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YEAR 5 MBChB

Elective Handbook

2018-2019

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YEAR 5 ELECTIVE HANDBOOK 2018-2019

AIMS Concept The aim of the Year 5 Medical Elective is to provide an opportunity for the student to develop personally and professionally by arranging and performing a project of his/her own choice in any field of medicine, including medicine within the wider context of societies, at an approved host institution. Project A project is defined as a discrete piece of work conceived with guidance by and for the student. Student choice is the fundamental principle. The project may take several forms, for example and not exclusively:

A short clinical or laboratory research study, addressing clearly defined questions or testing a hypothesis; (maybe quantitative or qualitative)

An evaluation of a service or specific intervention;

A detailed and extensive review of the literature on a topic with illustrative case-based examples. The best reviews now follow “systematic review” methods.

Clinical audit of a service or component of a service comparing with accepted standards;

A standard setting observational study from which audits might follow;

A survey to establish levels of knowledge, or skills, behaviours, values, beliefs about a specific topic;

An educational project that produces material to facilitate, teach or train the students, staff, patients or the wider public.

The University of Aberdeen does not consider it appropriate for students to carry out clinical clerkships as electives. Bluntly, a simple description of how a student spent his or her time on ward rounds, in clinics or the community and in travel will not satisfy programme requirements. This regulation does not undermine or attempt to diminish the potential value of such experiences. Neither does it preclude students undertaking clinical work whilst carrying out the project – gaining clinical or other relevant practical experience related to the project and the location in which it takes place, is encouraged. Rather, it reflects the intention of the MBChB programme to broaden the undergraduate experience to include planning, executing and writing up a critical body of independent work, which will challenge and provide useful skills in whatever sphere of medicine is entered. Elective Proposal (ME4020) During Year 4, all students will be required to complete full details of their elective plans on the elective website https://www.abdn.ac.uk/medical/electives. Deadlines for submission will be made known in advance.

This information is used to establish that the student has developed the elective in terms of its intellectual content, organisation and assessment of risk. Timely submission of a satisfactory elective outline and attendance at interview is a pre-requisite to progression to final year. Proposals not received on time will not be considered for the many internal bursaries. Setting The project can be carried out in the North of Scotland (including Aberdeen and Inverness), other parts of the UK, or abroad. The choice of location is the student’s, although the University may advise, sometimes strongly, against electives in unsettled parts of the world or where student safety is an issue.

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Duration The Elective lasts eight weeks. This time is designed to include a few days for travel to and from the host location. Students should not take time off the preceding or subsequent block for travel. Students should be aware that the Elective is a part of matriculated term time. As such, attendance is expected during the entire eight weeks, wherever the Elective takes place. Students should note that the University is accountable for students as part of its duty of care during this time. Under the Immigration regulations laid down by the UK Border Agency, students’ attendance will be monitored rigorously at all times during the academic year, including whilst on elective. This, in turn, requires students to be accountable personally to the University for where they are and for work they are carrying out during that element of time-tabled activity. The University’s Code of Practice on Student Discipline, www.abdn.ac.uk/registry/quality/appendix5x15.pdf, paragraphs 3.1.11 and 3.1.12 clearly states the responsibilities a student has to the University. In practical terms, this means that it is inappropriate for the Elective to be considered a vacation in whole or in part. On the other hand, students should not extend their Elective into vacation time either before or after the time-tabled block. In order to provide equity for all students, one criterion is that each student has the same amount of time in which to carry out his or her Elective.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES In planning, executing and writing up the project, students might consider the following broad objectives that may be achieved in the course of planning, carrying out and presenting the project. To develop generic attributes relevant to a career in medicine. These include the following qualities of professionalism:

Interpersonal, communication, organisation, time management, and presentation skills;

Flexibility and adaptability;

Independence and team working;

Intellectual capacity, credibility, judgement, intuition;

Punctuality, setting and meeting deadlines;

Responsibilities to oneself and others. To gain experience that will be of potential value in future:

Health care in an unfamiliar environment

Considering and assessing the relative risk to him or herself of a particular project, location or travel arrangement;

Dealing with issues of ethics as they pertain to clinical and research practice in teaching and learning

Planning, analysing and writing up an original project of medical importance.

