A VERY big question! Hospital placements can be a little daunting at first- after all the hospital environment is not an easy place to navigate when you’re starting- and it can be a little difficult to adapt to this new way of learning. Luckily, there are many things you can do to make your first days and weeks smoother and maximise your learning and enjoyment of placements. Here are a few tips that hopefully can help you guys!

Tip n1: Make goals for the placement. Then you can break them up in day to day goals .

Tip n2: Always introduce yourself to the team. This makes people aware that you are there and they can direct you to things that are useful for your learning.

Tip n3: Be curious and try to be proactive! Always try to suggest things you can do for your learning and to help the team: go and speak to patients, and with consent you can examine them, help take observations ECGs or bloods, shadow someone doing a procedure... Jot down things you don’t understand and medications you don’t know, to look them up or ask someone later!

Tip n4: Use what you see during the day to guide your revision. I find conditions are much easier to revise once I have seen them and can really understand!

Tip n5: Spend time with all healthcare professionals as you can definitely learn a lot from each of them! Nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dieticians... honestly they are so knowledgeable and have a lot of experience you can benefit from if you spend time with them!