Traineeship at UKE for medical students

  • You are enroled in a medical degree program and you would like to apply for a traineeship at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)?

    The UKE offers different possibilities for medical students to undertake a part of their medical training in one of its various departments. The application procedure depends on the year of study you will be in at the time of the elective.

    Medical graduates can apply for an observership (hands-off). Undertaking a traineeship is only possible for enroled medical students.

  • Erasmus+ supports traineeships abroad for students currently enrolled in higher education institutions in programme countries at undergraduate and graduate level as well as for doctoral candidates. These opportunities are also open to recent graduates.

    You can apply through the international or Erasmus+ office of your higher education institution.

    An inter-institutional agreement between your home university and the Medical Faculty of Universität Hamburg is not necessary.

    The application procedures for clinical clerkships, final-year clinical electives, observerships or other traineeships within the Erasmus+ programme are the same as described above.

Clinical clerkship

Are you enrolled in a medical degree program in year 3-5 and would you like to do a clinical clerkship at UKE?

  • Applicants from EU member states, states of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland apply directly to the respective clinic .

  • All other applicants apply through the department for International Guests .

Final-year clinical elective

Are you studying medicine at a university abroad and would like to do a final-year clinical elective at UKE or at one of its academic teaching hospitals?

    • You are studying medicine at a medical faculty outside of Germany in your final year at the time of the elective. You have completed the prerequisite core clerkships at your home institution.
    • Minimum duration: 8 weeks - maximum duration: 16 weeks
    • Please apply for the elective (if possible) within one of the official rotation periods listed below. Start is only on Mondays. For Internal Medicine at UKE, the official start dates of the rotations have to be respected.
    • Language requirements for all subjects except surgery at UKE: German B2 (CEFR)
    • Language requirements for surgery at UKE: English B2, German A2 (CEFR)

  • Please complete the online application form during the application period (1-15 May / 1-15 December) and upload the following documents:

    • Letter of Support from your home institution confirming that (see template ):
      • You are currently enrolled and in good academic standing
      • You will be in your final year at the time of the elective
      • You are approved of completing the elective
    • Curriculum vitae
    • Transcript of Records (in German or English)
    • Proof of German proficiency (unless native speaker)
    • Copy of your passport
    You will only be able to complete your application if you upload all required documents.

  • Application period from 1 to 15 May 2024 for electives within the following rotation periods:

    • 1st rotation period: 18.11.2024 - (12.01./13.01.) - 09.03.2025
    • 2nd rotaion period: 10.03.2025 - (04.05./05.05.) - 29.06.2025
    • 3rd rotation period: 30.06.2025 - (24.08./25.08.) - 19.10.2025

    Application period from 1 to 15 December 2024 for elective within the following rotation periods:

    • 1st rotation period: 19.05.2025 - (13.07./14.07.) - 07.09.2025
    • 2nd rotaion period: 08.09.2025 - (02.11./03.11.) - 28.12.2025
    • 3rd rotation period: 29.12.2025 - (22.02./23.02.) - 19.04.2026

    Please note that the elective's duration shall be 8 weeks minimum and 16 weeks maximum, if possible within one of the rotation periods. You can either opt for one subject between 8 and 16 weeks (option 1) or 2 subjects for 8 weeks each (option 2). It is not possible to apply for a rotation that starts before the beginning of the 1st rotation.

  • You can apply for a clinical elective with a duration between 8 and 16 weeks:

    • Option 1: one subject of min. 8 and max. 16 weeks
    • Option 2: two subjects of each 8 weeks

    Subjects at UKE and its academic teaching hospitals

    • Anesthesiology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Surgery
    • Dermatology and venereology
    • Geriatrics
    • Gynaecology and obstetrics
    • Otorhinolaryngology
    • Cardiovascular surgery
    • Internal medicine
    • Pediatric surgery
    • Child and youth psychiatry
    • Microbiology
    • Oral and maxillofacial surgery
    • Neurosurgery
    • Neurology
    • Neuroradiology
    • Orthopaedics/Trauma Surgery
    • Paediatrics
    • Palliative care
    • Pathology
    • Physical and rehabilitative medicine
    • Plastic Surgery
    • Psychiatry
    • Psychosomatics
    • Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
    • Forensic Medicine
    • Radiotherapy
    • Tropical Medicine
    • Urology

    Internal Medicine and surgery

    In internal medicine and surgery, the minimum duration of a clicinal elective is also eight weeks. However, it is possible to take specialisations for four-week rotations. The rotation plans are developed at the beginning of the elective in the respective clinics.

    On the first day, students can express their wishes, which will be taken into consideration - provided the capacities of the departments allow it. For capacity reasons, there is no guarantee for certain rotations.

    Specialties in internal medicine:

    • Angiology
    • Cardiology
    • Endocrinology and diabetology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Haematology and oncology
    • Internal emergency room
    • Nephrology
    • Pneumology
    • Rheumatology

    Specialties in surgery:

    • Endocrine surgery
    • Heart surgery
    • Hepatobiliary and transplant surgery
    • Oral and maxillofacial surgery
    • Neurosurgery
    • Orthopaedics/Trauma Surgery
    • Pediatric surgery
    • Plastic surgery
    • Vascular surgery and vascular medicine
    • Visceral surgery

  • You can find an overview of all academic teaching hospitals and their subjects offered in the Lehrkrankenhaus-Verzeichnis .

  • Please note that we cannot provide you with a place to live. Helpful links for finding accommodation in Hamburg are listed on the website of Universität Hamburg .

  • Work permit: Students from countries that do not belong to the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland require a work permit in Germany for traineeships. This also applies to unpaid traineeships and also if the students do not need a residence permit for Germany. A work permit is not required in case the traineeship takes place in the frame of an EU funded program (e.g. Erasmus+). The hospital where the traineeship takes place has to request the work permit at the Federal Employment Agency .

    Residence permit: If you want to know whether you need a residence permit (e.g. visa) to enter Germany, check out the list of countries with a visa requirement from the Foreign Office. Please make sure you apply for your visa in good time with the responsible German foreign representatives , as it can take between 2 and 3 months to process!

    Please contact Amke Wildung in case you need to submit an invitation letter and/or a work permit to the diplomatic representation.

  • Amke Wildung

    Incoming Mobility Coordinator

    +49 (0) 40 7410 - 58137

    incoming-students@uke.de

Observership

Are you a graduate or a medical student and would like to do an observership at UKE?

  • Applicants from EU member states, states of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland apply directly to the respective clinic .

  • All other applicants apply through the department for International Guests .

Other traineeship opportunities

  • Students from various disciplines who are interested in a medical traineeship can find more information on the website Karriere im UKE - Medizinische Praktika (only available in German).

    Applicants who are not from EU member states, states of the EEA or Switzerland apply through the department for International Guests .

  • Students who are interested in a nursing traineeship can find more information on the website Pflege im UKE - Hospitation und Praktikum (only available in German).

    Applicants who are not from EU member states, states of the EEA or Switzerland apply through the department for International Guests .

  • Students who are interested in a traineeship in business administration can find more information on the website Karriere im UKE - Kaufmännische Praktika (only available in German).

    Applicants who are not from EU member states, states of the EEA or Switzerland apply through the department for International Guests .