FAQ

Accommodation : Can I be accommodated with my partner?
Medics Away elective fees are based on two students sharing, so of course it is perfectly fine for a couple to be accommodated together.
Accommodation : Can I have alternative accommodation?
Medics Away is very keen to keep students together. There are a lot of reasons for this, namely: its safer, more fun, easier to coordinate trips, keeps the costs of the elective to you lower, more fun (I've said that right? needs re-iterating I think) and helps form better bonds with the locals of each location due to repeat business for them. Where Medics Away has houses in locations (Peru and Ethiopia right now), students can request specific rooms if the circumstances pertain to it (i.e. a couple wishes to stay together). All accommodation provided on Medics Away electives is of a very high tourist standard. Please read the accommodation details for respective Electives for more details of what is provided in the elective package. Please read the Accommodation option in the Activity Breaks page for more details of upgrades or alternatives to what is provided on the elective.
Accommodation : Do I pay for my accommodation whilst on my elective?
No, all accommodation is provided in the central elective locations and on all activity breaks. If students decide to venture beyond the range of the elective and the activity breaks provided, then Medics Away is not responsible for paying for your accommodation.
Accommodation : What accommodation is available?
The basic rate for the elective includes all your accommodation costs. Accommodation is based on two students of the same sex sharing a room. For a supplementary charge, Medics Away is able to provide you with single occupancy accommodation (available in only certain elective destinations). This charge is calculated based on the individual requirements of each student. Please refer to the Activity Breaks relative to the destinations you are interested in. If there is no option for single occupancy in the list, it is not likely to be available.
Accommodation : Will I need a sleeping bag?
You will not need a sleeping bag for any of the Electives or Activity Breaks. In Peru and Belize for instance, sleeping bags are provided (at a small charge of $10 USD, for cleaning costs) for treks and overnight ATM tours. Most other electives do not require the facility of sleeping bags.
Activities : Can friends and family join us on Activities?
Family and friends are more than welcome to enjoy all the opportunities available to you on the elective. Fees for such services are calculated on an individual basis and depends on whether or not they require Medics Away to provide accommodation and/or discovery trips. Please have any friends or family fill out a Booking Form, specifying 'Activity Break' and the name elective student they want to join.
Activities : Can I do extra activities & excursions?
Yes. Please refer to the Travel Options page for more details of all excursion.
Activities : Will I be charged for ‘PO’ Activity extras?
You will not be invoiced or charged for the 'PO' selections from the Activities section. These selections are for the Medics Away team and other participating elective students to analyse and try and see trends between groups of students that may have similar ideas on extra excursions. The Overlap document contains details of excursions that other students are doing and therefore will give you a better insight into actvities that you may wish to do. Please use the Contact page to request a fresh copy of the overlap document.
Available Electives : Are these electives available to UK students only?
The electives are available to all medical students, irrespective of nationality or university location. Most students are from the UK, but there are good number of students from the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the rest of continental Europe. All prices are quoted in GBP, but your final invoice will be for your home countries currency calculated with up to date exchange rates.
Available Electives : Do you have any feedback from previous students?
We have a lot of students travelling on electives all year round. On the whole, we rely on word of mouth as our key source of advertising. Students commonly report back to their university or to the Electives Network rather than to us about their experience. I am sure if you look into the elective feedback system, you will read plenty of feedback from previous customers of ours. Students are always very satisfied with our electives and we are proud of the level of service and support we provide students before and during their electives. We are upgrading our website and will look to create a dynamic environment to allow students to leave their comments and others to see them. Please look at the Gallery for some photos.
Available Electives : How far in advance can I book?
Medics Away is currently taking reservations as far as two years in advance so spaces for our electives do become limited quite early. That’s not actually true, because the next FAQ answer says we can take late reservations and we are able to expand most of our electives like we have been doing for the last 6 years, but we really want to encourage early bookings, so please be mindful of time.
Cancellation : What happens if I cancel my elective with Medics Away?
In the event of a cancelled elective, all four parties involved with the contract will be informed, i.e. the student, Medics Away Ltd and appropriate staff, the University and the Host Hospital Institution. Medics Away is legally obliged to inform all four groups. We provide all students that make reservations, with documentation that state we are responsible for a lot of activities whilst on their travels. When we receive a cancellation, we feel it is our duty and a requirement of our business to ensure that all parties involved with medical electives are informed. Once informed, all personal data regarding the student is frozen and their account is deactivated. A student may reactivate their account at any time in the future. No third party companies are ever given access to personal data of customers or potential customers of Medics Away Ltd.
