Phase 1 medicine placements supervisor information

Medicine placements

This page gives all the information you need for year one and year two (or phase one) primary care placements.

In this phase, the focus is on exposure to primary care and the multidisciplinary team. During the placements, students will expect some face-to-face teaching and shadowing opportunities.

These do not need to be delivered on every occasion by the named educator. To broaden students' experience, we encourage other members of the primary care team to deliver these. For example, this could be the nurse practitioner or practice manager.

Along with medical students, this cohort includes learners on the undergraduate physician associate course. These students learn alongside the Phase 1 medical students for the first two years of the course, before joining the postgraduate PA students for their final two years to complete the learning outcomes for physician associates. During their time with you in phase one their learning outcomes are the same as the medical students. There should be no difference in activity opportunities offered. The physician associate learners will present in a maroon uniform which distinguishes them from the medical students.

Introduction into practice

Practising phase 1 clinical skills during placement

Please see the student workbook for further information regarding expectations.

Overview of topics covered in phase one

Clinical skills

Communication skills

Portfolio requirements

Workbooks

Example timetables

These are examples of timetables. Each placement should develop their own timetable based on the make-up of their practice team.

We would like the students to spend time with a variety of members of the primary care team. So they can start to develop an understanding of the importance of patient care. If appropriate, please include students in any practice/multi-disciplinary team meetings.

The precise length of the student day is somewhat flexible. Not least because it may be constrained by travel requirements. But, it is intended to be eight hours with time for breaks (for example, 9am to 5pm). Students are required to attend every day and this needs to be signed off by the practice in the students’ portfolio.

Frequently asked questions

Further information