CLINICAL OBSERVERSHIP
Clinical observership for incoming exchange students
Medical students from our partner universities can spend up to eight weeks observing clinical work in our hospital departments. Your home university nominates you; we confirm the placement and help you prepare.
Who can apply
Students enrolled in the Master in Medicine at Ghent University, nominated by Ghent University's international office. We only accept nominations sent by the home institution, not applications sent directly by students.
This is a clinical observership. You follow a supervising faculty member in your host department. Observers do not perform procedures independently, do not prescribe, and do not provide direct patient care.
How it works
- Nomination (home university). Your international office submits the nomination form on this page between 1 October and 15 November.
- Review and reply (JMCH). We check department capacity and your preferred dates, then reply to your home university by 30 November.
- Observership Agreement. If selected, you receive an acceptance letter and an agreement listing your department, dates and supervisor. You, your home university and JMCH sign it before you travel.
- Prepare to travel. Apply for your Indian visa using our invitation letter. Send us your immunisation records, TB screening and insurance confirmation.
- Observership in Jodhpur. Orientation on your first day covers hospital rules, infection control and patient confidentiality.
- Certificate of completion. We issue a certificate with your dates, departments and supervisor, and a short evaluation if your university asks for one. Your home university decides on recognition.
Deadlines
There is one intake each year. All observerships take place between January and March.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 Oct – 15 Nov | Nominations open. Home universities submit the nomination form. |
| 16 – 30 Nov | JMCH reviews nominations. |
| 30 Nov | Selection completed. We reply to every nominating university. |
| By 15 Dec | Selected students send documents and apply for the visa. |
| Jan – Mar | Observership in Jodhpur (up to 8 weeks within this window). |
The first intake under the agreement takes nominations from 1 October to 15 November 2027 for observerships between January and March 2028.
Host departments
Choose up to three preferred departments on the nomination form. We confirm one department (or a rotation across two) in the acceptance letter.
Before you arrive
- Passport valid for at least 6 months after your return date
- Indian visa appropriate for the observership (we provide an invitation letter)
- Hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccination records
- Tuberculosis screening result
- Any vaccination required by Indian entry rules at the time of travel
- Proof of insurance
- Signed Observership Agreement
What you pay for
JMCH charges no fees. You cover your own:
- Travel to and from Jodhpur, and within India
- Visa and travel documents
- Accommodation, meals and living costs
- Immunisations and health screening
- Insurance, books and other personal costs
Insurance, accommodation and conduct
Insurance
Ghent University's insurance covers its students for accidents and third-party liability during university activities at JMCH, as set out in the exchange agreement. We recommend you also hold travel medical and repatriation insurance for your full stay. Send us confirmation of your cover with your documents.
Accommodation
If your nomination reaches us before the deadline, we will help you find accommodation near the campus. Booking and paying for it is your responsibility.
Conduct in the hospital
You work under a named supervisor at all times. Follow the hospital's clinical, ethical and infection-control rules. Never photograph, record or share any patient information or images; this duty continues after your observership ends. JMCH may end an observership early in case of serious misconduct, after informing your home university.
Visa
We send an invitation letter after you are selected and we have a copy of your passport. You apply for the visa yourself, through the Embassy of India in Brussels or its visa service. Check the current visa category with the embassy before applying.
Contact
How we use your data
JMCH and Ghent University process nomination data jointly to run this exchange. We collect only: name, gender, date of birth, nationality, email, programme and study level, planned dates and preferred departments. After selection we also ask for immunisation, screening and insurance records. We use this data only to arrange and certify your observership, under the EU GDPR and India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
To see, correct or delete your data, write to the exchange desk. Data protection contact at JMCH: Ms. Shivani Rathore, via exchange.incoming@jietjodhpur.ac.in.
Nominate a student
For staff of the home institution only. Submit one form per student. It takes about five minutes. We reply to the nominator by email.