Travel and Study Fund

The Royal Medical Society Travel and Study Fund is supported by the RMS Trust to provide grants to members for educational activities both overseas and in the UK.

Application Process

The RMS Travel and Study Committee awards funding to RMS Members once per year in support of elective placements and summer projects. It is a competitive process. Following submission, applications are reviewed and short-listed applicants are invited for interview. Attendance at interview is essential. Interviewed applicants will be informed by email of the Committee’s decision shortly after interview.

Successful applicants must produce a report about their travel/study experience and submit this within 8 weeks of the project/elective.

Members are permitted to receive a maximum of two awards from the Travel and Study Fund (Jasjot Singhota awards are not included in this total). Members should take this into consideration when applying for projects during the early years of medical school. There is no limit to the number of applications which may be made by unsuccessful applicants.

In exceptional circumstances, members may be considered if they fall outwith the application deadlines or if applying for a third/subsequent award. If you wish to be considered in this category, you need to write to the chairperson of the Committee with a full project outline and a statement in support of your application explaining why you merit special consideration. This can be organised by contacting the Committee at travelandstudy@royalmedical.co.uk.

Criteria for Application

The committee consider applications using a number of criteria:

Commitment to the Society The Project The Interview

Essential: Fully-paid membership for the session Clinical or Biomedically orientated, Attendance at interview

of application ethically sound project Completed application, submitted by the

deadline

Desirable: Further contribution to the Society Independent organisation by Appropriate presentation of self and project at

e.g. teaching at tutorials, council applicant interview

membership, supporting events

Report

Following completion of the project, successful applicants have 8 weeks to submit their written report of their project. Submission is mandatory and failure to do so may require repayment of the award to the Society. See previous reports here.

We also ask that all successful applicants share their elective experiences at our electives talks evening in Semester 2 (April) if they are in Edinburgh at the time.

Application Dates 2024/2025

This application round is intended to support summer projects and electives due to take place in Spring 2025

Applications open: 17th February 2025

Applications close: 30th March 2025

Interviews: 29th and 30th April 2025

Successful applicants informed and award of funds: May 2025

Deadline for submission of report: 8 weeks post-elective/project

The Jasjot Singhota Award

Friends of Dr Jasjot Singhota, a previous member of the RMS Council, offer a financial award in her memory.

The Jasjot Singhota Award is an elective scholarship for medical students from the University of Edinburgh with interests in anaesthetics, emergency medicine pre-hospital medicine or intensive care medicine. The award is in memory of Jasjot, an alumna of the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Medical Society, who was training in anaesthetics and had a real passion for her work and helping others. She was a vivacious, enthusiastic and joyful person who loved to travel and truly lived her life to the full. The aim of this Award is to assist students with similar interests to Jasjot to maximise their elective experience.

All RMS members are invited to submit an application if they meet the following eligibility criteria:

- Member of the RMS

- Year 6 MBChB elective

- Elective in anaesthetics, emergency medicine, pre-hospital medicine or intensive care medicine

An interview including a representative from the Jasjot Singhota Award will take place during the main interview dates.

The value of the award will depend upon the application, interview performance and the relevant costs.

You may be asked to complete a separate interview for the RMS Travel and Study Fund if you apply for both funds.

Timeline - The Jasjot Singhota Award