What I learned on a digital health elective as a medical student

When you think of a medical elective, you might picture hospital wards, outpatient clinics - maybe a GP practice or a sun-soaked location to experience healthcare abroad.

For mine, I chose a different opportunity that aligned with my interest in the intersection of medicine and technology. I spent my elective with a digital health start-up, working with a team of clinicians, developers and innovators focused on improving patient care by using technology to improve the consent to treatment process.

What is digital health - and why did I choose it for my elective?

'Digital health' can sound like an obscure term, but at its core, it involves using digital tools - such as online apps, platforms, and data-driven systems - to improve how healthcare is delivered.

Instead of relying solely on in-person interactions or paper forms, digital health solutions aim to make processes more patient-friendly, efficient and safe to deliver better care.

Before I went on my alternative elective, I wanted to challenge my assumptions about what it means to be a doctor. I'd always been curious about how technology could improve patient care.

While I initially considered more conventional placements, working with a start-up offered a rare chance to see healthcare innovation from the ground up and I hoped would push me beyond the familiar rigours of clinical training.

What I did during my digital health elective

I spent my time attending virtual onboarding sessions, shadowing product team discussions and exploring ways to improve patient decision-making.

This involved reviewing guidelines from professional bodies, examining approaches by NHS trusts and delving into the existing literature while considering the ethical and technical implications: what is implicit consent and how does it differ from explicit? When should patients be asked again for permission? How do you incorporate this into the application in a way that's both comprehensive yet concise and patient-friendly? This was a complexity that had no obvious solution and was fascinating to approach.

Adapting to a start-up environment

One of the biggest challenges was adapting to the working style and culture within a start-up.

Unlike the structured timetable of ward-based clinical work - starting the day by prepping notes, then a ward round followed by the list of jobs - the start-up environment was self-paced and began from first principles:

• identifying a problem and breaking it down to its most foundational ground truths
• researching possible solutions without relying on assumptions from previous methods
• testing ideas with the team and then refining them.

I had to be comfortable asking questions, clarifying product goals early on and keeping communication open while still taking onus and working proactively. I learned to embrace this uncertainty as an opportunity to grow.

What I learnt during my experience

Even though I wasn't at a bedside or clinic, every conversation during my elective had a clear focus: how does this help the patient?

Our regular check-ins and team calls weren't just about product features - they were about ensuring information would be clear, respectful, and empowering for patients.

It was a refreshing reminder that technology's ultimate goal in healthcare should be to improve the experience of providing and receiving care.

The elective taught me that healthcare can extend beyond traditional care settings and that critical thinking, adaptability and open-mindedness are essential for tomorrow's doctors to seize these opportunities.

Moving forwards in my career, I'll be on the lookout for opportunities to innovate within healthcare and remain open minded to integrating new ideas into clinical practice.

It's an exciting time to leverage technology, but with this power comes great responsibility. The core value should always be to provide the best experiences for patients and never losing sight of what led us to medicine in the first place.

Advice if you're considering an alternative elective

If you're looking for an elective that challenges your expectations, consider exploring options outside the usual clinical paths.

This experience won't hinder your growth - instead, it'll improve your development as a doctor. It'll help you to always appreciate the goal of improving patients' lives, no matter the circumstances.

You'll learn new skills, see how medicine can interact with other fields, and learn to be adaptable - qualities that will serve you well as a future doctor.

This page was correct at publication on 12/05/2025. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.