In view of the adaptability that is demanded and to ensure a good cost-benefit outcome, the student must be very well prepared before leaving for the low-income country. All potential participants in the Rotation Programme are strongly advised to buy the Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine.

The preparation consists of the following components:

• participation in parts of the core curriculum
• if possible, participation in at least one of the following elective block = module : 'Health and Disease in the Tropics' (5KVZ1), 'International Public Health' (KVZ2) or AIDS (KVZ7)
• participation in the 9 Teaching evenings organised by the NIIH
• taking a language course
• attending meetings organised by Tropico: the so-called ‘Tropico evenings’ (5 before places are allocated and 2-5 afterwards): if you are not able to attend 5 meetings before places are allocated (voor loting), we ask you to attend after 'loting'  5 evenings (if possible before departure). If you are able to attend 5 meetings before 'loting', we ask you to attend after 'loting', these evenings concerning your hospital/health centre.
• passing a written test.

 The application procedure is described on the UMCN students’ web site; the whole procedure is explained by a member of staff from NIIH during CKO 1.

Students can apply for a place in the Programme via Tropico at : Dit e-mailadres is beschermd tegen spambots. U heeft JavaScript nodig om het te kunnen zien. .

The allocation of the internships will take place in CKO3n. Students from outside Nijmegen can apply once places have been allocated to Nijmegen students.

Allocation of places

• If a student meets the requirements, and NIIH and Tropico have allocated him or her a place in the Rotation Programme for Student Doctors in low-income countries (to satisfy the degree requirement of a final student’s position), he or she is then registered for a place in the programme.
• Since the number of applications sometimes exceeds the number of positions, meeting the admission requirements does not give an automatic right to a posting. The Tropico group looks at students’ stated preferences for postings and tries to satisfy them as far as possible; they also take into consideration a student’s wish to go to the a particular post with a colleague.
• Students from outside Nijmegen are only given places if not all the positions have been filled.

Tropico site: www.ru.nl/tropico

Withdrawal / change

• Requests for a change in the place allocated, and withdrawals, can only be submitted in writing to the secretariat of the NIIH. This can only be done once, and decisions will be made in consultation with the co-ordinator of the Rotation Programme. In addition, the student must inform Student Affairs and the secretary of the Medical Examination Commission. It should be evident that this can only be permitted in the event of circumstances beyond your control.