Evidence of acquisition of specialty focus and relevant experience

Opportunities to develop career aspirations To acquire knowledge that will benefit personal development and patient centered care:

Broadly about medicine and medical practice and specifically based on the topic of the project;

With reference to the choice of subject and nature of the project about relevant methods, handling and presenting quantitative and/or qualitative data, setting these in the context of world literature;

Of health care systems with which the student has no prior understanding;

Of personal strengths and challenges that may be revealed in the course of the planning and execution of the elective.

Specific, task-centred objectives might include:

Develop individual initiative, communication and organisation skills in identifying suitable project supervisors and making arrangements with host institutions.

Gain experience in formulating a simple question or hypothesis which can be addressed in the time available for the project.

Hone skills on how to become familiar with the existing state of knowledge in an area of medicine or medical practice or related topic.

Learn the importance of planning and time management in carrying out the project and meeting required deadlines for proposal and report submission.

Learn to work in an independent manner within the constraints of circumstances at the host institution.

Gain experience in analysing data in the context of existing knowledge and drawing appropriate conclusions.

Gain experience in writing a report in the format of a scientific or medical paper describing the study which has been carried out.

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STRUCTURE OF YEAR 5 Blocks There are four rotational eight week blocks and four weeks of Professional Practice in the final year of the MBChB Programme. The Medical Elective block is one of the four rotational blocks. The essential requirement of the Elective block is that a project must be carried out, written up and submitted for consideration and assessment by the electives’ advisers as an essential component of the Year 5 assessment. Like all other parts of Year 5, successful completion of the Elective is a pre-requisite for graduation. A copy of the section list which indicates which block students have been allocated for their elective is available on MyMBChB. Section swaps will be considered until 3rd November 2017 and should be approved by Morag Simpson – morag.simpson@abdn.ac.uk ). No swaps will be allowed after this time, to ensure students have adequate time to finalise elective plans. Section numbers must remain equal so it will not normally be possible to move into another section without a swap. In final year, all students will be required to complete their Foundation Application (Situational Judgement Test – SJT) in an exam setting. Provisional dates are scheduled December 2018 and January 2019. Those on Elective on one of these dates will be scheduled to sit the SJT on the other date, but please bear this in mind when planning your elective as you may still be required to register online for the exam, whilst on Elective. Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) Exact dates are still being finalised for the PSA but it is likely that by 2018-19 many employing health boards will require students to have passed the PSA during final year. Potentially these dates will be held between January and June but we will confirm dates for PSA and SJT as soon as they are available. Carrying out the Elective and Completing the Elective Report The Elective extends over the full eight weeks of the block and this will include travelling time to and from the host location. Each block is closely followed by the next and so it is a requirement that Elective reports are handed in on time to ensure that students are able to focus on the part of the Programme that follows. It is not acceptable to hand in reports late, for two reasons. Firstly, it confers an advantage on the late student who has had more time to complete the report than his or her colleagues. Secondly, doing Elective block work in, for example, the surgical block, might well jeopardise the student’s attendance, leading to loss of learning opportunities in Surgery and difficulties arising from absence, including withdrawal of class certificate. The assessed component of the Elective is the report, which should also include a reflective account (500 words) on the lessons learned from the whole Elective. This should include the clinical experience gained during the Elective block. If there is no clinical experience in the block, then students should reflect on the lessons learned in, for example, the research lab. The account should be included with the elective report, with 20% of the mark for the reflective writing and 80% for the main project report. Students’ attention is drawn to the value available in taking full advantage of the opportunity to work in an unfamiliar clinical or scientific environment, and to reflect on how this experience translates into learning that will be useful in the development of their future professional careers. Further guidance on writing the report and the reflective piece is available on the electives website. Sanctions Students who fail to meet elective deadlines will face the likelihood of penalties imposed by the Convenor of Advisers on Electives. (See “Penalties”).

