Undergraduates spend most of their clinical attachments on the acute inpatient wards or psychiatric outpatient clinics where the majority of patients are suffering from psychotic illnesses, often with physical comorbidities and complex risk issues.
As well as helping them navigate the bureaucracy of the General Medical Council, providing language support, clinical attachments and a general support network, they also have retired volunteer doctors to talk them through the likely scenarios they will encounter on the job.
Evidence suggests the positive effects of clinical attachments on attitudes towards psychiatry are often transient (2).
The intervention was introduced to support students in their transition into full time clinical attachments.
This was the activity which students saw as the primary function of their clinical attachments.
The EPC year 1 comprised eight evenly distributed days on clinical attachments.
Some evidence suggests that clinical attachments during a medical course also contribute to rural practice intentions.
Time is limited on clinical attachments and access to experts is also limited.
Junior students on their first clinical attachments undertook a weekly same-level, reciprocal PAL activity.
The first EPC year was comprised of eight evenly distributed days on clinical attachments.
Self- direction is an important aspect of clinical attachments, as there may be significant time spent apart from the team.
