Clinical Electives Programme FAQs

How long will it take to hear whether my application is successful?

This is dependent on PGME receiving a response from the clinical speciality we have approached but we would hope to be in touch within 2-4 weeks of applying.

How far in advance do I need to apply for a placement?

We need a minimum of 12 weeks to process all applications.

When should I submit my application for an elective placement?

We require a minimum of 12 weeks notice for all applications. Please be aware that we are unable to process application requests that are any longer than 10 months in advance of the proposed date of placement.

Can I send the documents through as one file?

No, all documents need to be uploaded onto the portal as separate PDF/JPEG/Word documents.

Can my reference be signed by someone other than the Dean?

Yes, Associate or Assistant Deans can also sign your reference.

What specialities offer elective placements?

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Elective Placement Specialities 2023

 

1. 1. AMU (Acute Medicine)

1. 1. Anaesthetics

1. 1. Breast Surgery

1. 1. Cardiology

1. 1. Colorectal Surgery

1. 1. Critical Care/ITU

1. 1. Dermatology

1. 1. Elderly Care

1. 1. Emergency Department

1. 1. EAUS Emergency Surgical Ward

1. 1. Endocrinology

1. 1. ENT

1. 1. General Surgery

1. 1. GI Medicine

1. 1. Haematology

1. 1. ITU/Critical Care

1. 1. Microbiology/Virology

1. 1. Neurology

1. 1. Orthopaedics

1. 1. Obstetrics & Gynaecology

1. 1. Ophthalmology

1. 1. Paediatrics

1. 1. Paediatric Surgery

1. 1. Palliative Medicine

1. 1. Plastic Surgery

1. 1. Radiology

1. 1. Interventional Radiology

1. 1. Renal Medicine

1. 1. Respiratory Medicine

1. 1. Rheumatology

1. 1. Stroke Medicine

1. 1. Thoracic Surgery

1. 1. Urology

1. 1. Vascular Surgery

How many specialities can I choose?

You are required to submit 2 preferred specialities.

What level of English is required before undertaking an elective placement?

If you are taking part in a medical course that is taught and assessed in English at your home university this can be evidenced by a letter from your University Dean. *Please upload evidence from your university on the ‘English Language Evidence’ section on the portal application form*

If you are not a native speaker of English and are studying on a non-English speaking medical course you must have a very high standard of spoken and written English and demonstrate proficiency by providing a certificate of your ability to communicate in English (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge Proficiency or Advanced certificates or a university certificate).

IELTS: overall score of 7.0 (with at least 7.0 in each of the four components).

TOEFL (paper-based): overall score of 600 with a Test of Written English score of 5.5.

TOEFL (internet-based): overall score of 110 with component scores of at least: Listening 22, Reading 24, Speaking 25, and Writing 24.

Cambridge English: Advanced, also known as the Certificate of Advanced English (CAE): grade A if taken before January 2015, or a score of at least 185.

Cambridge English: Proficiency, also known as the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE): grade B if taken before January 2015, or a score of at least 185.

If you wish to undertake an English course prior to your test, please visit the British Council website for all available courses in your area. Learn English | British Council

*Please note that the English Language requirements are subject to change.

Will I need to submit a supporting statement for my chosen specialities?

Yes, each speciality requires a comprehensive statement as to why you wish to train with their team. Statements of one line only will mean automatic rejection of your application.

Do you offer split placements?

We will ask the clinical teams about split placements; however, this may not be possible to accommodate.

What are the fees for undertaking an Elective placement at NNUH?

The Administration fee of £500 is payable for the elective placement once agreed with the clinical team, this fee will also cover the Occupational Health Pre-placement process. The fee is payable within 14 days of the placement offer via an online link which will be sent to you via email. If there is a change to the contract then this will incur an additional £200 non-refundable amendment administration fee.

If I cancel my accepted placement, can I be refunded for the administration fee?

The administration fee is non-refundable.

Can I change the date of my elective placement?

Any changes to the agreed contract is subject to approval by the clinical teams and will incur an additional £200 amendment administration fee.

Is a university stamp and signature available for paperwork reasons?

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals is an NHS Trust and not a university. We are a large teaching hospital and while we work in partnership with the University of East Anglia Medical School we are two separate organisations and therefore we are unable to provide a university stamp. We can supply a Trust NHS stamp if required. You will be completing an elective placement with the NNUH hospital trust not the University.

