Postgraduate Visiting Electives

Who is eligible for Postgraduate Visiting Resident electives?

Postgraduate Resident Elective applications are limited to:

• 1. Residents who are enrolled in a recognized Family Practice, Specialty, or Sub-specialty (Royal College) training program in Canada or the United States. All applicants in this pathway must be Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents who are legally entitled to live and work in British Columbia and are currently enrolled in a recognized Family Practice, Specialty, or Sub-specialty (Royal College) training program in Canada or the United States
• 2. Sponsored (Visa) Trainees, International Residents and Postgraduate Fellows are eligible for visiting electives at UBC. They should apply via a separate pathway as a Postgraduate Trainee for an elective in BC.

Who is not eligible for Postgraduate Visiting Resident electives?

• Individuals not currently enrolled in a recognized residency training program
• European medical students completing their fifth year
• BC Work Permit holders

Timeline

All Elective Applications must be submitted a minimum of 8 weeks prior to the Elective start date. Failure to meet this deadline will result in an ineligible or declined application.

It is the responsibility of applicants to arrange their own postgraduate resident electives. Applicants should contact the specific UBC training program for further information.

Canadian Residents

For Canadian Residents who are enrolled in a recognized Family Practice, Specialty, or Sub-specialty (Royal College) training program in Canada or the United States, the following documents are required as part of your Visiting Resident Elective application:

1. Confirmation letter from the home program director indicating approval of the elective. The confirmation letter must include the dates of the elective and the program’s contact information (PDF Format only)
2. Confirmation letter from the preceptor indicating that he or she will be the applicant’s supervisor during the elective. The confirmation letter must include the dates of the elective, the site(s) where the elective will take place, and the preceptor’s contact information (PDF Format only)
3. Administrative Fee Receipt in PDF format only. This fee can be paid online.




**PLEASE NOTE **
A) The elective start/end date and elective site locations must be same on the application form, home PD letter & UBC preceptor letter.
B) A $100.00 non-refundable, non-transferable administrative fee is required to process the application. This administrative fee is payable by term (i.e Term 1: Block 1 – 6, Term 2: Block 7 – 13). Therefore, the fee will be $100.00 per term irrespective of the number of elective requests in each term.
C) UBC cannot complete any affiliation agreements or other legal agreements with home institutions in support of a visiting elective application at UBC.

Canadian Residents

Once an applicant has arranged an elective and completed all required documents, they must complete the PGME Visiting Electives Application Form.

Step 1: Applicants are required to register for an applicant profile in the Visiting Electives Application Portal before submitting an Elective Application.

Step 2: Once an applicant profile has been created, applicants may then submit an Elective Application.

Here are support resources on how to complete your PGME Visiting Electives Application.

Once a completed application has been submitted, you will receive an email confirmation on the status of your application.

Step 3: Once your application is approved by the PGME Dean’s Office, you will receive an Elective Confirmation Letter.

A copy of the Elective Confirmation Letter will also be forwarded by the PGME Dean’s Office to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (CPSBC). The CPSBC will then contact applicants directly with instructions regarding the application for temporary registration. All confirmed elective residents must register with the CPSBC prior to commencing their elective.

Step 4: All confirmed elective residents must register for licensing with the CPSBC prior to commencing their elective.

Please Note: Elective applications will not typically be processed until 6 – 7 weeks prior to the Elective start date.

Sponsored (Visa) Trainees, International Residents and Postgraduate Fellows

Sponsored (Visa) Trainees, International Residents and Postgraduate Fellows should apply via a separate pathway as a Postgraduate Trainee. Please see this page here for more details on the application process.

Please refer to the following requirements which must be in place prior to undertaking your elective at UBC:

Licensing with CPSBC

Please connect directly with CPSBC at: education@cpsbc.ca for questions relating to your licensing with The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC.

Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) Coverage

CMPA coverage is mandatory and a condition of your license with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. All trainees at UBC must be appropriately protected for any medico-legal issues that may arise during your elective. Without liability protection, trainees are in breach of their educational license with the College. If you already have CMPA coverage but are new to BC contact CMPA to transfer your coverage. For more information, see the CMPA website.

Elective Preceptors must hold a Clinical Faculty Appointment with UBC

All Elective Preceptors must hold a Clinical Faculty Appointment with UBC. Applicants can confirm this directly with their Preceptor or via the UBC PGME Electives administrator.

N95 Mask Fit Testing

It is a requirement for visiting residents to ensure that they are fit tested for a make/model that is used at the site you will be working. Visiting residents should have a fit-testing certificate that is valid in BC for the duration of the elective. In BC, a fit test must be carried out at least once per year. 2-year certificates from other Provinces are only valid for 1 year in BC. Whilst many facilities do provide mask fit testing for employees, they will not provide this service for visiting residents on elective.

For visiting residents who need a fit test in BC, Link2Life provide this service. The standard N95 models in BC are 3M 1870+, 3M 1860/1860S (S=small) or Vitacore CAN99 9500. For more information on Mask Fitting requirements in BC, please see here.

Please refer to the following resources for support whilst undertaking your elective at UBC:

CST Cerner

CST Cerner will be auto-provisioned for all out of province trainees undertaking electives at UBC. If you experience any challenges with CST Cerner access, please contact the Cerner team directly at: CSTCernerTraining@phsa.ca

Network ID & Hospital Access

Please contact your UBC elective supervisor or UBC program administrator if you are experiencing network ID and/or hospital access challenges.

Housing and Accommodations in BC

For resources on housing and accommodations in BC please refer to this page: Moving To BC

General Elective Queries

For any other challenges relating to your UBC elective feel free to reach out to the PGME Electives office at: pgme.electives@ubc.ca

Questions regarding electives can be sent to pgme.electives@ubc.ca. Please allow two business days for a response.

Visiting Electives Application FAQ’s.