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Medicine courses - the clinical years

One of the major negatives of Newcastle is often said to be the fact that you may need to live outside Newcastle city proper for a year if you're placed in the Teesside base unit. To be honest I've never really thought about the logistics of the clinical years at schools where I've applied, but is it surprising that a clinical student would need to move away from the city for clinical rotations?

I was looking at the Nottingham course's clinical rotations and it says that they may be anywhere in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire or Derbyshire - which is quite a large area - so I imagine if you're placed in a Lincoln hospital you'd live in Lincoln. The distance between Nottingham city proper and Lincoln is about the same distance as between Newcastle and Teesside, so I can't really understand the fact people make a big deal about moving away at Newcastle but not at Nottingham. Am I missing something? :s-smilie:

tl;dr Is it usual to have to live outside of your university's city in the clinical years?

(edited 13 years ago)

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Reply 1

Renal

Original post by Beska

tl;dr Is it usual to have to live outside of your university's city in the clinical years?

TTBOMK

Most medical schools, although I can think of three exceptions straight off, have a single geographical base usually the area containing the school itself, the parent uni and at least one big teaching hospital. All students will live, primarily, within this area for the whole five years.

Almost invariably, all students will have at least one clinical placement that cannot be commuted to easily from within this base. The actual number of outfirms and their duration depends upon the school, the year, the speciality and the best extenuating circumstances that can be dreamed up.

During these placements the students will usually live in hospital accommodation on, or near, the hospital site. Most people will stay there during the week and go back to their home at the geographical base for weekends.

For example. In my third year I did two infirms out of two. In my fourth I did one outfirm out of six for four weeks and in my final year I did one outfirm out of three for four weeks.

It is unusual, outside of Peninsula, to have to move geographical base during the course.

Reply 2

Beska

Original post by Renal

Most people will stay there during the week and go back to their home at the geographical base for weekends.

Much appreciated.

I think this is where the criticism of Newcastle's Teesside base unit comes from. The clinical years info says "Those allocated to the Tees Base Unit during Phase II of the programme are strongly encouraged to live on Teesside for the duration of the year." - if you're placed there in year 4 you would have to move out after pre-clinical years, live there for a year, and then move back to Newcastle for year 4. I can see that being a pain.

I don't think we have any (clinical) Newcastle medics on TSR do we?

Reply 3

Renal

Original post by Beska

I think this is where the criticism of Newcastle's Teesside base unit comes from. The clinical years info says "Those allocated to the Tees Base Unit during Phase II of the programme are strongly encouraged to live on Teesside for the duration of the year." - if you're placed there in year 4 you would have to move out after pre-clinical years, live there for a year, and then move back to Newcastle for year 4. I can see that being a pain.That's clearly ****ing ridiculous.

Reply 4

Sarky

We have to move around a lot. I thought it was quite common.

This year I am in Portsmouth and Bournemouth. They are both either side of the city in which my university is based. And I requested those. People here are sent anywhere from Guildford to Poole to Chichester and even the Isle of Wight/Jersey.

Reply 5

Beska

Original post by Sarky

Do you live in those locations for the duration of the year, or travel back on weekends like Renal says?

Reply 6

Sarky

Original post by Beska

Do you live in those locations for the duration of the year, or travel back on weekends like Renal says?

Ah yes true that is the difference we go back at the weekends. I do think that its an important thing to take into account when choosing a university. Not just the city but the surrounding areas.

Reply 7

Renal

Original post by Sarky

Ah yes true that is the difference we go back at the weekends. I do think that its an important thing to take into account when choosing a university. Not just the city but the surrounding areas.

I've never seen a medical school list it's placement hospitals. Have you?

Reply 8

Beska

This turn of events has worried me slightly!

Reply 9

Gizmo!

personally i think it would be a joy to be placed around the north east from tyneside to teeside, theres so much to explore out there if you get to stay the weekend. and the people there are the friendliest you'll meet, and costs of living are some of the.lowest in the land. if you had to leave your nest egg, this is where you want to be.

its not really like lincolnshire, Beska, where theres not an awful lot to see mile on mile (although its an interesting county to explore to, mind, if you have travelling time on your hands). ****zoo, i hope i dont get lincolnshire!