My University requires that my supervisor provides an evaluation of my placement how do I arrange this?

At the end of your placement you can ask your supervisor to complete this for you.

My University requires additional forms to be signed by the Trust or my Supervisor before my placement starts, how do I arrange this?

We are unable to sign any additional documentation prior to you commencing on placement. If you need proof that your placement is confirmed you will need to use the confirmation email sent by the PGME team.

Will I need a visa?

Please refer to www.gov.uk website.

Will I need to undertake a Occupational health Appointment?

A link to the Occupational health portal will be sent to you via email 6 weeks prior to commencing your placement. This is a mandatory part of the placement process and so needs to be completed asap. The Occupational health team will determine whether you need a face to face appointment and they will advise you accordingly.

What is required for NNUH Occupational Health Clearance for clinical elective students?

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH (provided by Workplace Health and Wellbeing (WHWB)) INFORMATION FOR OVERSEAS MEDICAL ELECTIVE STUDENTS

You will need to obtain clearance from the NNUH occupational health (WHWB) service prior to commencing your elective placement.

You must:

• Complete a confidential health clearance questionnaire at least one month prior to your elective placement to provide evidence of your vaccination history and immunity status.
  
• Upload a health clearance certificate from your host university confirming that you meet the minimum UK requirements for working within an NHS healthcare environment as follows.
  

• Evidence of a full course of Hepatitis B with serological proof of immunity level.
  
• Evidence of 2 MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccines OR measles and rubella immunity confirmed by serology.
  
• Evidence of immunity to Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) by vaccination, serology or confirmed previous history (if living in a temperate climate at the time of the illness).
  

NB: If living in a tropical climate, confirmed previous history is not sufficient and you will need to provide evidence of serology or vaccination.

• You must be able to demonstrate that you do not have active tuberculosis if you are travelling from a country or have spent time in a country that the UK considers to be of higher prevalence of TB.  If this applies, you must provide evidence of a Tuberculosis immigration certificate OR a chest X-Ray undertaken within the last 6 months.   If you travel to the UK from a higher prevalence TB country prior to submitting this evidence, you will not be cleared for placement and will be liable for the costs of a CXR in the UK prior to clearance being given.
  

For information on countries that are deemed as high risk please refer to the World Health Organisation – TB profile

Exposure Prone Procedure (EPP) screening

EPP’s are defined as “those invasive procedures where there is a risk that injury to the worker may result in the exposure of the patient’s open tissues to the blood of the worker. These include procedures where the worker’s gloved hands may be in contact with sharp instruments, needle tips or sharp tissues (e.g. spicules of bone or teeth) inside a patient’s open body cavity, wound or confined anatomical space where the hands may not be completely visible at all times”.

If it is identified that you are likely to perform EPP’s or work in an EPP environment you will require additional clearance as follows:

• Upload evidence of serological testing undertaken in your home country for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.    Positive results will result in a requirement for students to undertake non-EPP placements only and no further testing will be undertaken.
  
• Negative results will require confirmatory testing by occupational health prior to EPP clearance being confirmed.    This is in accordance with the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidelines requiring UK ID validated blood samples analysed by an accredited laboratory source.
  

Important:  you must bring either your passport or a valid photo ID with you to the appointment.

Information to students

The full occupational health requirements, along with additional information, are outlined in the G2 health questionnaire you will receive. Please ensure that all required evidence is uploaded to the questionnaire before submitting it.

______________________________________________________________
1 Temperate regions are defined as United Kingdom, rest of Europe, North America, Antipodes, Middle East and Indian
sub-continent
2 Tropical regions are defined as sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia, Caribbean and Central America

Is there car parking available?

Car parking on-site is in high demand and passes will not be allocated to students.  There is a free Park & Ride bus at Costessey; you show the bus driver your Trust ID badge (which you will collect on your first day) Information about this service can be found at: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust » Contacting and Finding Us (nnuh.nhs.uk)

The patient car park gets filled up quickly, however there is a new multi-storey car park on-site that has a space and so this may be worth considering. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust » Car parking (nnuh.nhs.uk)

How quickly should I sort out my accommodation?

