The clinical placement

[nickbrazel]

One of the things that excites me about the HYMS course is the "soonness" (for lack of better word - perhaps it's all this chemistry revision!) that you get to go on a clinical placement.

Anyone know what the placement is like from an early stage? The best nitty gritty details would be great if possible...

Nick

[Varied A]

Yeh, I'm impressed with that too.

From what doctors I know/my own experience has told me, actually getting out there into the field at the earliest opportunity is one of the best preparations for being a doctor you can get (certainly far more than any lecture on obscure bodily functions!).

It's one of the reasons that I'm not so keen on Nottingham - they have just 2 mornings a month in phase 1 of their course! :shock:

[Doctorrob]

Im one of the Hull students so can only comment on the Hull side of things but the placement is probably the best thing about the HYMS week- not just because you get to wear the stethoscope and white coat. The course is structured so that the placement (which comes at the end of the 'academic week') is related to that weeks topic and so it is effectively the culmination of everything done that week.

Personally speaking i find that the weekly placement stops the course from feeling 'removed' from the real world, which i imagine students at other med schools might feel. You get to see what it is REALLY like from around week 3. Very early on you learn that not every patient is the 'text-book' case you read about; some can be rude, some dont have the 'right'symptoms for their problem and some treat you like you are completely stupid but i guess thats just part of being a doctor. Its not so much the academic side of medicine you learn but the people and clinical skills you need to be a doc. Doing placement from year 1 (rather than year 3) is going to mean that we have loads more experience of working with people than other medical students and should hopefully make us better doctors.

Initially they are slightly daunting but i honestly dont know anyone who dislikes them. Consultants (and GPs) aren't as daunting as their reputation would suggest and they all seem motivated to help you learn and improve (although they do expect you to be dressed smartly and act professionally). Placements vary in structure; some weeks you practice a physical exam and other weeks you just ask questions to try and gain an insight into a particular problem (and occasionally you do examination and questions!). Another good thing about HYMS is that you do GP placement (50% of the time) and so get to see both primary and secondary care. I really dont want to be a GP but find the placements as useful as the hospital ones.

I imagine its the same on the york side except that in hull we have two hospitals (castle hill and hull royal) instead of one. GP placements are all over the hull area. Transport was provided for free by the medical school.

Sorry for the essay but you did ask.....