Charitable Projects : Can students get involved?
The team here at Medics Away are really keen on all new charitable projects. The Medics Away Foundation has a fund that receives donations from various sources. Medics Away was built on feedback from students of past to provide information on charitable opportunities for the future. Its fantastic when students organize a small fund raising campaign before travelling. Please refer to the Medics Away Foundation for more details.
Currency : How much and what kind of money should I take with me?
You will need some spending money for your elective for food, souvenirs and some social money. Most things are cheap and in general your eating expense will not add up to much. In saying that, a fancy meal out in a restaurant can be quite pricey so you may want to keep this kind of activity for the weekends and for those luxury moments. It is worth taking some U.S. dollars with you also. I would budget for between £500 and £750 GBP for your trip, and you may expect to bring some change home with you afterwards. If this works out not to be enough, it is quite easy to take money out of the ATM machine,s but you don't want to have to do this too much as the exchange rate you'll get will not be all that good. We recommend you take US travellers cheques and not GBP cheques, as people often get confused between the Pound and the Euro and you can end up getting a poorexchange rate. Take half as currency (i.e. $500 USD in cash) and half as travellers cheques.
Currency : Is my specialty guaranteed?
On the whole, specialty requests are fulfilled. The hospitals are very dynamic environments with various departments having more and less availability at different times of the year. Medics Away and the host hospital will do our very best to make sure you in a suitable specialty. Your first encounter on the first day of your medical rotation with the administration departments in the respective hospital locations, will determine on the whole which specialty you are given. Students have been known to hop between specialties having found their feet.
Dates : No Dates Specified?
Sometimes Medics Away receives requests for elective information without specifying what dates they wish to travel. It is important to get dates so that our database can produce overlap documents and we can check availability for the elective. In such circumstances, the Medics Away system will automatically provide dates for the upcoming June and July of that year or the next year.
Dates : Why are there low numbers of other students in the Overlap Document?
Medics Away receives reservations for the Electives and Activity Breaks all year round. Overlap documents that show the reservations for elective dates greater than 4 months into the future, do not represent the true number of potential students traveling with the service. At least 30% of the Medics Away business comes from last minute reservations, so you should always expect a few more people traveling. We very rarely (in fact never) have students traveling on their own completely, there is normally always a good group going to each elective destination, all year round.
Electives Available : Are electives available outside of the destinations you offer?
I am sorry to inform you that we do not currently supply electives to anywhere outside of our Portfolio. These countries include Bali, Belize, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Peru, Thailand and Tobago. We are always looking to expand our service into new destinations, so if you have any suggestions then please let us know.
Electives Available : Can I change my mind about which elective I want to travel on?
Medics Away has plenty of good electives available, and we can pretty much guarantee most of our electives will have spaces available for you to swap at any time. The electives that I have unlimited capacity are Peru, India, and Bali so I would not need much notice for these destinations. Canada, Belize, Tobago, Ethiopia, Thailand and Egypt have limited capacity, so you would need to consult with the Medics Away UK team as to whether we could put you on the elective. Our busiest time of year is between March and October, so anytime outside of these dates will pretty much not be a problem.
Electives Available : Can I split an elective between two destinations?
You can of course split your elective between two destinations. Your university would have to give permission also. You should also expect to travel for at least 6 weeks, with a minimum of 3 weeks in each destination. You must also understand that our electives are designed for 4 weeks or more, and as a result there are a lot of activities you are expected to participate in (i.e. hospital rotations, discovery trips, Spanish lessons, etc.), not to mention some private time for yourself to do some personal traveling, so you may have find yourself a bit rushed in each destination. We would design and organize all aspects of the elective to suit the reduced time spent in each location. With regard to cost, the fee would be calculated based on the activities you participate in and the complexity of the organization required.
Electives Available : Can non-medical students participate on the elective?
Anyone can realistically enjoy the opportunity of a Medics Away elective. Generally speaking, the opportunities suit those people from the medical profession (med students, doctors, nurses, etc.) but there are plenty of good volunteer positions (i.e. helping out in disabled children's orphanage, helping in construction work with local projects, etc.) to suit all types of person. If anyone you know would like to reserve a place on the elective, have them fill out our Booking Form and send this back to us with details of exactly what type of work they would like to do. If they are medical professionals then just simply put down what specialty they would prefer to rotate through, and we will have that organized also.
