What to expect from an Elective Placement
The Elective Placement is undertaken at the Cambridge University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – Addenbrooke’s Hospital. The Hospital is well known for its pioneering work in various aspects of medicine. Staff in all specialties are interested in teaching and apart from short Spring, Summer and New Year breaks there are always local Cambridge medical students on site. The Hospital is part of a large campus which includes accommodation, shops, restaurants and a fully equipped sports centre.
During your 6 week placement, you will be assigned to one department at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. You will have the same access to the clinical environment as Cambridge medical students and will be expected to operate within the General Medical Council’s framework for student doctors (http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/undergraduate_policy.asp). All patient activity should be restricted to carrying out, according to instructions and under supervision, only those tasks that have been authorised by the named supervisor (or other medically registered practitioner). You will have the opportunity to study many aspects of the running of the department from clinical procedures to the work of a multi-disciplinary team.
All placements start on a Monday and finish on a Friday. Students are given the option to arrive from the Friday evening prior to their placement start date. A welcome pack is provided for you, giving you all of the information you will need about your stay with us.
On your start date you will be asked to come to the School of Clinical Medicine to meet with the Electives Administrator. You will go through your arrival documentation and arrange access to your department. You will also need to attend an Occupational Health Appointment on your first day, which will have been arranged for you in advance. Once you have completed these tasks you then meet with your supervisor or one of their colleagues. From this point on your supervisors will make arrangements with you for the duration of your placement. They will confirm your working hours and provide any additional information about your placement.
Elective Placements will vary greatly for each student and specialty. Most placements will involve working shifts in the departments, shadowing staff members, attending teaching sessions etc. The whole placement is designed to provide elective students with the experience needed to enhance their medical education.
During your stay you will also have access to the following:
- University of Cambridge Medical Library
- Computing services resources which includes your own dedicated email address for the duration of your stay
- An official University of Cambridge ID card
- The School of Clinical Medicine Student Social Committee, and the student common room
- The required staff areas in Addenbrooke’s Hospital
- The Hospital campus which includes accommodation, shops, restaurants and a fully equipped sports facility called the Frank Lee Centre.
At the end of your placement you will be asked to return your keys, student card, and access card. In return, the Electives Administrator will provide you with two letters to confirm that you have completed your Cambridge Elective Placement, both of which will have the official stamp of the School of Clinical Medicine.
The School of Clinical Medicine is unable to sign, stamp or provide any other documentation so please check with your University that this will be sufficient before applying.
All students applying for an Elective Placement must meet the entry requirements. Information about the fees for the elective placements can be found on the Entry Requirements & Fees page.
Please go to our frequently asked questions page for queries, details on what to expect in an application form and general useful information.