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Elective Web Resources A web resource for students is available from https://www.abdn.ac.uk/medical/electives/electives which has been

designed in consultation with existing and past final year students, elective advisers and supervisors, and provides invaluable advice on how to plan and execute the Elective. It also provides guidance on how to apply for funding and links to useful contacts for external bursaries and bursaries for electives in particular disciplines, alongside comments from students on their experiences. To ensure students have the most up to date information, only the key information is included in the handbook and students are directed to the website to assist with the planning of the elective. The electives website should be your first port of call for any elective information. The web resource is being continuously developed and contains guidance on when ethical approval is likely to be required in the UK. More information on planning an elective in underdeveloped countries and a module of important statistical guidance are under development. Planning the Elective Spending time planning the elective is the key to a successful and enjoyable elective. It is important to: Plan what you intend to do and where

Make a list of interesting subjects, thinking as widely as possible about your previous experiences and influential people and events. Consider whether you have any contacts who may be willing to act as local or host supervisor.

Decide whether you want to undertake an elective in high- tech western medicine or medicine in the developing world. Many students carry out very successful electives in Aberdeen - you do not have to go elsewhere.

Students will be strongly advised NOT to consider travelling to areas of civil unrest

Students are strongly encouraged to take responsibility for considering risks, particularly health risks, and students need to work through the health risks section on the electives website .

Plan how you intend to do it

Think about the costs and arrangements for travel, fees and vaccinations or health issues.

Consider how you will resolve any cultural or language barriers. The university requires that the project be carried out to good governance standards. Guidance will be specific to the particular project carried out. You should discuss this with your local and host supervisors. A simple checklist assures the University of Aberdeen that you have considered appropriate aspects of your elective (including health, insurance and ethical issues). You should consider if ethical approval is required and you will be asked about this at the Project Interview. Do discuss this with your supervisor. Projects which are being conducted as part of a larger research study may already have secured ethical permission. You should cite the approval number in the final project report.

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Ethical Considerations Projects in the UK

Research in the UK involving NHS patients requires ethical approval from the appropriate NHS Research Ethics Committee. The NRES document “Defining Research” is recommended as a decision aid for the need to gain ethical approval (see http://www.nres.nhs.uk). The application process may take six months (rarely appropriate for an 8-week project). Applications are made through the NHS Integrated Research Application System (https://www.myresearchproject.org.uk).

Low risk projects with no material ethical issues, with a minimal burden or intrusion (applying to many electives) may now be suitable for a much simpler “Proportionate Review”. For more information, visit http://www.hra.nhs.uk/resources/applying-to-recs/nhs-rec-proportionate-review-service/

Comprehensive information on planning a research project is available on the University of Aberdeen & NHS Grampian Clinical Research Governance & Quality Assurance website (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/clinicalresearchgovernance/index.php)

Research in the UK, not involving NHS patients (e.g. normal volunteers, healthy individuals, sports participants) can be approved by the University’s College Ethical Review Board (CERB) (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/clsm/working-here/cerb.php). A screening questionnaire is being introduced to assist you in determining whether your project requires ethical approval.

Projects involving service evaluation, clinical audit or surveillance (most electives) may not require ethical approval, depending on the nature of the project, and you should discuss this with your supervisor.

All projects outside the UK

Ethical approval procedures in the host institution should be followed, both for research and audit projects. In addition, the University of Aberdeen will need to know that appropriate ethical review standards are in place locally. This may require an additional application to CERB.

Prepare for it not happening

Hopefully everything will work out well but on occasion, electives do have to change unexpectedly and at the last minute. The more you have considered everything, the less likely this is to happen. What would you do in these circumstances and consider having a plan B in place.

Allow plenty of time to make arrangements

Planning always takes a lot longer than anticipated. It can take weeks or months to get a response from host supervisors.

