Your elective protection from MPS
Going on your elective is likely to be your first opportunity to really put into practice the knowledge and skills you’ve learned as a medical student.
In doing so you may come across medicolegal, as well as clinical, challenges – MPS can offer you access to the best possible professional protection.
As an MPS member, you have access to the full benefits of membership, including emergency telephone advice to help you through any medicolegal or ethical dilemmas you may encounter whilst you are away.
MPS offers you access to free elective protection in most locations that medical students choose to spend their electives, including the USA and Canada. We have local membership schemes in South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the Caribbean where we have a significant number of practising members. We can arrange free insurance through our partner organisation in Australia and of course you have access to the full benefits of MPS membership if you choose to undertake your elective in the UK.
Depending on where you choose to undertake your elective, there may be laws and regulations that you have to comply with in order to work in that country. These could include such matters as a requirement for a work permit or visa, additional professional obligations such as registration or licensing, minimum qualifications or training or, as in Australia, specific rules about the type of indemnity cover you can hold. It is important that you check that you comply with all the requirements to practise in the country.
Electives in Australia
If you are planning to travel to Australia for your elective, you should get in touch with us to obtain the correct elective protection.
The Australian Government introduced new medical indemnity legislation on 1 July 2003 - stipulating that indemnity for claims for clinical negligence can only be provided by an insurance contract provided by a regulated insurer.
As MPS is not an Australian regulated insurance company, we have made arrangements with MIPS (Medical Indemnity Protection Society), to cover MPS members' electives whilst in Australia. Please contact us to ensure you have the correct elective protection in place. Calls to Membership Services may be recorded for monitoring and training purposes.
Conditions of elective protection
To qualify for free elective protection:
- Your elective must be authorised by the Dean of your university.
- Your elective work must be supervised by a qualified medical practitioner and must not exceed the level of your own qualifications or competence.
- You must be a student member of MPS in one of the following countries;
- The United Kingdom
- Ireland
- South Africa
- Hong Kong
- The Caribbean
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- Malaysia.
To apply for your free elective protection, please email us at [email protected] with the details including; your MPS membership number, name, address, the country that you plan to spend your elective in, and the start and end dates for your elective.