At Victoria Hospital you will be taught by Specialists, Registrars and Consultants – many who are  lecturers at UCT  (University of Cape Town) Medical School. Most importantly, you will also be taught, supervised and mentored by expert clinicians.

It is often said that the culture of teaching at Victoria Hospital is very non-hierarchical, making the doctors and specialists accessible and eager to teach at every moment.

The Victoria Hospital Medical Department has 72 beds in its wards and cares for patients with non-communicable lifestyle diseases like heart attacks, diabetes and strokes as well as infectious diseases such as pneumonias and HIV.

Elective students can choose to a Paediatric rotation. We have 25 inpatient paediatric  beds, daily outpatient clinics and daily emergency admissions. We manage the full spectrum of childhood illnesses including respiratory illnesses , malnutrition, diarrhea and infectious diseases.

Our Surgical department is a combination of elective surgery, emergency surgery, GIT procedures and a busy emergency service. As an elective student, you will be able to join the team during admissions, work in the outpatient department and assist in theatre.

Finally, for the adrenaline junkies, we have the Emergency Medicine Department. Here you will see a  combination of all types of emergencies. Our ER manages 3000 patients each month, with an average of 2 resuscitations every day.

An elective at Victoria Hospital is an opportunity to acquire clinical exposure, skills and training in a safe and supervised environment. If you are committed, and apply yourself, you will experience significant professional and personal growth.

Victoria Hospital has a reputation as a teaching hospital of excellence. It is sought after by both local and international students and interns. The doctors at Victoria are well-known as committed and caring, with a true passion for teaching and mentoring students and interns. Their approach to teaching is non-hierarchical, so students and interns have easy access to doctors, which encourages questions and constant learning.

Its also accepted that many of the UCT class medalists come from the group that did their rotations at Victoria Hospital.

Victoria Hospital is located in Wynberg, in the leafy southern suburbs of Cape Town. The hospital is just 20 minutes from Cape Town, a busy city often voted number one in world travel destinations. Victoria Hospital serves a diverse district that includes cosmopolitan Wynberg, the suburbs of Hout Bay, Constantia, Bishopscourt, Plumstead and Bergvliet as well as Cape Flats areas like Retreat and Lavender Hill. The district also includes townships like Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay and Masiphumulela in Noordhoek. This ensures a diverse range of experience as you study at Victoria Hospital.

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world and there are numerous recreational activities close to Victoria Hospital: Surfing at Muizenberg, Constantia Wine Route, Boulders Beach, Chapmans Peak, and numerous other exciting activities.

International students can easily find affordable yet comfortable apartments in nearby Wynberg, Constantia, Kenilworth, Claremont and Plumstead. Train, bus and Uber transport is readily accessible.

You can email Lauren van Stormbroek with the dates and department you would like to attend your elective.

Often departments get booked up quickly, therefore, get your application in as soon as possible and be ready with alternate dates and departments if your first choice is already full.

Once it has been confirmed that you can be accommodated, Lauren will assist you with registering with the Health Professionals Counsel of South Africa (HPCSA) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) and other details regarding your elective.