Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Cattolica International

Clinical Electives

The mobility programme

Università Cattolica’s Medical School in Rome offers customized clinical electives to international students (free movers) who are currently enrolled in a medical degree. 

You will have the opportunity to work in the University hospital, Policlinico “A. Gemelli” (hereafter referred to as “Policlinico”), with health professionals in the area of your interest.

You can customize your experience by providing a proposal with details on the training program you wish to carry out: the department(s), the discipline, the duration (a minimum of 1 month/45 days -20 working days- for each Clinical Department is required), and the dates.

Please note that candidates can select no more than 3 Clinical Departments (“Unità Operativa Complessa” – UOC, one month each) for the entire mobility period (no more than 3 months).

Cattolica will be hosting a maximum of 50 students (25 students per semester) each academic year in different Departments of the Policlinico.

Please note that this call for applications is applicable to free-movers only who are enrolled at universities that are not currently Università Cattolica partners. Please check with your home university if there is an existing agreement with Università Cattolica’s Medical School in Rome, and bear in mind that if there is, you will have to be nominated by your home institution to take part in the clinical traineeship as an exchange student.

Placements are limited, and submission of an application does not guarantee an offer.

Under this call for applications, the following places are available for prospective candidates.

Department Operational Unit Available places Max. duration (n. months) Period
NeuroScience, Sensory Organs and Chest Ear, Nose and Throat Medicine 2 3 Fall and Spring
NeuroScience, Sensory Organs and Chest Ocular Oncology Unit 1 2 Spring
NeuroScience, Sensory Organs and Chest Maxillofacial Surgery 3 3 Fall and Spring
NeuroScience, Sensory Organs and Chest Thoracic Surgery 2 3 Fall and Spring
NeuroScience, Sensory Organs and Chest Neurosurgery 2 3 Fall and Spring
NeuroScience, Sensory Organs and Chest Pediatric Neurosurgery 2 3 Fall and Spring
NeuroScience, Sensory Organs and Chest Ophthalmology 1 2 Spring
NeuroScience, Sensory Organs and Chest Pulmonology 2 2 Fall and Spring
Ageing, neurosciences, head-neck and orthopaedics sciences Rheumatology 2 3 Fall and Spring
Cardiovascular sciences Medical Clinic and Vascular Diseases 1 2 Fall and Spring
Cardiovascular sciences Acute Coronary Syndromes (Cardiologia d'urgenza) 2 3 Fall and Spring
Cardiovascular sciences Vascular Surgery 4 3 Fall and Spring
Cardiovascular sciences Non-invasive Cardiac Diagnostics 4 3 Fall and Spring
Medical and Abdominal Surgery and Endocrine-Metabolic sciences Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgery 2 3 Fall and Spring
Medical and Abdominal Surgery and Endocrine-Metabolic sciences Urological Clinic 2 3 Fall and Spring
Women, children and public health sciences Obstetrics and Obstetric Diseases 3 3 Fall and Spring
Women, children and public health sciences Cancer Gynaecology 3 3 Fall and Spring
Women, children and public health sciences Pediatric Neuropsychiatry 2 3 Fall and Spring
Women, children and public health sciences Pediatric Surgery 2 3 Fall and Spring
Women, children and public health sciences Pediatrics 3 3 Spring
Women, children and public health sciences Hospital Hygiene 1 1 Fall and Spring
Women, children and public health sciences Plastic Surgery 1 3 Spring
Emergency, anesthesiological and reanimation sciences Anesthesia, CPR, Intensive Therapy and Medical Toxicology 2 3 Fall and Spring
Emergency, anesthesiological and reanimation sciences Urgent Care and Emergency Room Medicine 3 3 Spring
Diagnostic imaging, oncological radiotherapy and hematology Abdomino-Pelvic Radiology Unit 2 3 Fall and Spring
Diagnostic imaging, oncological radiotherapy and hematology Radiology Unit, Columbus 1 3 Fall and Spring
Diagnostic imaging, oncological radiotherapy and hematology Nuclear Medicine 2 3 Fall and Spring
Diagnostic imaging, oncological radiotherapy and hematology Thoracic and Cardiovascular Radiology Unit 2 2 Fall and Spring
Diagnostic imaging, oncological radiotherapy and hematology Emergency and Interventional Radiology Unit 2 3 Fall and Spring
Diagnostic imaging, oncological radiotherapy and hematology Neuroradiology Unit 1 3 Fall and Spring
Diagnostic imaging, oncological radiotherapy and hematology Neurointerventional Unit 2 3 Fall and Spring
Diagnostic imaging, oncological radiotherapy and hematology Hematology and Hematopoietic stem cell transplant 1 3 Fall and Spring
Diagnostic imaging, oncological radiotherapy and hematology Cancer Radiation Therapy
 
4 3 Fall and Spring
Laboratory and infectious diseases sciences Infectious Diseases 2 2 Fall and Spring

 

August is not a period available for traineeships.

