Help! Did something stupid on medical placement

* * *

That's a big difference, in my opinion. Lying about attending one day of placement is utterly trivial, in my opinion. People, including medical students and doctors, tell trivial lies all the time.

When I'm a consultant, I couldn't live with myself if I made a student repeat a year over something so minor.

I also think that some people from a non medical background replying to this thread perhaps don't realise that attendance on a medical student placement tends to be flexible and not too strictly enforced.*

I'm with the totally disproportionate crowd.

I think at least half my year would be repeating if all that was required was lack of attendance and subsequent lying about why when asked on the spot.

I suspect OP had not disclosed all the details.

That sounds pretty bad sure, but you've invested so much to educate this person at this stage. Being actually struck off requires a LOT - remember that there are practicing Drs out there on the sex offenders register, who have committed violent crimes etc.

I don't know what your elective was like but we didn't even have a sign off or any formal requirements, except it being a healthcare setting for a certain time period. What is described doesn't sound unusual for me (except the forgery bit).

Agree with you; isn't the entire point of attendance monitoring to track over time? By all means give the student a *******ing and make clear that a repeat will result in serious penalty, but making them resit the year for the sake of one missed sessions seems disproportionate beyond belief.

Are you having a laugh? Medical student attendance on a ward is completely different to doctors' attendance. Doctors have to be there to do their job. Medical students are meant to be doing private study etc as well. In final year of uni, it was completely normal for medical students to not go in certain days, or only go in for a couple of hours.

But is it something that would need to be declared to employers in future job apps? Even though it's not a publicly shown/known FtP decision? It wouldn't be under your name in the GMC LRMP would it? I'm not saying hide it or anything! Just whether you need to declare Med School FtP's after you've already told the GMC... Just curious...

what are the actual rules though ?

every other Student Health Professional is monitored on the number of hours they attend placement as it is a Statutory requirement to do so , underpinned by UK and EU/ international law ...

The rules are that you have to meet the requirements of your med school. Which are in turn approved by the GMC.

The fact is, a nurse is expected to always be there to respond to anything that may happen. A doctor can leave the ward and do other things. The same standard is applied to med students - you don't have to be there for strict hours outside of on calls as the role of a doctor is not to stand around waiting for something to happen - its to be an academic professional and everything that involves including, y'know, learning stuff from the literature and ****.

so you are condoning people swanning off and doingtheir own things , rather than working within the constraints and requiremewnts of their role ...

this is not the 1970s where 'ward13' was an acceptable place for junior docotrs to lurk ...

However, the OP really became unstuck by lying, not because he/she failed to appear in the hospital on any given day.

in addition to your condescendingly arrogant ( and rather offthe beam of the realities of modern clinical practice ) reference to the requirements of academe and various Health Professions ;

in addition to your condescendingly arrogant ( and rather offthe beam of the realities of modern clinical practice ) reference to the requirements of academe and various Health Professions ;
you are condoning people swanning off and doing their own things , rather than working within the constraints and requirements of their role ... ?

this is not the 1970s where 'ward 13' was an acceptable place for junior doctors to lurk ...

<snip> So surely, surely, you realise that in addition to looking after a ward, doctors are also expected to: perform audits, perform research, pass exams, compete internal training, attend teaching, attend supervisor meetings, teach med students, compete eportfolios etc etc.

All this is expected to be done during hours. 'Ward 13', as you put it, is a vital part of the job, and as long as you are easily contactable there is nothing wrong with going off ward.

I really don't understand what you're getting at here. If the ward is quiet and all jobs done then there is no requirement or expectation for a doctor, or med student, to still physically be there.

And other Health Professionals don't ? Generally when you have dug a hole it's wise to stop digging , least the sides cave in on you.

<snip>

Bringing it back to relevance, yes doctors can and should leave the ward if they have time. Again, can't believe you're disputing this?

It's generally accepted that medical students will not always be physically present in one particular place.*

When I was at medical school I spent 8 weeks attached to a respiratory physician who predominantly saw patients with sleep apnoea and another 8 with an orthopaedic surgeon who predominantly saw patients with patellofemoral osteoarthritis. No-one in the medical school (if pushed) would have insisted that I sit through 8 weeks of sleep apnoea clinics. Medical students are obliged to attend whatever is necessary to pass their exams and be safe as a doctor on qualification. They do not have a specific role on the team (and patients/colleagues relying upon them), which appears to be the model used by many nursing courses.

That said, medical students are expected to be around enough and it sounds as if the OP's consultant was already concerned about his/her attendance.*However, the OP really became unstuck by lying, not because he/she failed to appear in the hospital on any given day.*

i cannot believe you are supprting junior medical staff being unavailable ( bercasue they've cleared off somewhere) and/ or in the pub while on duty ...

It is fine to go off and read; it is not fine to lie about being where you're not. Quite simple really.

i cannot believe you are supprting junior medical staff being unavailable ( bercasue they've cleared off somewhere) and/ or in the pub while on duty ...