Electives Available: Can Medics Away process late applications?
Medics Away can take a reservation at point, with very little notice. It is preferable to know in advance of a reservation. Canada is the only elective that requires at least five months prior booking to stand even a chance of completing the paper work.
Flights : What flight details do I need to provide Medics Away?
Medics Away requires your full flight details including the name of the airline, flight number, arrival time and date and the destination. We only require the last leg of your flight details (i.e. the flight that arrives into the elective host country) and not all of the connecting flights. It is also useful to know the flight details for your departure journey (i.e. only the flight that leaves the elective host country and not all of the connecting flights). Upon making a reservation, you will find a form that allows you to register your flight details with us.
Flights : When should I buy my flights for the elective?
Students generally buy flights from between 6 and 2 months before their expected arrival onto the elective program. Most airline companies do not publish flights over 8 months in advance, so there is little point looking around for deals prematurely. A lot of people believe that the earlier you book flights, the cheaper they'll be. This is not entirely true, as a lot of airlines reduce the fares having published them for a few months. Medics Away will provide you with a guide price of what to expect to pay for flights depending on the time of year. This is only available to students who have made reservations.
Gifts : What should I buy to say thanks to the Representatives?
Ultimately most students end up forming quite a bond with the Medics Away Representatives abroad, and most students will want to say a little thank you for looking after them. I would personally recommend taking a small gift from your own home country, on the elective with you. The Reps all have everything they need from the elective country they run, and it’s much nicer to receive something from overseas. Obviously, it’s completely up to the discretion of individual students traveling, but as a guide, this is the recommendation of Medics Away UK.
Hospital : Am I expected to do Night Shifts or On-Call Duties?
You will not be expected to undertake night shifts or on-calls, but you can certainly sign up for some once you are in the elective country if you are keen.
Hospital : Are HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis packs provided with the Medics Away elective?
Medics Away cannot currently supply you with HIV PEP packs for your elective as these are very toxic drugs and need to be prescribed. Your university or local GP can help you with this. We recommend you do take your own PEP pack. Of course, in the event of an incident we can assist in many ways with respect to any needle stick injuries you may incur, and we have action protocols of our own that we follow in this situation, but on an official basis we do not supply you with these pharmaceuticals and so you must protect yourself as best you can. The 3 methods of protection are: Avoid unnecessary risky procedures in the hospital; Buy adequate Specialist Travel Insurance (BMA Elective Insurance); Purchase a HIV PEP pack (or at least one or two in a group).
Hospital : Can I change my chosen specialty?
You can change your preferred specialty very easily by going to the Edit Profile page and simply changing the details there. The Medics Away database will automatically updated and the appropriate Representatives informed. Medics Away cannot always guarantee specialty choice, but we do our best to accommodate you as best we can. It is well known for students to hop between specialties also, so be sure to keep a keen eye out for any opportunities like this when you are on your elective, and don't be afraid to ask either the UK team, your Medics Away Rep or your hospital supervisor for anything.
Hospital : Can I do a research project?
There are plenty of good opportunities to do a research project. Previous students have done a few projects over the years and all have been very productive. You will have to consider whether ethical approval might be needed (i.e. are you going to have patients directly involved with the study or not?). To avoid having problems with this, you are well advised conducting a study that looks into patients records rather than speaking to them personally. You are best keeping the study as simple as possible. Quite often we recommend doing a case study on one particular disease and comparing between the host hospital and perhaps your own university hospital. How it presented, the investigations performed, what the management and follow up was and finally the outcome. Often we like students performing projects to come up with recommendations so that future Medics Away students can re-assess in years to come (similar to closing the Audit Loop). Please speak to a Medics Away member of staff for more details.
Hospital : Can I have a personalised letter from the Hospital Director?
On making a reservation with Medics Away, you will receive 3 Confirmation Letter's (a Personal, a University & a Hospital version) via email. These are written to such that they address each of the three customers of Medics Away and as such make up the contracts of agreement between the four parties involved with the elective (i.e. Medics Away, Yourself, Your University and the Host Hospital). These documents detail the relevant personnel in the elective country and should be sufficient for your university to verify your elective placement. Your elective is through Medics Away, and the hospital and other aspects of the elective are associated through the company, therefore it is appropriate that we approve the elective for you. I hope this is satisfactory for you, and I am sure your university will agree and accept these documents as proof.
