Electives: International Training Placements
International training placements, also known as student electives, are an important part of medical education around the world.
In Palestine, senior medical students at all Palestinian medical schools have the opportunity to undertake placements at hospitals and healthcare institutions other than those where they have trained. These electives provide a wonderful opportunity for students to experience different healthcare systems, broaden their outlook and develop new skills. This experience can be life-changing, which is why The Hanoon Foundation (THF) encourages students to undertake international elective placements by providing financial support. The level of support depends on the destination; however, it is not intended to cover the full cost of the placement.
▪️ In 2015, we partnered with Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and helped fund elective placements for 127 students in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Malaysia. The partnership continued in 2016, although only 77 students were able to undertake their placements due to travel restrictions.
▪️In 2019, we decided to revamp the International Training Placements Programme by reducing the number of students receiving funding while increasing the amount of support provided to each student.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions, we redirected the 2020 funding for the International Training Placements Programme to the Student Financial Aid Fund. As students were unable to travel, we felt these funds could better support them and their families during this difficult period.
▪️In 2023, the elective programme resumed, and five students were supported. Two undertook placements in the United Kingdom and three in Turkey.
▪️In 2024, The Hanoon Foundation (THF) sponsored the elective placements of 11 students: five from the West Bank and six from Gaza. Four of the students from Gaza also participated in a two-week summer course organised by OxPal in September 2024.
▪️In 2025, THF proudly sponsored the elective placements of 18 students. These included one student from Gaza at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), five students (three from the West Bank and two from Gaza) through the OxPal Surgical Skills Competition, four students from Gaza through the OxPal Summer School, one student from Gaza undertaking an elective in the United States, one student from Gaza at the University of Oxford, and six students from Al-Quds University undertaking electives in the United States.
Testimonials
Electives – Al-Azhar University- 2026
The Hanoon Foundation provides medical students with opportunities to gain practical clinical experience and develop their clinical skills through supervised elective placements. As part of this programme, 13 medical students from Al-Azhar University completed four-...
Supporting Displaced Medical Students – UK
Since 2025, the Hanoon Foundation has supported displaced Palestinian medical students whose studies were interrupted by the war in Gaza, enabling them to continue their medical education in the United Kingdom through partnerships with UK medical schools. Through...
Shahd’s Elective 2025 – UK
The Hanoon Foundation provides medical students with opportunities to gain practical experience and develop their skills. In cooperation with OxPal, Shahd recently completed her training at the Oxford hospitals, which she describes as “one of the most rewarding and...
Zainab’s Elective 2025 – UK
Zainab participated in the Oxford Summer School in Medical Education, gaining extensive clinical and surgical training, developing essential skills in patient communication, history-taking, and practical procedures, and benefiting from mentorship and guidance by...
Alaa’s Elective 2025 – UK
Alaa participated in the OxPal Pre-Clinical Summer School at Oxford University, gaining their first structured exposure to the hospital environment, developing essential clinical and introductory surgical skills, and benefiting from mentorship by senior doctors. "This...
Amna’s Elective 2025 – UK
Amna completed her clinical elective through the OxPal Summer School in Oxford, where she gained both academic and personal growth. She highlighted how the programme enhanced her clinical knowledge, introduced her to new medical skills, and broadened her cultural and...