Information for Medical Students seeking elective postings at C.M.C.H., Vellore
Students from overseas countries are accepted for elective training programmes up to a maximum of 3 months. Every year about 1,000 applications are received from medical students and 100-150 come for training either as elective students or as student visitor observers.
A formal permission from the Medical Council of India and the Ministry of Health, Government of India is necessary for doing elective training in this institution. The specific application forms for this purpose may be obtained from the Principals’ office. After the filled in application, the Dean’s letter etc. are received from the candidate along with a bank draft for U.S. $40/- (subject to change) towards processing fee and Medical Council of India application fee, drawn in favour of Christian Medical College Vellore Association A/c, payable at Vellore, the application will be forwarded to the authority concerned. Obtaining permission takes approximately 4-6 months. The dates given in elective application cannot be changed without further reference to the Medical Council.
Elective students would be posted to various clinical units/departments of their choice to participate in ward rounds, clinics, demonstrations, lectures and seminars. However, they will not be able to take part in direct patient care. Many overseas students are interested to see Primary Health Care in rural settings and this could be arranged in the departments of Community Health and Development (CHAD) and Rural Unit for Health and Social Affairs (RUHSA). Maximum period of elective training usually permitted is three months.
Elective students are permitted to collaborate with any ongoing research projects, but will not be permitted to do any separate project, without clearance from the Research Committee, Ethics committee if necessary, and the appropriate Government authority.
Further details will be given by the Principal’s Office. A sum of US $80 per peson per month of study will be charged towards tuition fee (subject to change from time to time). Standard evaluation form from this institution will be issued. They may get accomodation at the Hospital Annexe for which they will have to pay separately at $4 or 5 per day (subject to changes in the current tarriff). For reserving accommodation, they may write directly to the Manager, Hospital Annexe, C.M.C. Hospital, Vellore-632004, India. In case the hospital annexe cannot provide them with accommodation they will have to contact one of the hotels in Vellore town. List of hotels will be provided by Principal’s office.
If the permission is not obtained in time from the Medical Council of India, and the Ministry of Health, students could still come as “visitor student observer” provided they do not require official certification for the student elective period. They could take part in all aspects of study as mentioned above but we would not be in a position to issue any certificate/assessment paper. The period in this status shall not exceed four weeks. It is possible to arrange for another two weeks in a nearby Mission hospital for an additional two weeks, on arrival in Vellore. The visitor student observer fee is U.S. $60/- for four weeks.
Students of other disciplines such as occupational therapy and physiotherapy are also accepted for elective training. Candidates wishing to come for any of these programmes may write to the Principal, enclosing a letter from the Dean of their school. Postings are arranged by the department concerned. A tuition fee of U.S. $80 is charged for a period of six weeks (subject to change from time to time) and postage fee of U.S. $5/-. This may be paid on arrival in Vellore. Accommodation during elective training will have to be arranged ahead of time directly by the candidates. The list of hotels in the town will be provided by the Principal’s office.
Further details may be obtained by contacting the Principal, Christian Medical College, Vellore 632 002, South India or from any of the office bearers of Friends of Vellore in Australia.
Information for Elective Students
My Experience as an Elective Student at Vellore
Dr. Andrew Emerson,
Intern Medical Officer, Westmead Hospital, Sydney
In January 2010, during my final year in medicine I had the pleasure of undertaking a medical elective at the Christian Medical College, Vellore. CMC was founded by Dr. Ida Scudder in 1902; it was built as one of the first women’s medical colleges in India.
During my stay I undertook rotations in General Surgery, Haematology and Community Health and Development. Whilst the types of patients that presented to the hospital and the quality of teaching received were things that I will always remember, what amazed me was the focus on Christ in the everyday lives of the doctors and nurses who worked there. From the morning devotions held by the team at the start of the week to the hymns sung by the nurses, it was refreshing to see how the focus on God was at the heart of the hospital’s mission. I recall seeing Bible verses on wall plaques in the campus library. One of these, Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord Is the beginning of wisdom” is something I’m still reminded of to this day. It’s motto “Not to be served, but to serve” was certainly something I saw in the lives of the staff who often worked tirelessly from 8am to well past midnight on many days of the week.
Whilst many patients who came to CMC were not from affluent backgrounds, it was interesting to see the strategies that the hospital implemented to ensure medical care was provided to those who needed it the most. From the creation of the A-ward which provided additional funding for the general surgical and medical wards, and the financial support from patient’s who would often be willing to pay for others who were less able, it was inspirational to see the generosity amongst the people of Vellore.
I will always remember my experiences at CMC. The lessons learned and the friendships made will always be cherished, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who’s interested in undertaking a medical elective overseas.
