Assistantship
Assistantship
Assistantship
In the final phase of your medical school journey, you will be assigned to one of the three WMS Trusts for an 8-week placement. Allocation will happen after the UKFPO allocation (sometime in March), so that students can be assigned to the trust and specialty based on their FY1 jobs - this is to support students with the transition to FY1 as much as possible!
What to expect?
During your Assistantship, you will be integrated into a medical team and supervised by a Foundation Year 1 (FY1) Doctor or a Senior House Officer (SHO). This period offers you the chance to shadow the FY1 or SHO, gaining first hand experience of their responsibilities and the healthcare system. This practical training is designed to provide you with invaluable insights and prepare you for your role as a Foundation Doctor starting in August.
During this time, you will have numerous opportunities to practice your clinical skills, writing in patients' notes, presenting to the team, and writing TTOs (discharge summaries).
Additionally, there will be asynchronous learning content available to further support your preparation for FY1. This will include essential skills such as writing death certificates, requesting imaging and much more, which are crucial for your upcoming responsibilities.
You will also be required to attend one "Assistantship Prioritisation" Teaching Day - This is a very useful session, as you will be given various clinical scenarios to discuss. Here you will appreciate the importance of clinical prioritisation and decision-making. It also gives you an insight into life as an FY1! Highly recommend!
How is the block divided?
Most of you will spend 4 weeks in Medicine and 4 weeks in Surgery. However, if you have been assigned a psychiatry job for your Foundation Programme, you may also spend some time in Psychiatry during this placement.
Tips and Tricks!
Be Proactive!
This is the best opportunity to prepare yourself for FY1. Ask the team if you can write in the patient's notes during the ward round, if you can help with their jobs list, if you can practice writing on drug charts and TTOs.
TABS!
Many students find this the hardest to obtain. You will need to collect a minimum of 6 TABS over the 8-weeks period (2x ST3+ doctors, 2x nursing staff and 2x any team members).
Try to spend time with the wider team!
Ask for TABs early!
MDT
Try to spend time with the wider team to understand their role and contribution to patient care! This may include nurses, HCAs, pharmacists, PTs, OTs, PAs, ANPs / SNPs, receptionists, ward clerks ...
This is a great opportunity to get TABS too!
If you have any questions about Assistantship, please contact Dr Emily Crosse: .