Clinical Elective Program (臨床実習)

　Clinical Elective Program is now available only for students from partner universities.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　※ update : Mar.11, 2025

Application Guideline for Medical Frontier Program
Clinical Elective Program for International Students


About Medical Frontier Program
The University of Osaka Faculty of Medicine offers short-term, clinical or research training opportunities for international undergraduate students.
Students from partner universities and those from non-partner universities participate in the program as a special auditor and credited auditor, respectively. Please note that the quota for students from non-partner universities is quite limited. (See “2. Duration of the Electives, Application Deadline.”)
Medical Frontier Program has two courses: Clinical Elective Course and Research Course.

Application Process: Clinical Elective Course

1.Eligibility

  1. 1) Undergraduate medical students in their clinical years prior to obtaining the degree of Doctor of Medicine or medical license
  2. 2) Have completed a minimum of 12 months of clinical training before the start of the program.
  3. 3) Recent evidence of English or Japanese proficiency. The score sheet of TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) should be submitted. Minimum requirement: TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.0, JLPT N2

The English language requirement may be waived if you are a native English speaker or studying full-time in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.
Students from universities in Canada or South Africa where English is used as a medium of instruction also do not need to fulfil the language requirement.
Students from an institution without inter-faculty student exchange agreement undergo document screening.

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2.Duration of the Elective, Application Deadline

Electives are offered for a maximum of four weeks. Elective rotations start on Monday and end on Friday. Electives are not available during April, the first week of May, the last week of December, and the first week of January due to a shortage of training staff. Electives in March need to be finished by the last Friday of the month.

[Students from partner universities]
Application is open from the first day of eight months before the month of your enrollment to the first day of six months before that month.
(ex. For elective that starts in June, applications open from October 1st to December 1st of the previous year.)

[Students from non-partner universities]
Quota and application deadline for students from non-partner universities

We do not host students from non-partner universities now.

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3.Specialties, Credits

Choose specialties (departments) of your interest from “Division of Medicine – Main”:
https://www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp/eng/introduction/research

The minimum and maximum length of placement in a department is one week and two weeks, respectively. Clinical electives are mainly observational and conducted under the supervision of clinicians. Generally, class hours are from 9 am to 4 pm, including one-hour lunch break. Attendance on Saturdays and Sundays may be required by the department where you are placed.
Credits will be given upon successful completion of the program: one week placement = one credit. Completion certificate and transcript will be issued after the end of the program.

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4.Financial Information

  1. 1) Application Entry Fee (non-refundable)
    Once we receive all your application documents, we ask you to make the payment of application entry fee of 9,800 JPY by overseas remittance. The fee is not refundable even if you withdraw your application or your application is declined.
  2. 2) Enrollment Fee (non-refundable)
    Enrollment fee of 28,200 JPY is to be paid by overseas remittance following the notice of official acceptance. We will inform you when to execute the payment (about two months before your elective).
  3. 3) Tuition
    You are asked to pay tuition (14,400 JPY per week) by the due date after your arrival at the University of Osaka.

    Students from non-partner universities students are required to pay all 1) to 3) fees    .
    Those fees are waived for students from partner universities.
    Please consult with the program coordinator at your institution for details.
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5.Cancellation or Change in Elective Schedule

We do not accept cancellation or change in the elective schedule after you are officially accepted. If you withdraw your application due to circumstances beyond your control, prepare and submit a document telling the reasons of withdrawal reviewed and approved by the faculty or the department chair of your home institution. No refund will be provided in case of withdrawal or shortening the duration of your elective after the start of the elective.
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6.Accommodation

You are required to make your own housing arrangements. University dormitories are not available for a stay shorter than four weeks. https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/international/inbound/support/residence.html

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7.Accident/Liability Insurance, Health Insurance

You are required to buy “Personal Accident Insurance for Students Pursuing Education and Research (PAS),”and “Liability Insurance Coupled with PAS.” The insurance premium costs around 2,000 JPY in total and should be paid on the first day of the program.
You should also buy an overseas travelers' personal accident insurance which covers your medical expenses during your entire stay in Japan. Proof of coverage must be declared in English and submitted after you are officially accepted to the program. ページの先頭

8.Application Procedure

  1. [For students from non-partner universities]
  2. 1) Contact Medical Education Center (MEC) 【info 〔at〕edu.med.osaka-u.ac.jp】to get an application form and application fee payment overseas remittance instruction.
  3. 2) Send the completed application form with the following supporting documents to MEC by e-mail. Application may be closed early when the quota for visiting students is fulfilled.

・ Motivation letter: One page per department of your choice. State clearly why you are interested in the department.

・ Recommendation letter: Written by a professor at your home institution in English using your institution’s letterhead.

・Transcript: Your academic record issued by your institution.

・Language certificate: A copy of a language certificate (TOEFL, IELTS, or JLPT)

3) Once we notify you of the receipt of your application, please execute the payment of the application fee (nonrefundable 9,800 JPY). Then we start document screening.

4)Applicant screening takes approximately 2.5 months after the application deadline.

5) We will notify you of the screening result by e-mail.

6) Official admission to the Medical Frontier Program will be noticed about four months before the month of your enrollment with the issuance of an acceptance letter.

7) Execute the payment of the enrollment fee (28,200 JPY) when we ask you to do so (around two months before the start of your elective).

8) Send the following documents to Medical Education Center (MEC) 【info 〔at〕edu.med.osaka-u.ac.jp】

・ Certificate of immunity: To be sent by one month before your elective.
・A copy of travel insurance that covers your medical expenses during your stay in Japan. To be sent before your departure from your home country.
Download the Certificate of Immunization. ページの先頭




9.Partner Universities

The University of Osaka Faculty of Medicine has bilateral exchange agreements with several medical schools.If your home institution is one of the partner universities and you are nominated by your institution as an exchange student, apply for the program through the exchange coordinator at your institution.

List of Partner Medical Schools:

  1. 1. University Malaysia Sarawak
  2. 2. National Taiwan University College of Medicine
  3. 3. Taipei Medical University College of Medicine
  4. 4. Mahidol University Faculty of Medicine Ramatiboti Hospital
  5. 5. Monash University , Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
  6. 6. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Medicine, HKSAR, China
  7. 7. College of Medine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University
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10.Frequently Asked Questions

  1. 1) I am not a medical school student. Can I apply for the program?
    No, only medical students can apply for the clinical elective program.
  2. 2) I have a medical doctor license. Can I apply for the program?
    No, if you already have a medical license, you can contact the Center for Global Health, Department of Medical Innovation for information for clinical observation.
    info<at>cgh.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
  3. 3) I want to take a research course.
    You can take a research course. Please refer to the “Research Elective Program for International Students”
  4. 4) May I start my clinical elective in March?
    - You may start your elective in March, but you have to finish it by the last Friday of March since the Japanese academic year ends in March.
    - You may be asked to move out of the dormitory by March 25, and you have to secure your accommodation afterwards.
  5. 5) Do you accept students from institutions without inter-faculty agreement?
    Yes, students from institutions without inter-faculty agreement can apply for the program. The student’s position will be a ‘credited auditor’ at the University of Osaka.
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11.Contact Us

Medical Education Center, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Osaka
Room 201, Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research (CoMIT)
2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Tel: +81-6-6210-8223
【info 〔at〕edu.med.osaka-u.ac.jp】

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