The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital offers an Elective Program for a limited number of local and International students.
Please read the following information carefully before applying for an elective placement:
The Eye and Ear offers an Elective Program for a limited number of local and International students. Our Elective Program is designed for students who are in their final/penultimate year of their degree. We offer placements in ENT and Ophthalmology. Research electives are not part of this program. A sample timetable is available below.
If you are interested in undertaking an elective with us, please download and read our Guidelines carefully before proceeding with your application. For more information, and to confirm dates available, please contact the Education Officer via medicalelectives.observers@eyeandear.org.au
If you are an Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA) member, please contact the Education Officer to discuss potential funding possibilities.
Student/Observer Health Survey Checklist (evidence of serology results are required. For international students, please refer here for vaccination requirements for working in a health care facility in Victoria.)
Victorian State Branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists in collaboration with DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
Open to final year medical students
The Hector Maclean Ophthalmology Prize is a prize examination for final year medical students. This prize is made available by the Victorian State Branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists and comprises funds donated to the value of $500. This prize exam is open to final year Victorian medical students at University of Deakin, Melbourne, Monash and Victorian University of Notre Dame.
An examination for the prize will be conducted in two parts: a 1-hour written examination consisting of short answer questions, followed by an oral clinical examination for selected candidates.
The written examination will be held on Saturday 23rd August 2025 beginning at 9.00am (via Zoom). Details will be emailed to candidates closer to the date by their relevant University representatives. Candidates should be online, with relevant ID ready to register, by 8.45am.
Successful candidates selected for the clinical examination will be notified by the convenor. The oral clinical examination will be held on Saturday 13th September 2025 in person at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, 32 Gisborne St, East Melbourne VIC 3002. The Victorian State Branch of RANZCO reserves the right to not award the prize if a suitable standard is not achieved in the oral examination.
Closing date for entries is close of business Friday 8th August 2025. Please email your completed form to your relevant University Contact below by the closing date.
Scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Students
Currently, there is only one Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ophthalmologist in Australia. We want to help change that. The Eye and Ear offers scholarships to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students undertaking ophthalmology placements. These scholarships help remove financial barriers by covering placement fees, as well as travel and accommodation costs for regional or interstate students. This donor-funded initiative is designed to strengthen Indigenous representation in ophthalmology and improve eye health outcomes nationally.
In 2025, Dr Brodie Seymour became the first recipient of this scholarship, completing a six-week placement at the Eye and Ear. Brodie gained hands-on experience and took an important step toward a future career as an ophthalmologist. Watch Brodie’s story and see how this scholarship is shaping the future of eye care.