Hospital : Can I have details of the hospital?
Medics Away is unable to release information regarding the details of the host institutions. Students who make a reservation are given more details sufficient for their own and university's requirements. Once a booking is registered, you will be supplied with a Portfolio, Confirmation Letters, a Risk Assessment and General Itinerary for the elective destination. All information provided is covered by the policies of the company detailed in the following links Privacy Policy, Accessibility & Terms & Conditions. Any individual found to be using information provided illegitimately will be immediately removed from the membership database and, if appropriate, have their reservation with the Medics Away program suspended.
Hospital : Can we take sometime off?
Medics Away and the hospitals associated with the company, understands that students want to have some time to explore the surrounding country and not just in the weekends. We are happy for students to do this as long as they state clearly to the hospital and their clinical supervisor, exactly what time they would like off. The hospitals are well briefed as to what students want and will not be surprised about the suggestion of some free time, so do not be embarrassed to ask.
Hospital : Can you fill in my University form for me?
The Medics Away UK team will be happy to complete your forms for you. Medics Away is even able to provide your university with Risk Assessments of all elective destinations, C.V.'s of the Directors of all the hospitals we deal with abroad, C.V.'s of UK based staff and we are happy to email and correspond with your faculty to ensure their satisfaction with the program. Please use the Contact page to inform us of any forms you need filling in, or email us your form to
Hospital : Can you guarantee my place with the host institution once I book?
Yes, we can guarantee a place as soon as you have made a reservation and we can give you details of the host institution immediately. All information provided by us must be used with discretion, and only once we have a solid booking will we give you this information. For a solid booking we would prefer it if you purchased your flights in the near future, as this tends to commit students more.
Hospital : Do the host institutions use Universal Precautions?
I can confirm that universal precautions are utilized as much as possible in all host Institutions. This would be a good audit topic for any student wanting to look into, and one that could be easily repeated (to close the audit loop) in years to come by future students.
Hospital : How long am I expected to stay in the hospital?
Each student wants to spend a varying amount of time in the hospital, doing Discovery Trips and having free recreational time. Medics Away electives are very flexible and will accommodate for every students differing needs. A fairly average week on a Medics Away elective may include half a day (perhaps 8am to 12pm), five days a week in the hospital doing hospital rotations, with free time in the afternoon to do extra activities (i.e. Spanish classes, shopping, sight seeing, etc.) Students can voluntarily do more hospital rotations in the afternoon also. The weekends are normally kept for recreactional activities and socialising.
Hospital : Is the work ‘Hands-on’?
The work you will do in the hospital will be much like what you will have probably experienced in clinical rotations at your university hospital. There will be a variety of activities including ward rounds, some theatre time, clinics, community visits and you will even have the opportunity to undertake a small retrospective study or audit. We encourage students to show some self-governance and be keen to present cases to the doctors in the hospital. You will also be able to perform basic clinical skills like taking bloods, performing examinations, thinking up management plans, etc. The details of the hospital's expectations of you will be explained on arrival.
Hospital : Is there any official teaching on the elective?
We are currently arranging for all electives between one and two hours formal teaching for all students a week, by an English speaking doctor in all of our electives. We did this in our Ethiopian elective last year as a test run, and it worked very successfully. Students got to learn a great deal about diseases that specifically affected that population and were able to get a better understanding for the work that was being done in each of our host institutions. This idea is still only an idea. It may take longer to instigate than one may hope, so we have not included this as part of the elective officially, so please do not be disappointed.
Hospital : What clothes do we need for the Hospital?
The hospital will expect you to wear smart-ish clothes. They don't expect you to be dressed to impress as it were, but sufficiently smart not to look like you have just walked in off the street. You are advised to take a white coat (just a light one) which you may be expected to wear during ward rounds, etc. If you have requested a surgical rotation then you may consider taking a pair of scrubs. Do not pack too many smart clothes as a lot of your time will be spent exploring and you will regret it if you have a bag full of your nicest gear. It's only going to get crushed in the bottom of your bag, and won't look very smart once you get home. Anything you forget to take with you, you can simply buy in the markets and shops of the town you are in.