Keep in contact with both local and host supervisors to make sure they will be around at appropriate times

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Changing Elective Plans It is sometimes inevitable that plans for Electives need to change. This may be because of problems with contact from host supervisors, issues of cost or access, or changes in personal circumstances, for instance. This sort of change may result in a change of local supervisor too. If a student makes changes, for whatever reason, the following course of action is required:-

The MBChB Office must be contacted by email (morag.simpson@abdn.ac.uk ) and informed about the changes and the reasons for them. Verbal notification will not suffice. This is particularly important where there has been a change in location. The immigration regulations laid down by UK Border Agency are clear that the University must know the whereabouts of ALL our students during matriculated term time including whilst on elective. As noted above, the University of Aberdeen is accountable for students in term time and it is a student’s personal responsibility to ensure the University can carry out this function by providing up to date and accurate information. The University takes it very seriously if students make changes to their elective plans/location without notifying the MBChB office and may take action against any student who does not adhere to these regulations.

You must update your elective outline using https://www.abdn.ac.uk/medical/electives/my_elective/form_menu

The local supervisor who will have been involved in the setting up of the project in its original form must be contacted.

The original host supervisor must be informed, otherwise they may not know that the student is no longer planning to undertake a project in their institution.

The host institution which may have reserved a place or accommodation for a student, must be informed.

If applicable, any funding bodies should be contacted to inform them of any changes. Many bursaries are allocated based on the project undertaken as well as the location, so you may be required to reimburse the organisation if the new or revised project is not eligible.

We do understand that on occasion plans may change once arriving at the host institute. The rules as above will still apply in these circumstances and the Year 5 Secretary (morag.simpson@abdn.ac.uk ) should be notified urgently of any changes The GMC’s Medical Students: Professional Values and Fitness to Practise guidelines are clear. Concerns could be raised about a student’s Fitness to Practise if they display inappropriate and unprofessional attitudes or behaviour. This includes all aspects of dealing with the University and the host institution. Being responsible for these arrangements and communicating information in a timely and polite manner is an attribute relevant to professional development and is thus an expectation of students.

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LOCAL SUPERVISOR Summary of the role of the local supervisor (see website for details)

advise students about electives

may be able to provide contacts

talk through the subject

help modify ideas

requires to see and sign off the elective proposal Students should start approaching potential supervisors early on in the planning of the Elective. It is not satisfactory for students to start approaching supervisors 2 days before the outline is due. Students need to consider if their local supervisor will be available prior to the deadline for submission of the outline. The website will provide supervisors with an electronic “sign off”. Students should not expect their local supervisor to arrange the elective for them or to write the outline. Supervisors are there in an advisory capacity and the onus is on the student to do the preparation. SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ELECTIVES General The MBChB Programme has a range of supportive structures in place to help students arrange and carry out Electives. Advice and Problems The MBChB Office can deal with administrative matters at any time. Significant changes of project or serious problems with write-up should be discussed with Dr Donald Thomas, Electives Convenor. Appointments to meet with Dr Thomas should be made via Morag Simpson in the MBChB Office, tel: 01224 437775 email: morag.simpson@abdn.ac.uk. Dr Thomas can be contacted via email: donald.thomas@nhs.net UNIVERSITY 24 HOUR/CRISIS TELEPHONE LINE FOR STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD. In the event of a life/death or emergency situation where students need to contact someone at the University, they may call: +44 (0) 1224 27 30 27 - 24 hours a day. Calls may be reverse charged. During office hours contact Morag Simpson directly on +44 (0) 1224 437775. We do understand in an emergency situation the University is possibly low on your list of people to contact but please ask whoever you have contacted in UK, eg friend or family, to contact Morag Simpson, who will be happy to pass messages on to your class mates. If you obtain a mobile phone in your host country it would be useful if you could forward this information to Morag, in case we need to contact you in an emergency. A print out of who to contact in an emergency is available from the Electives website which we would recommend you pass to your next of kin/emergency contact.