Please be aware that it is advisable to source your accommodation as soon as possible after you receive confirmation of your elective placement. Norwich is a University city and so demand for accommodation is high, plus on-site accommodation at the hospital is in very high demand and gets booked up early.
NNUH Accommodation
https://www.nnuh.nhs.uk/departments/accommodation-office/

The accommodation team can offer onsite halls of residents as well as shared housing for students and medical staff. The hospital has a 144 en-suite rooms are situated within the grounds of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Please note the halls of residents are very popular and there is often a waitlist.

When requesting a room please ask for a desk otherwise a desk cannot be guaranteed.

Is there accommodation onsite?

There is onsite accommodation at the Trust which students are welcome to apply for. Onsite accommodation is extremely popular, and the Accommodation team have a waiting list and allocate on a first come basis, so we cannot guarantee a room if you apply.  If you wish to apply for this once your application is accepted, then please let us know and we can send you an application form.

A list of other Norwich accommodation is also sent out to all accepted students to aid students in finding suitable accommodation during your stay in Norwich.

Please be aware if you are offered onsite accommodation it is your responsibility to liaise with the Accommodation team, and cancel the accommodation if you find somewhere alternative to stay.  PGME does not manage the onsite accommodation and therefore it is the students responsibility to keep the Accommodation team informed. If you do not let them know you wish to cancel you may be charged a fee.

How much is hospital accommodation?

Long term stay – Single occupancy room per month £570.  Double occupancy room per month £625.

Once your room has been confirmed there is a deposit required which will be returnable when the Tenant vacates the Premises less any dilapidations or other charges if appropriate. This deposit will be confirmed by the accommodation team.

Short term stay – Single occupancy room per night £45, double occupancy room per night £60.

Additional Services to your rent are available; please confirm if you are interested when booking.  These include:-

Linen Pack- £60.00 (inc duvet, duvet cover, sheet, pillow, pillow case and bath towel)   

Cleaning- £40.00 per month (weekly room clean)

Linen Service- £30.00 per month (bedding/towel changed weekly)

What year of my university studies should I have reached when I take up a place on the Elective Programme?

Usually students are in the final two years of their course at their home university when they take up their place on the Elective programme.

The £500 administration fee is a set fee for all students applying to the NNUH programme.

Can Year 4 students undertake an elective placement?

Yes 4^th year medical students can apply for the NNUH elective programme. The NNUH elective programme accommodates both 4^th and 5^th year or (final year ) medical student. The £500 administration fee is a set fee for all students applying to the NNUH programme.

Can I apply for an elective if I am qualified?

The NNUH elective programme is specifically for medical students in their final two years only. If you are newly graduated and looking for an observership/ clinical attachment, then we would advise contacting the trusts medical staffing team. Medical.Staffing@nnuh.nhs.uk

Should students contact the specialities they are interested in themselves or is it best to leave arrangements to the Clinical Elective Placement team to source?

Students should not contact Consultants or the clinical teams themselves, the Postgraduate team are responsible for sourcing student placements. It causes more work for the clinical teams if they receive adhoc requests. Students must follow the online application process. International Programmes – Training – PGME (nnuh.nhs.uk). Any applications received via email to clinicians will be advised to apply through the online portal.

Do I need a personal indemnity policy?

The NHS Indemnity covers students and work experience placements provided they are not acting beyond the scope of the placement, cover will be extended. The guidance relates to the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) and relates to any injury or harm caused to patients

The Indemnity guidance states:

“NHS Indemnity covers the actions of staff in the course of their NHS employment. It also covers people in certain other categories whenever the NHS body owes a duty of care to the person harmed, including, for example, locums, medical academic staff with honorary contracts, students, those conducting clinical trials, charitable volunteers and people undergoing further professional education, training and examinations.”

Do I need private health cover?

If you live outside the UK you must arrange personal health insurance for unlimited medical cover  before you take up your place on the Elective Programme. It is a condition of your acceptance that you are adequately insured to cover the cost of medical attention, including repatriation if necessary, should you become ill during your Elective period.

A link to the NHS guidance:

How to access NHS services in England if you are visiting from abroad – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Should I bring my scrubs or white coat with me or are they provided?

White coats are not worn in the NHS in the UK. Scrubs will be provided as part of your placement.  However please be aware if you are going in to Theatres you may wish to bring your own Theatre shoes.

Who should I contact if I have any other queries?

If your query has not been covered above, you can contact us on PGMEClinicalElectives@nnuh.nhs.uk