Hospital: Can we do the weeks of clinical rotations our university require of us?
You are able to attend the hospital for the entire duration of the elective and you can therefore fulfill all of your university requirements. Hospital Director's are well accustomed to signing off documentation for elective students. It has been known for some students (especially from the U.S.A.) to gain credit for their medical course through Medics Away electives. For more information please Contact us for more details.
Insurance : Do I need any specialist Insurance or is ordinary travel Insurance sufficient?
We recommend BMA Elective Insurance because we do not consider standard Travel Insurance to be adequate.
Insurance : How do get BMA travel insurance and Indemnity insurance?
You will need to have insurance that will cover any needle stick injuries, etc. We recommend taking out Elective Insurance with the BMA Elective Cover, which is very comprehensive. However, this will not cover you for indemnity matters arising from clinical practice undertaken anywhere in the world. This can be obtained free of charge from the MDU providing that you are member. You can visit their website and go to the MDU Elective Indemnity page. The Medical Protection Society also provides this, again free of charge. Join via their website using the MPS Student Application page.
Itineraries : Can I have a personalised Itinerary?
The Medics Away design team is in the process of producing a system that will produce bespoke, dynamic, itemized itineraries which can be adapted by both the company and the student, to changing circumstances and needs. As I am sure you can imagine, this is a very complicated programming challenge and requires a bit more time. We will let you know once this functionality is available. In the mean time, most electives run autonomously and require no particular itinerary. Some electives, for example Belize and Thailand, require quite detailed scheduling to co-ordinate students for Discovery Trips. Students traveling to these locations will be provided with regular updates to their itinerary whilst on their elective to reflect changing needs and requirements.
Language: My university won’t let me go because of the Language barrier?
We have never had a problem with students not being able to go because of the language barrier. Students can struggle sometimes with dialects and taking histories, but there is always someone near by to translate. The clinical presentation alone can give you all the exposure you would want from your elective, so language barriers should not be interpretted as barriers, rather more as obstacles to overcome.
Late Reply : I have emailed Medics Away and have not heard anything back. Why?
Medics Away would like to apologies to any student has not received a response to an email or telephone message. There could be a number of reasons for this, but most likely the email or message was not received or accidentally deleted. Sometimes we prioritize emails. Some jobs need to be done urgently; others can wait a day or two. We do try and respond to emails on the same day. All Medics Away UK work on the company every day (including Christmas and other holidays) and all emails are checked from all accounts every day. If you would like an urgent response, sometimes it is good to just resend the email or telephone us. We are available any time of day, so please do not hesitate to interrupt during the finals of X-Factor or an episode of Coronation Street. You're probably doing us a favour.
Luggage: What happens to my luggage whilst on my Discovery Trip?
Our representative will gladly look after your extra luggage when you go on extra excursions or Discovery Trips. You will also be able to easily leave any luggage in the accommocation we provide you with whilst on your Discovery Trip, so you should never feel overly weighed down. Please try not to carry too much on your elective. Anything over 20kg of gear, you are probably over packed. I normally carry a maximum of 15kg of main gear with 3kg of carry on luggage.
Medical Kits : When will the kits be sent?
Generally speaking, kits are sent out 2 weeks before departure date. However, we send the kits out in blocks (i.e. seasonal), so if your departure date is in the middle of summer, you may receive your kit up to 3 months in advance. It just depends. We will probably also double check medical kit addresses before dispatch, so keep an eye out for this email and respond as quickly as possible (if your address has changed) so kits can go out promptly.
Others Travelling : Can my friend / family visit me?
Your friend or family members can of course meet you on your elective, but they would be subject to individual charges for any services used (i.e. accommodation, adventure trips, etc.). They would need to make reservations through our Activities page bycreating a new account for themselves and following the booking procedure.
Payment : Can we have our invoices issued now?
We will issue you with your invoice now, but you may wish to sign up for other extra Activities between now and your departure date, so the invoice total may change (i.e. domestic flights, etc). In this situation, we can just adjust the invoice according to the Activities you have requested and the amount you have already paid. Payments can be made at any time, as long as we have the balance completed before your departure date.
Payment : Can we pay in installments or all at once?
