As part of the SCORE of IFMSA, swimsa has been collaborating with medical students worldwide creating opportunities for research exchanges across the globe since 1991. Presently, together with SCOPE, SCORE has grown to be the largest student-run exchange program in the world, with more than 2’500 medical students from around 80 countries embarking on their exchange journey each year to be a part of one of the 3’000 research projects offered worldwide, to discover the diversity of research, while learning about foreign cultures, their healthcare systems and live like a local medical student. In the past years, around 15 medical students from Switzerland were able to profit from a research exchange every year. 

During the 4 or 8 week research exchange you will be working side by side with a local tutor and their team on their research project. The selection of projects is large and diverse. Depending on the field of research your tasks can even include the possibility of presenting your work at a congress or collaboration on a published scientific paper. This provides an unique opportunity of improving research skills in a different setting, fostering intercultural learning and understanding, as well as valuable networking.

Start a journey into the vast world of research, discover new cultures and learn new things for life!

The purpose of a SCORE exchange is to encourage the medical students’ interest in basic and clinical research. Thus, in most cases, there is no need for any prior scientific knowledge. SCORE exchanges are therefore available for every medical student starting from their 1st year of studying!

The SCORE program is constantly being expanded. You can see the list of participating countries below. During the application process you can state 3 priorities for cities and research projects, whereby you will be allocated according to the criteria and capacities of the hosting country.

*Please note that if you wish to go on a 8 week long exchange you have to add “8 weeks if possible” in your application form.

Research Exchanges with SCORE have full academic recognition at our 7 universities. When complying with the universities individual requirements a SCORE exchange can be accredited for your elective year (Wahlstudienjahr/Année de stages)! In case of a 8 week research exchange, it can also be accredited as the Forschungspraktikum at ETH!

Since medical students from all over the world are taking part in this program, there is a good chance that medical students from other countries will be hosted at the same place and time. Although they won’t be involved in the same research project, especially in summer months, you will not just have the opportunity for a cultural exchange with your hosting country but with all the incoming students from other countries (including SCOPE exchangees) too!

Travels abroad, adequate preparations and especially research in general require good English skills. Due to this, a B2 English is required from all our outgoings. Both an official English certificate as well as a Swiss high school diploma can serve as adequate proof.

We distinguish between unilateral and bilateral exchanges. During a bilateral exchange/contract another student from the hosting country has the opportunity to visit Switzerland while you go abroad. If only you go to the hosting country it is called an unilateral exchange/contract. The type of contract you receive (uni- or bilateral) will be clarified during the IFMSA August Meeting. Our influence on this is very limited. As a general rule of thumb, contracts with European and central/south American countries are bilateral in nature. Contracts with African or Asian countries are rather unilateral.

You can get the following reimbursements at the end of your exchange:

• • For writing an A4 experience report and filling out the evaluation form within 30 days after your exchange: 80 CHF
  • For the proof, that you travelled to your exchange without the use of planes: 25 CHF (one way) / 50 CHF (both ways)*
  • If before or during your exchange you have been engaged either within swimsa exchanges** or as a swimsa internal: 50 CHF***

*Only applicable if the first condition is also fulfilled, so a report was written. If you use a plane to get to your exchange, swimsa exchanges will donate the 30 CHF to myclimate.ch.

**Only if recognised by the current swimsa exchanges team.

***According to the definition made by the EB (Executive board) at the time of registration, as well as the following EB (active during the exchange).

The entire communication will be done via email through the National Officer for Research Exchanges (NORE): nore@swimsa.ch. 

The application season for an exchange in the season of 01.04.2026 – 31.03.2027 opens in March 2025 and closes at the end of May 2025.

If you have any more questions please see either the FAQ section, take a look at the example of Max Muster or contact nore@swimsa.ch.