  • Completion of a minimum of 6 semesters (at least 3rd year of study) of a medical degree and have entered the practical training phase of your programme at your home institution.
  • Have home institution preliminary approval or have consulted with home institution regarding the conditions that need to be met for programme recognition, if expected.
  • Good level of English or Italian. Non-native English/Italian speakers must give evidence of their language proficiency of a minimum B2 level or equivalent (e.g.: TOEFL Ibt 79, IELTS 6, First Certificate of English, Cambridge ESOL or other certification).
Timeline
Fall Spring
- Applications open 3 APRIL
- Applications reviewed on first come-first served basis until all places are filled
- Training period starts in SEPTEMBER
- Applications open 6 NOVEMBER
- Applications reviewed on first come-first served basis until all places are filled
- Training period starts in MARCH

 

Please note that due to high competitivity of the program, we recommend that students apply as early as possible as we expect available places to fill up quickly.

 

Online application and requested documentation

The application process consists of a 2 step-procedure. Be sure to check in advance your eligibility and to have all the required documentation ready before starting the online application.

The first step (1/2) is done by submitting information and uploading documentation on an online platform. In the first section “Personal data” you will be asked to provide some personal information, such as name and surname, place of birth, contacts, home university and year of course will be asked. In section 2 of the form, “Your clinical electives”, you will be asked to submit your request by expressing the interest in applying for at least 1 and up to 3 different Clinical Departments available as reported above (see point 2). You will have to select the period of mobility (Fall or Spring), and the duration of stay according to the availability.
Moreover, you will have to upload the following required documents:

  1. Learning Agreement for traineeship (filled out and signed by student and sending Institution)
  2. A passport-size picture in jpg format
  3. Scanned copy of your ID or passport (if non-EU student) in PDF format
  4. CV / Resume in PDF format
  5. Motivation letter (max. 1 page) in PDF format
  6. Transcript of Records from your University with grades (PDF format)
  7. Language proficiency / certificates of English + other languages (PDF format)

You may save your application while in progress by indicating your e-mail and a password, so you can resume and complete the form at a later time. 
After successful submission, you will receive an e-mail of confirmation. Our International Office will only process applications duly filled and submitted and check all the required documents. In case of incomplete documentation, your application will not be taken into consideration.
 

In case of complete documentation and availability of places, you will receive an invitation to follow the 2nd and final step (2/2) of the application process, which regards the payment of the placement fee. Cattolica requires a placement fee of € 500 to be paid by all students (EU and Internationals) who are admitted onto the Clinical Electives programme.

Only after payment, your admission will be considered successfully completed. The placement fee is non-refundable.

Once enrolled, successful candidates will be invited to pay a tuition fee of € 500 for every month of placement as shown below. The fee includes University registration and tutorship.

Placement duration Placement fee (non-refundable) Tuition fee (refundable) Total amount to pay
1 month (45 days) € 500 € 500 € 1000
2 months € 500 € 1000 € 1500
3 months € 500 € 1500 € 2000

 

Withdrawal refund policy
In case withdrawal is communicated up to 15 days prior to the start date of the clinical electives program, you will be refunded 100% of paid tuition fees. In case withdrawal is communicated within 15 days prior to the beginning of the program, 50% of the paid tuition fees will be refunded. After 15 days or after the beginning of the clinical electives program, there will be no refund, unless withdrawal stems directly from a relevant case of force majeure.

Admitted students will receive a notification letter. In order to complete the admission process, students will have to accept the offer by sending a letter of acceptance of the clinical electives program (template available) duly signed by the student, and to give proof of payment of the required fees..

Please note that all admitted students must provide via e-mail the following documents at least 60 days prior to the start date of the traineeship:

  1. proof of workplace injury insurance with reference to the period of training at Università Cattolica Rome;
  2. proof of professional/medical malpractice insurance with reference to the period of training at Università Cattolica Rome;
  3. proof of personal liability insurance with reference to the period of training at Università Cattolica Rome (amount requested: € 1.500.000,00);
  4. copy of the European Health Insurance Card (for EU students) or a private insurance certificate (for non-EU students);
  5. proof of negative tuberculine record (Mantoux/Quantiferon) not older than 3 months with reference to the start date of the proposed internship. The medical certificates should be signed by the due health authority (medical doctor or preventive medicine department);
  6. digital COVID certificate (proof of anti-covid booster shot)
Read information about Rome campus.


Please note that housing solutions promoted by Università Cattolica via Educatt are for full-year contracts only. It is therefore the students’ responsibility to search and secure a suitable accommodation for the duration of their traineeship within the Clinical Electives Program. Università Cattolica may not be held responsible for any issues related to accommodation.

Students who arrange clinical electives directly with clinicians, outside of our clinical electives program, should note that they will not be registered at Università Cattolica.

International (non-EU) students must come to Italy with a visa for study purpose category in order to carry out an elective.

Clinicians who wish to accept elective students through UCSC Clinical Electives Program may join our ‘Supervisory List’ at any time by contacting us via mail at ucsc.international-rm@unicatt.it.

Cattolica International - Rome
@: ucsc.international-rm@unicatt.it