Exeter College, in partnership with OxPal, is proud to offer a dedicated scholarship to support one Palestinian medical student each year to undertake a clinical elective at the University of Oxford. This initiative provides financial and collegiate support to a student from the West Bank or Gaza, empowering them to gain world-class clinical experience within the Oxford University Hospitals.
Overview of support
The scholarship is designed to remove financial barriers to international clinical training. For the 2027 elective period (July–August 2027), the scholarship covers:
- Accommodation: A room provided by Exeter College (likely at Exeter House, near the Oxford University Hospitals) for the duration of the 4- to 10-week elective.
- Travel: One return flight (estimated between £300–£575).
- Fees: The £50 application fee and the £151 visa application fee.
- Living Expenses: A stipend to cover food, personal items, and social activities during your stay. £200 per week of elective.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must:
- Be a registered clinical medical student at an accredited university institution in Gaza or the West Bank.
- Be in their final or penultimate year of medical study.
- Have already been accepted by the Oxford Medical Sciences Division (MSD) to take part in the centralised elective scheme for the relevant year.
- Demonstrate a strong academic background, a desire to improve healthcare outcomes in their community, and the ambition to capitalise on opportunities during the elective.
Available specialties
Scholarship recipients can undertake electives in the following departments:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Clinical Neurology / Ophthalmology
- Emergency Medicine
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine
- Nuffield Department of Surgery
- Psychiatry
Application timeline
- Oxford MSD elective application: Students must be accepted for a MSD elective before applying for the scholarship. The deadline is usually 31 December.
- Oxford MSD elective acceptance: Students typically receive notification of acceptance to the Oxford MSD elective programme around March.
- Scholarship application window: Eligible students should apply to Exeter between 1 March and 31 December for electives taking place in July or August the following year.
- The application outcome: The scholarship selection will be managed by Exeter College medical Fellows and the outcome decided by 31 January.
Submission requirements
Applicants must provide a CV and answer the following three questions (maximum 500 words per question):
- Why would you like to do an elective in Oxford?
- What are you hoping to achieve during your time on elective?
- Why are you interested in the specialty you have chosen?
To apply, please email academic.office@exeter.ox.ac.uk.