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 10

Beska

Original post by Gizmo!

its not really like lincolnshire, Beska, where theres not an awful lot to see mile on mile (although its an interesting county to explore to, mind, if you have travelling time on your hands). ****zoo, i hope i dont get lincolnshire!

Yeh I understand that, but I just figured the distance between Lincolnshire and the Nottingham campus is pretty similar to that of the distance between Middlesborough and Newcastle. :dontknow:

Reply 11

Gizmo!

Original post by Beska

Yeh I understand that, but I just figured the distance between Lincolnshire and the Nottingham campus is pretty similar to that of the distance between Middlesborough and Newcastle. :dontknow:

Boro to Newcastle train journey is faster, and a lot prettier thankfully lol. and at least you can do things when you get off the train. yey.
...

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 12

Beska

Original post by Gizmo!

Boro to Newcastle train journey is faster, and a lot prettier thankfully lol.

It's just confusing why Newcastle strongly recommend for you to life in Tees for that year, while Nottingham don't really mind you commuting or whatever.

Reply 13

Carpediemxx

Im a 4th year a Bristol and its a bitch....last year i was living at weston-super-mare and glloucester, this year i have been to bath and gloucester and due back there in the summer, its so so lame, i hate it and its really expensive

Reply 14

Penguinsaysquack

Original post by Gizmo!

Oi.. only a lincolnshirian can insult the shire :noway:

But unfortunately you're right... there isn't a great deal here.. but then again how often do people go exploring?

Original post by Beska

Yeh I understand that, but I just figured the distance between Lincolnshire and the Nottingham campus is pretty similar to that of the distance between Middlesborough and Newcastle. :dontknow:

Might be worth bearing in mind that lincolnshire is quite large as a county..
Do you know which lincolnshire hospitals are used for clinical years for nottingham uni?
If you go to grantham hospital (i know midwives and nurses train there) you're only 22miles from nottingham and I think there are direct trains between the two places so you could commute (don't live in grantham.. it's awful)
Maybe worry about clinical years once you're deciding which offer to firm? :h:

Reply 15

InItToWinItGetIt?

Original post by Beska

It's just confusing why Newcastle strongly recommend for you to life in Tees for that year, while Nottingham don't really mind you commuting or whatever.

I heard there are limited bursaries for it? Not that I am going to Newcastle - it's my last choice now :colone:

Reply 16

Beska

Original post by Penguinsaysquack

Maybe worry about clinical years once you're deciding which offer to firm? :h:

No harm in thinking about it now.

Original post by InItToWinItGetIt?

I heard there are limited bursaries for it? Not that I am going to Newcastle - it's my last choice now :colone:

Why?

Reply 17

Subcutaneous

Original post by Beska

Yeh I understand that, but I just figured the distance between Lincolnshire and the Nottingham campus is pretty similar to that of the distance between Middlesborough and Newcastle. :dontknow:

Linclnshire is just one of places you can go, and by the time you're out the lincoln campus won't exsist (closing it due to cutbacks) so with lack of accomodation its probable the chance will be reduced furthur. I've heard rumours they're closing the mansfield base too. The derby centre is expanding too.

However the point is its a small chance but you'll be surrounded by other notts students, with a nottingham campus right by- and its not neccessarily miles away. Ive had placements in chesterfield, lowdham, kings mill, gedling and lings bar (all where medics have been too). Its not just QMC & city but there are plenty of places you can go. Hope that relieves some worries at least about nottingham.

Reply 18

Gizmo!

well transport links are a bit better in nottingham, it being centrally located in smoe relatively flat lands (meaning roads and train tracks tend not to wind, as you know).

the north east is split up by hill ranges around its valleys, so transport in all directions is slower. the train itself needs to go either west (via durham) or east along the coast to get up to newcastle. so it takes longer than it should but its still not a long trip.

i think that if you tried a road or coach journey then its significantly longer than you'd expect, its not a straight drive. its not a journey you'd want to drive along every morning.

Reply 19

Gizmo!

Original post by Penguinsaysquack

Oi.. only a lincolnshirian can insult the shire :noway:

But unfortunately you're right... there isn't a great deal here.. but then again how often do people go exploring?

you have the alchemy fests, and a free grantham music fest i havent been to yet which mite be worth a visit. will be going to 1 or 2 of these in new year i hope. i digress though sorri B