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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides up-to-date on-line advice, guidance and support across the world. This website is an excellent source of information and is “a must” for students travelling abroad. The site is found at: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/ Overseas students should be aware of issues pertaining to overseas passport holders and should seek relevant advice. TRAVEL HEALTH For information on recommended vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis visit the NHS Fit for Travel website: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx Information on travelling overseas on university business can be found at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/staffnet/working-here/travel-overseas-2130.php. Students should ensure that they have medical insurance cover for any overseas travel. Advisers on Electives There is a group of interested staff – Advisers on Electives – drawn from clinical and teaching staff in the University and the North of Scotland Hospital and Community NHS who have particular knowledge and experience of Electives, and who are committed to offering advice and guidance to students. This group is led by a Convenor who also has an executive role and makes decisions about individual students, for example, on behalf of the group – in addition to the Adviser role. As well as guiding students, Advisors also consider Elective proposals and interview Year 4 students about Elective plans for the following year. Advisers assess submitted Elective reports on behalf of the Programme. A list of Advisers can be found on the electives web site. Students should be aware that these names may change over time although most will remain on the list. The current Convenor of Advisers on Electives is Dr Donald Thomas. Contact details Dr Donald Thomas ARI Consultant ; e-mail: donald.thomas@nhs.net The Deputy Convenor is Dr Jolene Moore. Contact details Dr Jolene Moore Anaesthetic Department, ARI e-mail: jolenemoore@abdn.ac.uk In the MBChB Office in the Suttie Centre, the Electives process is administered and supported by Morag Simpson Contact Details Morag Simpson MBChB Office, Suttie Centre, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD e-mail: morag.simpson@abdn.ac.uk tel 01224 437775

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NOTES ON COMPLETION OF THE ELECTIVES OUTLINE FORM Purpose of Elective Outline form

To provide evidence that each student has thought about and organised an elective project.

To demonstrate that students have assessed the potential risks and arrangements relating to the Elective.

To ensure the University of Aberdeen has details of the whereabouts and contact details relevant to the Elective period.

To form the basis of discussion at the Elective interview and thus part of the assessment of the proposal that may lead to the awarding of a travel bursary and the progression to final year.

COMPLETING THE FORM An online database is available at https://www.abdn.ac.uk/medical/electives for you to record your potential

elective plans, progress etc. Once the plans have been finalised you will be able to complete the online form which must include details of

The venue for the Elective, whether in Aberdeen, UK or abroad. This should include the full address of the host supervisor/elective location

Who is to supervise the project in Aberdeen and in the host venue. This must include both local and host supervisors name. In all instances you should include the title of the supervisors eg Dr

Contact details of these people should include an email address and phone number

Dates you are undertaking the elective

The title of the project: The title should be concise and informative.

A summary of the project to be carried out ensuring that all prompts are answered This will include a paragraph about the background to the project, briefly noting the main issue to be addressed and one or two key references, if appropriate. The aim of the project should be stated. The second paragraph should focus on methods used. Methods will vary depending on the nature of the project (eg observational, survey, audit, evaluation, educational, experimental). Statements like “the [host hospital] data base will be examined and data collected” are not reassuring – you need to say “the [host hospital] data base will be examined and details of patient demographics, serum magnesium haemoglobin level and NEWS score will be gathered to a SPSS spreadsheet”; or similar level of detail to indicate you know what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. The third paragraph should be a brief statement to include expected outcomes of the project and the elective as a whole.

References should be limited to one or two key pieces of work in peer reviewed articles if possible, cited appropriately.

Confirmation that you have considered all tasks, e.g. ethics, and confirmation that you have read the regulations

Once these points have been completed you will be able to forward this electronically to your local supervisor who must confirm he/she has discussed the plans with you and are happy with the arrangements. This in turn will submit the form to the MBChB office. If the form is missing any of the required parts you will be unable to submit it to your local supervisor and/or the office. You will be marked as “late submission” should the information not be conveyed by the relevant deadline.

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The proposal should have been discussed with and agreed by its supervisors – both in Aberdeen and in the Elective location. It is your responsibility to ensure everything is in place by the deadline. In particular you should ensure the local supervisor is around to confirm the outline. It is suggested the text includes the following:

an introductory sentence, or two but no more, giving a background to the subject and citing one or two key references.

A statement of what the project aims to do. eg ‘This project will review diagnostic criteria for AIDS used in Hospital X’.

