When the UK decided to leave the European Union, British youth lost out on the flagship programme for academic exchange. The UK is set to rejoin the programme in 2027 – what does this mean for UK medical students?

What is Erasmus?

Erasmus+ is a European Union programme aiming to improve education and training quality through international collaboration between institutions. It began in 1987/88, launching its first exchange of 3000 students between 11 member states. By 2018, the UK alone had over 10000 students in higher education enrolled in Erasmus study placements. The programme offers year-abroad placements for undergraduates, traineeships and placements, as well as laboratory and clinical training. These placements have been consistently shown to benefit participants, increasing their rates of employment and improving foreign language proficiency. Beyond this, it also enables staff exchanges, joint degrees and structured doctoral programmes.

International collaboration has long been central to scientific advancement. For centuries, scientific societies and scholars have communicated across borders to share discoveries. For example, beginning in 1673, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek wrote to the Royal Society in London describing his discovery of “animalcules,”observations that marked a turning point in scientific understanding of microorganisms. Erasmus builds on this tradition by institutionalising cross-border academic exchange. These collaborations foster a culture of international cooperation that has underwritten centuries of scientific progress.

As one of the founding members, the United Kingdom played an integral role in the success of the Erasmus scholarship. The loss of access to this scheme after the UK’s departure from the European Union was widely viewed as a significant setback – indeed, during the Johnson premiership the Prime Minister (notably a chief architect of the Leave movement) expressed that there was “no threat to the Erasmus scheme.” In its place, the British government in 2021 instituted the Turing scheme as a substitute. Despite this, in December 2025 the government announced that it would join Erasmus+, marking a further softening of relations between the United Kingdom and European Union post-Brexit.

How will rejoining benefit UK medical students?

Erasmus will allow medical students to pursue placements or electives abroad, such as the Heinrich Heine University clinical internship in Germany. Beyond funding clinical rotations, travel can also be supported through DiscoverEU, a part of the Erasmus programme where 18-year-olds can apply for a free travel pass to explore Europe.

However, rejoining also presents an opportunity to address persistent inequalities in participation. Studies have shown a striking socioeconomic gap at the application stage, with students from families with fewer higher education qualifications significantly less likely to apply, often due to lack of awareness or guidance. If Erasmus is to fulfil its potential, universities and medical schools must actively promote the scheme, provide clearer information, and offer targeted support to students from underrepresented backgrounds.

For medics, Erasmus remains a valuable opportunity for both personal and professional development. Exposing British medical students to their European counterparts may yield significant professional advantages, with international experience often associated with greater responsibility and faster career progression. For budding clinical academics, the continent may hold future collaborators and scientific networks on which new biomedical and clinical research could flourish. Gaining insight into international healthcare systems can broaden perspectives and inform career decision-making, but crucially may also inspire new approaches to clinical practice that can be integrated into the NHS. As Erasmus reopens to UK medical students, it offers not just mobility, but a renewed chance to learn, adapt, and bring international perspectives back into British healthcare.