We would prefer it if you sent us full payment of the elective all in one go by cheque or bank transfer. We are looking to open up credit card transactions in the future but we currently are unable to accept credit cards. If you would like to pay for the elective in installments we can organize a payment schedule for you. This can be over any period of time and for any installment amount. You must complete the balance for the elective before traveling to the host country.
Payment : Can you provide me with a cost breakdown?
I am sorry to say we do not supply cost breakdowns, in the same way that no other travel company will provide them. Our charges are based on the cost of the individual electives, commissions paid to our representatives, overheads (past, present and future), a rescue fund for students who find themselves in trouble, our charitable activities and our profits, most of which are ploughed back into developing better and more extensive electives. If it is any consolation to you, none of the people running the company have drawn any salary for the past 5 years and this is the first year the company will make a profit. If there was no profit, there would be no service – that’s the American way.
Payment : Deposit
Medics Away does not require a deposit to secure a place on any of the elective programs. Some Activities for some electives do have non-refundable deposits associated with them (i.e. Inca Trail in Peru), but most do not and the general elective package (not including extra activities) are mostly deposit free.
Payment : What if we cannot go on our elective?
In the unfortunate event of being unable to go on the elective (either due to a change in circumstances or not passing exams) then Medics Away will refund all of your payment and nothing will be deducted. If you opt for extras that are non-refundable, then the cost of these will not be refunded. As payment is not expected until near the date of your departure, then quite often Medics Away can just cancel your elective before you have even made payment. Medics Away does not expect any deposit to secure a place on the elective program.
Safety : HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis
You should be able to buy a 3 day HIV PEP pack, rather than the full 30 day prescription (which will cost about $1000 USD). The small packs cost approximately $100 USD and give the individual enough time to return to their home country and receive the remainder of the treatment (you would require many blood tests i.e. LFT's etc. during treatment and you are better off having these at home). If you cannot buy this pack, then I wouldn't worry too much as I am sure other students will have the packs with them. Medics Away will probably be able to help considerably also. Careful clinical practice and good technique aswell as avoiding risky situations is by far the best way to avoid requiring the use of an HIV PEP pack.
Student Details : Are there other students traveling at the same time as my dates?
Medics Away now has consistently booked electives nearly 12 months of the year, with the busiest time of between April and September and our quietest between October and March. Now that our service is becoming more popular with students from Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A., Canada and most of Europe, as well as obviously the U.K., students traveling with Medics Away can expect to meet other medics from all over the world. It is a great opportunity to compare best medical practice and make lots of new friends. Our overlap documents provide a 'real time' analysis of all bookings for the dates you have requested. This document is currently a static documents that will be sent to your email, but we are working on making it a dynamic part of the website. If you would like to have an up to date copy of your Overlap document, please use the Contact page to make the request.
Student Details : What requirements do the Medics Away electives require?
Medics Away requires that those medical students signing up for the electives are matriculated with a university that is recognised by the World Health Organisation (especially for electives in Canada) or that they can prove that the course they are matriculated on is a genuine medical qualification
Student Details : Why do we need passport details?
Passport numbers are required for some Discovery Trips and for the paper work we provide for the hospitals. All information provided to Medics Away is confidential and is never passed onto any third party companies. Please refer to our company Privacy Policy, Accessibility & Terms & Conditions pages for more details.
University : How do I show my university that I have booked my elective with Medics Away?
Once you have made a reservation with Medics Away for an elective, you will receive the 'Confirmation of elective Booking' email which contains your Confirmation Letters for your elective. You will also have your membership upgraded to a 'Super-member' which will give you access to more information on the website and will enable you to track the progress of your elective (i.e. Flights, Specialties, Overlap Documents, Change Personal Details, Risk Assessment Form, Country Portfolio, etc.). All information provided is confidential and students should be careful not to divulge private company information to third parties that may be competitors to Medics Away. Please refer to our company Privacy Policy, Accessibility & Terms & Conditions pages for more details.
Visas : What kind of visa do I need for an elective?
You will require a valid passport with at least six months validity. You will also require a Tourist Visa. You will not require a working visa as you will not be paid during your Elective and you will not require a student visa as you will not be officially matriculated with a University. If you do apply for anything but a tourist visa, you are going to need a lot information with regard referee's, etc. This is typical of most countries we deal with. Please do not cause yourself more trouble than its worth, and apply for a tourist visa. We have organised excursions for many years and we know the requirements, so trust us and obtain a tourist visa. You will not need a referee for a tourist visa