Methods to be used in the project. eg ‘Hospital X receives around 40 cases of AIDS per month. I will gather data on age, gender, presenting symptoms and signs over a 5-week period for all attending patients diagnosed as having AIDS. Any laboratory tests or other investigations and (where available) the results of these will be included. This data will be analysed to determine the means by which the diagnosis was reached. The results will be compared with those in published studies, conclusions drawn and recommendations made.’

You should also ensure you have answered all the prompts. In order to do this, it is evident that details will need to have been discussed with the supervisor in the location of the Elective to take into consideration local circumstances. The reason for this is to encourage realistic expectations – in the example above, it would be realistic to see 25 – 40 patients who fit the study criteria; do not expect 250! It is necessary to think out exactly what can be done and how to do it. This approach is recommended because it allows effective planning to ensure that the project takes up a reasonable component of time wherever it is carried out and leaves enough time to be involved in the other activities of the hospital or environment in which the Elective is carried out. A project involving patient based research or involving healthy subjects, whatever its nature will, in many countries including the UK, require ethical scrutiny and approval. This is usually a time consuming process (often 3-6 months) and the student should discuss this with local and host institution supervisors early in the planning to ensure time to gain approval, if it is required (See above). Students will need to demonstrate that they have investigated whether ethical approval is required. Please note the word limit of 450 words

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Elective Outline Submission (ME4020) Timely submission of a satisfactory elective outline and attendance at interview is a pre-requisite to progression to final year. Late or unsatisfactory submission will preclude students from eligibility to financial assistance from the University Elective travel bursaries and could result in refusal of a class certificate for this course

Hand in date for proposals is 9th February 2018 at 5pm.

Timely submission is the responsibility of the student. The deadline is there to ensure students complete arrangements of administrative components of the Elective well in advance, to allow time for proposals to be assessed – this is a considerable logistic exercise for the MBChB Office and Electives Advisers which requires detailed advance planning to allow clinical staff to organise service cover.

It is mandatory that the form is completed as detailed above and approved by the local supervisor before submission.

Submission of a satisfactory elective outline and attendance at an interview is a compulsory component of the MBChB degree.

Late or unsatisfactory submission will preclude students from eligibility for financial assistance from University Elective travel bursaries and could result in refusal of a class certificate.

Students who are returning from an Intercalated degree or are hoping to undertake an Intercalated degree in 2018-19 are still required to submit an elective outline. Students will then be invited to attend an interview as detailed below.

ELECTIVE INTERVIEWS General All students are required to attend an interview to discuss their Elective proposal.

Interviews will be held in February to April of 2018 in both Aberdeen and Inverness. Appointments will be sent to students. Interviews will take approximately 15 minutes. If it is not possible for a student to attend the interview, it is expected that the student will contact the MBChB Office indicating why they cannot attend and to make an alternative appointment. Assessment of Outline The outline is assessed by Elective Advisers as follows:

The form as submitted is assessed, looking at the accuracy and completeness, the way it is set out and the content (see website for advice on how this should be done).

The level of knowledge displayed by the student in relation to the project proposed, including the background, methodology and expected outcomes.

The level of organisation and ability of the student to consider and deal with potential risks in respect, for example, to funding, travel, accommodation, ethical approval, health and violence.

This assessment is marked against a series of positive and negative indicators. The score is used in the allocation of travel bursaries that are within the University’s remit to award. A list of bursaries is available on the Electives website. Any students who submit the outline late or are advised that they need to resubmit an outline or be re-interviewed will not be considered for a University allocated bursary.

