Clinical placements during your medical degree

Our Medicine course is designed to build your confidence and trust in your skills before you apply them in the real world of clinical practice. Clinical placements are a crucial part of this process.

At the University of Nottingham we refer to clinical placements as clinical attachments, which are a blend of clinical placements activities, clinical skills teaching, virtual reality and simulation-based education.

By integrating these different learning methods, we make sure every student has the chance to encounter the broadest spectrum of medical conditions.

You’ll have ample real-life placements in hospitals and primary care settings, but our cutting-edge use of technology maximises opportunities for hands-on learning in a safe environment. This approach will increase your confidence and proficiency.

Each attachment is designed to build your experience in a clinical setting, deepening your knowledge and giving you the confidence to step out as a newly qualified doctor after graduation.

Your clinical attachments will start in your second year, where you’ll spend one day a week with GPs, both on campus and in their surgeries. This will immerse you in clinical practice from the beginning, helping you understand the practicalities of delivering patient care.

From the third year, you’ll spend your time in your clinical attachments in both primary care and secondary care (hospital) settings.

Your year will be divided into two groups: one will remain on campus to study various health conditions and hone clinical skills in simulated environments, while the other will engage in clinical placements. The groups will swap every few weeks, ensuring that everyone gains experience in both learning environments.

This approach ensures you’ll be well-prepared, confident and competent when you begin your foundation job working as a doctor. It will also enable you to effectively engage with patients and clinical staff in real-world healthcare settings.

Our spiral curriculum approach means you’ll revisit previous areas of learning to reinforce and cement your knowledge throughout the course. Your hands-on experience in your attachments will follow this same approach, allowing you to refine your skills in a supported and protected environment so you’ll feel ready to step into your future career.
 

Placements by year

Year 2

You’ll begin your attachments by spending one day a week in primary care working with GPs during your Science of Medicine module.

Year 3

In Year 3, you’ll immerse yourself in a clinical environment, focusing on medicine, surgical and hospital specialties. The year includes three 10-week blocks, followed by a dedicated block aimed at developing your research skills. You will also have the opportunity to spend time in an area of interest in the student selected component, called the enrichment module.

Year 4

You’ll continue your clinical training, concentrating on further hospital specialities and primary care with placements in mental health, women’s health, child health and primary care in four clinical attachments. Following the exam period you will have further student selected modules and a further chance to conduct research or quality improvement projects.

Year 5

In Year 5, you’ll prepare for your role as a foundation doctor by revisiting conditions with a focus on managing acute presentations in clinical attachments in medicine, surgery and perioperative medicine and primary care, leading up to your final assessments.

Final year

In your final year, you may have the opportunity to undertake an elective period of study either in the UK or abroad. This flexible placement allows you to gain valuable experience in different healthcare settings or an area of professional development, broadening your understanding of global medical practices or research.

You will also have two assistantships, where you will shadow the work of a junior doctor and be able to fully immerse yourself in the role.

FAQs

When do placements start?

Placements start from Year 2.

How many placements should I expect in each year?

The number of placements each year varies between one and five.

How will I be supervised and assessed?

You will have an Education Supervisor to ensure you’re on track. Assessments will be through various formats – more information is available on the course page.

Can I change a placement?

Changes to placements are not routinely offered, but under special circumstances a change may be considered.

What hours will I work?

Although timetabled teaching hours in the first two years are around 20 hours a week, students are expected to undertake self-directed learning during non-timetabled hours, up to a total of around 35 hours per week.

In years 3 to 5, you will be expected to attend placements for the full working week and, while on campus, participate in all timetabled teaching along with self-directed learning.