The key aim of the final year is to prepare for entry into the Foundation Year 1 programme that follows immediately on qualification, so professional practice assumes paramount importance.

This preparation involves a clinical attachment at a District General Hospital (DGH) including all areas of practice (medicine, surgery, specialist practice, emergency care, chronic care) and an assistantship sharing the work of a named FY1, plus a 4-week GP placement. The final year also provides choices to fulfil personal interests and to allow exploration of career possibilities through the elective period and student selected components. Students maintain a portfolio of workplace based assessments and completed required course work.

After successful completion of the final examinations, students return to an eight week elective period usually, but not exclusively, spent overseas, and a final four-week of study; completing a ‘preparation for practice’ SSC of their choice designed to orientate them to future work in the Foundation programme. Students who are not successful in their final examinations will instead undertake an intensive revision period including clinical experience and then re-sit their final examinations.

This first module is 12 week clinical placement-based Student Assistantship taken at one of our associated NHS Trusts which is designed to allow you to gain experience of everyday clinical practice by being directly involved in the care of patients in line with the requirements of the GMC Outcomes for Graduates.

A wide range of factors, such as short hospital stays and risk reduction have resulted in increasingly passive clinical learning opportunities. The key to a successful assistantship is maintaining patient safety while increasing hands-on experience and active learning. Fostering an open and safe learning environment with good supervision and organisation should ensure you contribute to, rather than hinder, patient care.

Goals & Objectives

By the end of the Student Assistantship you should be better able to:

Make clinical management decisions including assessing the acutely ill patient
 Prescribe safely from a formulary
 Prioritise your clinical work and cope with competing demands
 Understand the hospital at night
 Take an active role in multi-professional teams
 Communicate effectively in emotionally and ethically difficult situations
 Demonstrate competence in required practical procedures
 Demonstrate overall professionalism and take responsibility for your own learning
 Show initiative, resilience and compassion in caring for patients