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Students will be given a deadline for re-submission of their signed, outline. Any students who are late in submitting their signed revised elective outline or do not attend a scheduled interview will be at risk of losing their class certificate. Students should be aware that Interview guidelines for Advisers are as follows:- Guidance for Elective Interviewers Interviewers should ensure that students have fulfilled these requirements. Note that this includes the full name and contact details of the host supervisor and local supervisor. Please be aware that if a student is carrying out the elective locally, the roles of the local and host supervisor are merged. Local supervisors and interviewers should look at the content of the proposal. Students are asked to write 450 words that should contain an introduction to the topic, the methods to be employed and the expected outcomes. Specifically, interviewers should ensure the proposed project is:

Realistic – some tend to be over-ambitious and questions or scale need to be made more specific and focussed;

Achievable in the context of where it is going to take place. What might be possible where for example there is an up to date IT data base is different from where no case notes are kept;

Of sound design – the project should study something, whatever it is. Control groups are a problem in many instances but the use of published data should be encouraged for comparisons. Some students will want to do the host site with Aberdeen comparisons. Caution is recommended on this as the data from Aberdeen needs to be available before the student goes on the elective as there is no time to gather it on return. Two-centre electives in 8 weeks are probably impractical.

Ethical – students must have discussed with their host supervisor whether any ethical issues pertain and, if so, how to meet these requirements. Ethics requirements in other countries may vary and should comply with the host country. In the UK, research on NHS patients and staff should be approved by ethics and many student projects with no material ethical concerns that are not intrusive or burdensome can now be done by proportionate review. Further guidance is available under the elective considerations heading in the electives website https://www.abdn.ac.uk/medical/electives/electives

Costed – has the student considered costs;

Travel;

Accommodation;

Health and travel insurance;

Visa requirements (health checks, X-rays, vaccinations);

Fees charged by institutions;

Health issues, specifically HIV endemic areas. Students should be told to ensure that they have checked with the host supervisor that secondary (post-exposure) HIV prophylaxis is available to them should they need it. There is specific advice about HIV on the electives website and students’ attention should be drawn to it. They also need to indicate and sign that they have received the risk assessment document provided.

Outcomes

If the student has fulfilled the requirements outlined above, the interviewers should indicate this.

If a student has not completed the details on the elective proposal form, or if the form has not been signed by the local supervisor, they may be told to resubmit the form, completed appropriately.

If a student has no plan or a plan that is of concern, interviewers must decide whether or not to require the student to be re-interviewed. This is a matter of judgement depending on perceived organisation, engagement in the process, distillation of relevant issues, grasp of the literature, for example.

If a student persistently fails to submit a form or submits incomplete or poorly constructed proposals, they will be at risk of refusal of their class certificate and non-progression to final year.

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Interviewers are asked to score interviews. This should be done on the basis of the submitted proposal form and the student’s performance in relation to their perceived organisation, engagement in the process, distillation of relevant issues, grasp of the literature and enthusiasm. The scores allow the Convenor to allocate bursaries for travel and expenses available to the University for that purpose.

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ELECTIVE REPORT Outcomes

Final CGS scores of 18 – 22 will be considered for prizes. Students in this category will be invited for a prize oral in May. Attendance is recommended but is not compulsory. Possible awards are listed on the website.

Final CGS scores of 9 – 17 are a pass.

Final CGS scores of 8 or below are regarded as a fail. Students in this category will be contacted as soon as possible and given the opportunity to resubmit the report. The Convenor or deputy will interview such students and will help formulate a plan to assist in the resubmission process.

The worst case scenario is that the Advisers may require that a new project be performed. This will inevitably result in failure to graduate as a satisfactory report is a pre-requisite for graduation - the elective project is the same in this regard as a final year degree exam.

Students should ensure that the report is handed in by the required date for marking. Check the correct submission date on the website before starting the Elective. Late submissions will be penalised by being awarded a reduced CGS score (see below for details) and will not be considered for elective prizes. To help ensure you can submit your report by the deadlines stated below, we would advise the following timeline in undertaking your project. It is expected that the report will be written during the 8 weeks of the block. Sections can be written as the work progresses. As it may not be possible to print copies until back in Aberdeen, the deadline for submitting reports is the Wednesday following the end of the block, but you should not leave the entire write up until then.

