Do you get paid whilst on placement (Medicine)?

Hi there.

I am hoping to study postgraduate medicine (4 years). I cannot find any information on whether you are paid for the hours that you spend working on the ward/clinics. I understand that there is the NHS bursary - which is around £5000. But I was wondering if, in addition to this, there is an hourly rate whilst you work on the floor?

Thanks in advance!

Loooooll.

Sorry I mean: no. You pay for the privilege.

[To be fair, you don't really contribute all that much as a med student - its not like being a nursing student]

Reply 3

becausethenight

Oh I wish

...no, you pay to 'work'. And for travel and food! (I would honestly rather still not be paid, but get a travelcard tbh)

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 4

graceflood

Original post by becausethenight

Oh I wish

...no, you pay to 'work'. And for travel and food! (I would honestly rather still not be paid, but get a travelcard tbh)

My wishful thinking! I need to start scraping the pennies together haha. Thank you for commenting! That is such a shout - I guess everyone is having to pay for parking or public transport too - let's start lobbying!

Reply 5

graceflood

Original post by nexttime

Sorry I mean: no. You pay for the privilege.

[To be fair, you don't really contribute all that much as a med student - its not like being a nursing student]

😂 Thank you for replying! I friend studying midwifery was earning some sort of wage so I thought it may be applicable to budding doctors too. Here come the beans and rice for the next few years!

Reply 6

becausethenight

Original post by graceflood

Tbf, Imperial does put on a bus to the one site you can't reach via public transport, but my largest monthly expense by far is TFL- related :lol:

You can get by though, and there will definitely be uni financial support too if needed!

Reply 7

nexttime

Original post by graceflood

😂 Thank you for replying! I friend studying midwifery was earning some sort of wage so I thought it may be applicable to budding doctors too. Here come the beans and rice for the next few years!

Doctor's training is a lot more academic and scientific than a nurse's or midwife's. Much less of an 'apprentice' role*.

Med students graduate with the highest debt of any degree and you are so burdened by the time you graduate you will likely never pay it off. Just have to think of it as a graduate tax.

*putting aside the controversial plans for actual medical apprentices, which to me seem more like a money grabbing exercise rather than someone actually thought it would be a good idea.

Reply 8

2mb

Original post by graceflood

Also you have to pay them to be on elective (application fee+ some institutions charge like 200 pounds per week for elective!)

Reply 9

2mb

Original post by nexttime

pretty sure if you become a consultant you will pay it off

Reply 10

nexttime

Original post by 2mb

Also you have to pay them to be on elective (application fee+ some institutions charge like 200 pounds per week for elective!)

I've seen as high as US$2000 per week.

You can go somewhere free if you look around though. Might even be able to get free accommodation.

Original post by 2mb

pretty sure if you become a consultant you will pay it off

Probably not actually. If you graduate with the minimum debt and you work full time for all 30 years, then maybe. But in real life that is not many people.

I've made a model -attached.

Rough debt calculator.xls30.7KB

Reply 11

Maj. Major

Original post by 2mb

Also you have to pay them to be on elective (application fee+ some institutions charge like 200 pounds per week for elective!)

I wouldn't be too concerned by this, it's rather pessimistic - most electives in reputable places won't charge you, and the electives in less reputable places generally charge you a one off fee that essentially covers your 'sign off' for the whole duration. If you're looking to study Medicine, whatever you do don't let fears over paying your elective (where going abroad is optional anyway) or on graduate loans that are repaid as a percentage of your wage worry you.

Reply 12

Democracy

Original post by graceflood

Next you'll be asking where your locker and dedicated parking space are :wink:

Reply 13

2mb

Original post by Maj. Major

actually this is realistic-most 'developed' parts of asia inc japan, singapore, hong kong and australia require fees weekly (I think USA is also quite expensive). On the contrary less reputable and less developed countries charge less.
But hey ho, thats 4/5yrs down the line so nothing to worry about for new incomers.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 14

username3901812

It's slightly different for the 4 year course. We get NHS bursary from 2nd year, which covers part but not all of our fees (the rest is covered by student finance), and we get a maintenance bursary as well. I get the max amount in London which is just under £550 a month (although I'm expecting it to be less in final year when I won't get the extra weeks allowance).

Reply 15

TheMedicOwl

Original post by graceflood

😂 Thank you for replying! I friend studying midwifery was earning some sort of wage so I thought it may be applicable to budding doctors too. Here come the beans and rice for the next few years!

Some healthcare assistants/support workers are seconded to study nursing and midwifery by their employing NHS Trust, so they get a salary during their training providing they commit to remaining with that employer for a certain period after qualifying. It's viable because a student nurse with that kind of prior clinical experience can already do quite a lot of nursing (taking bloods, wound and catheter care, and so on) with only minimal supervision from a qualified nurse. It helps that they have fairly long hands-on placements that make up at least 50% of their course, and their focus is on acquiring the practical skills that a nurse uses a thousand times a day. That isn't the case with med students. The time they spend in any given placement tends to be shorter from what I've seen, and they concentrate on different skills that require more supervision from whoever's teaching them.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 16

TK max

Original post by graceflood

😂 Thank you for replying! I friend studying midwifery was earning some sort of wage so I thought it may be applicable to budding doctors too. Here come the beans and rice for the next few years!

Midwifery students get a bursary. Medical students do not. You can join the bank and work as an auxiliary at the weekends. Good experience whilst training.