Elective Activities

Students in Year Four of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine M.D. degree program complete 30 weeks of electives.

Elective Types

Direct Patient Care Electives

Students will complete the majority of their elective time directed at patient care, learning the fundamentals of diagnostic methods and management strategies of increasingly complex patient scenarios. Twenty weeks of direct patient care electives are required.

Non-Direct Patient Care Electives

Students will be allowed to complete no more than 10 total weeks of non-direct patient care electives. Non-direct patient care electives include research, teaching and the capstone courses.

Elective Locations

Intramural Electives

The majority of students will complete the majority of their elective time at Saint Louis University Hospital and within the SSM network in the Saint Louis area.

Extramural/Away Electives

As part of the pre-residency phase at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, medical students are encouraged to visit other AAMC-approved institutions via the AAMC's Visiting Student Application Service to broaden their experience in different health care systems and educate them in regard to potential residency programs to which they might wish to apply. All extramural electives are direct patient care electives.

International Electives

Students who are interested in pursuing an international elective are encouraged to consider taking FCM 0410: Global Health: Cross Cultural/International Experiences, offered by the Department of Community and Family Medicine.

Two scholarships are offered for fourth year medical students considering an international elective: Dr. Tom Dooley Memorial International Elective Scholarship Program and The Everett M. Sugarbaker School of Medicine Scholarship Program. The application process begins the fall of the Year Four academic year. Awards are disbursed at the completion of the elective.