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8

travel and Hospital familiarisation

Main data collection period Analysis of data

Draft data collection form - test

Other clinical experience as appropriate

travel

Complete literature search

Write-up literature review and methods

Write-up results and discussion

Complete report (conclusion and summary)

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REPORT DEADLINES The deadlines for submission of reports to the MBChB Office for Electives undertaken during session 2018-19 are detailed below: Section 1 Electives - 31st October 2018 Section 2 Electives - 26th December 2018 (can be sent by post) Section 3 Electives - 6th March 2019 Section 4 Electives - 1st May 2019 Please submit two copies of the report to Morag Simpson in the MBChB office along with a signed copy of the plagiarism form which is available from the electives web resource. If you are in Inverness for the block immediately after your elective you may submit the report to the Highland Medical Teaching Office there. If you are at any of the other peripheral hospitals you should either ask a friend to submit the report to the MBChB office or post the reports to: Morag Simpson MBChB Office Room 318 Suttie Centre Foresterhill Aberdeen AB25 2ZD We would always recommend students obtain proof of postage and keep a copy of their report. Students must also submit an electronic copy of their report through the Plagiarism Detection Software

TurnitinUK at HTTP://WWW.TURNITINUK.COM/EN_GB/LOGIN. Students should read the plagiarism guidelines available on the electives website prior to writing their report. Although the report does not have to be submitted by the dates above you will be required to submit through TurnitinUK within 3 weeks of the above deadlines. ASSESSMENT The common grading scale descriptors used in marking elective project reports is shown overleaf. Project reports which are not deemed satisfactory may be returned to students for re-writing. A satisfactory report is a pre-requisite for graduation - the elective project is equivalent to a final year degree exam. You should therefore ensure that your report is handed in by the required date for marking. (see above). If you think that you are going to miss your submission deadline, you must contact either Morag Simpson in the MBChB Office - direct line 437775 (ext 767775), email morag.simpson@abdn.ac.uk , or Dr Donald Thomas email donald.thomas@nhs.net. Extensions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances, so you

must ensure you have allowed sufficient time to complete your report by the deadline. All extensions will be confirmed by email. Retrospective requests for an extension or notification of problems whilst on elective will not normally be accepted. Electives are submitted after the appointed or agreed revised submission date will be subject to penalty. This means the final CGS grade will be reduced; the amount of this penalty will be according to the scale shown below and becomes more severe the longer the delay in submission. Dates for submission are set and are published in this handbook and on the electives website - you should ensure you know the date relevant to your own elective block. Students should be aware it is unacceptable to take time off scheduled teaching and placements on return from the elective period for the purpose of completing the elective report.

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SANCTIONS The penalty system for late submission is simple. One CGS mark will normally be deducted for every five working days the project is late Example

Number of working days late 1 – 5 6 – 10 11 – 15 16 - 20

Number of CGS marks deducted 1 2 3 4

It is therefore essential that you inform Morag Simpson or Dr Thomas in good time of any difficulties so that arrangements may be made. Late submissions will not be considered for elective prizes or distinctions

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COMMON MARKING SCHEME FOR ELECTIVE REPORTS

Mark Description

22 21 20 19 18

Exceptionally good project in all aspects of design, execution and write up. Shows evidence of extensive reading/ literature review. Good understanding of topic and critical analysis of own findings. Aware of strengths and weaknesses of project and how results fit with wider literature. Thorough reflective practice, considering value of experience in all respects and how this might affect future practice

Outstanding

17 16 15

Above average design and execution of a sound project, with appropriate presentation of results. Some evidence of understanding and critical analysis of results. Reflects well on experience, with consideration of how this impacts on learning and practice

Very Good

14 13 12

An acceptable project has been carried out and is competently written up. Should demonstrate some awareness of wider literature and implication of own results. Some attempt at reflection but limited application of this

Good

11 10 9

A project has been carried out and the write up is acceptable but:

a) Is poorly presented or contains inaccuracies, or b) The project has been poorly design or executed c) Very limited / poor reflection on experience

Pass

8 7 6

Little evidence that a project has been carried out/ unsatisfactory presentation/ extensive plagiarism. Little or no evidence of reflection on experience

Fail

5 4 3 2 1

0-1

No evidence that a project has been carried out. No evidence of reflection on experience.

Clear Fail