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.

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

Applicants with an approved refugee status in Germany can find specific information on the website for International Guests .

• 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

Application period from 1 to 15 December 2024 for electives 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

Application period from 1 to 15 May 2025 for electives within the following rotation periods:

• 1st rotation period: 17.11.2025 - (11.01./12.01.) - 08.03.2026
• 2nd rotaion period: 09.03.2026 - (03.05./04.05.) - 28.06.2026
• 3rd rotation period: 29.06.2026 - (23.08./24.08.) - 18.10.2026

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

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

The final-year clinical elective (PJ) is carried out in accordance with the final-year curriculum, the final-year learning objectives and the subject-specific logbooks of the Medical Faculty of the University of Hamburg. International final-year clinical elective students can take part in the monthly study days. The curriculum, the learning objectives catalog and the study days overview can be found on the PJ website (only available in German). The logbooks are provided at the beginning of the clinical elective.

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.

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

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 .