s current VSC or Police Certificate will expire before or during the elective, the student may submit their current document with their application but must, at least 8 weeks prior to the elective start date, upload a new VSC or Police Certificate which is valid until the end of the elective.

Visiting Elective students must make readily available the original copies of uploaded VSCs and/or Police Certificates as they can be requested for verification by the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, the FHS Professionalism Office or the clinical site when attending an elective. Failure to produce original copies when requested may result in a cancelled elective

For Toronto Police Record Requests: an original copy of the “Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information” form is required when requesting a Vulnerable Sector Screen (VSS) from Toronto Police Services. Once your elective is confirmed please email fhsprof@mcmaster.ca with your full name, AFMC application number and your Toronto home address so that a form can be mailed to you. In the interim, a previous police check or letter stating your intent to obtain a Toronto VSS should be uploaded with your application.

1. International students (which includes Canadian citizens who are studying abroad) are required to provide a Police Certificate from each country or territory that they have resided in for more than six months consecutively for the past five years prior to their elective start date.

2. Police Certificates must be issued within 12 months of the end date of the elective. If a student’s current Police Certificate will expire before or during the elective, the student may submit their current document with their application but must, at least 8 weeks prior to the elective start date, upload a new Police Certificate which is valid until the end of the elective.

3. Once the police record check is obtained, the document must be scanned and uploaded onto the AFMC portal.

Failure to submit the police record check may result in the AFMC application not being processed.

Visiting Elective students must make readily available the original copies of uploaded Police Certificates as they can be requested for verification by the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, the FHS Professionalism Office or the clinical site when attending an elective. Failure to produce original copies when requested may result in a cancelled elective.

For Toronto Police Record Requests: an original copy of the “Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information” form is required when requesting a Vulnerable Sector Screen (VSS) from Toronto Police Services. Once your elective is confirmed please email fhsprof@mcmaster.ca with your full name, AFMC application number and your Toronto home address so that a form can be mailed to you. In the interim, a previous police check or letter stating your intent to obtain a Toronto VSS should be uploaded with your application.