From the student's perspective Alison Vaughan 14 th August 2007.

Introduction Thank you Valuable experience Theory comes to life

Were we well prepared? Yes, thorough grounding in theory and practise. Big step to working with real people. Time out in years 1 & 2 More masking practise please.

Settling in Get us organised 1 st placement v 2 nd Good to work in more than one department.

Buddies We are happy to be buddies to the year below us Friend for the first few weeks. Preconceived ideas.

Finding accommodation Not aware of real problems. Hospital accommodation Passing rooms on o next student Issue with paying double rent

Mentors Grateful for constructive criticism Supportive and encouraging. Practise procedures on mentor Students are individuals

Tutorials Really useful regular contact with mentor Weekly to start, then fortnightly Great for moving project forward and checking PDP diary being done

Projects Wide range being set. Audits, protocols, essays, information leaflets, practical tasks. Something that benefits the department most popular, essays least. Really nice to give something back to the department.

Homework Younger students – ‘bad idea!’ Mature students - ‘good idea!’ Small tasks weekly/fortnightly are useful for filling in the gaps. Reading protocols & procedures, researching small topics.

Study time Various ways this is organised. Regular ½ day each week or equivalent Please take our preferences into account.

Logbook Great way to ensure we become proficient in a range of clinical skills. Daunting at the start. Problems when compulsory procedures are not routinely practised. O’s & P’s before FD’s. Longer appt times sometimes needed.

Doing things differently Can be confusing to start. Still based on BSA procedures. Good for our learning to find out why things are different. Easy to get into bad habits Jumping through hoops for exams.

Responsibility for our own learning Opportunities to observe related health care professions ENT & SALT, HT and cochlear implant patients Background knowledge Inter-professional learning Really helpful experience

Get us involved Working in out-reach clinics Different equipment Limited equipment – problem solving Presenting our projects at staff meetings.

One student or more Students enjoy having another student in the department Helps settling in, discussing issues, patients, moaning. If you are considering more students, do.

Life commitments Students with domestic commitments. Thank you for your help

Was the placement successful? Yes! Shaky start, once logbook and projects were started students felt progress was being made. Very valuable experience.

Passing on information Good idea for a 4 th year to chat with 2 nd year students before they go out. General outline of what to expect. However, we are all individuals and react to situations differently. Pre-conceived ideas can be unhelpful.

Summary Placements are going well and students are grateful. Few inconsistencies re study time. Few issues with logbook Opportunities in related areas. Out-reach clinics, reception, admin Improving our presenting skills.

Conclusion Great to put theory into practise Happy where we are, mixed feelings about returning to uni Valuable experience. Thank you again