Student engagement

Building a team

How to get your students involved!

  • Introductions!

    1. Geographical - show them the key sites and important areas your team is involved in - whether it be theatres, clinics, the home ward, your favourite coffee stop, a quiet room etc.

    2. People - always ensure you introduce them to each team member and empower them to ask questions.

    3. Set expectations of the team, and understand their expectations and hopes for the term at the outset!

    4. Understand their university obligations during the term to ensure opportunities are not missed

    5. Understand their commitments - timing of exams and assessments

    6. Provide a rough timetable of how the week runs as students often have their own commitments but insight into the best learning opportunities will help them get the most out of their term! e.g. timing of clinics, or good surgical lists to attend, private clinics, meetings with good food etc.

    7. Signpost a check in period of the term when you will review some of the items discussed.

  • Making them feel part of the team

    • Ensuring they have a patient list at the start of the day

    • Involving them in tasks that contribute - ideally introducing them to the processes that will help them make the next step forward. Learn what they’ve done before, what they haven’t and what they want to learn.

    • Ensure you have their contact details and when the team is meeting up notify them.

  • Activities on the ward to supervise or introduce students to

    • Job preparation

      • Discharge summaries

      • Consult requests

      • Documentation

      • How to gather information e.g. medication lists, GP information, other hospitals discharge summaries, how to find things in the depths of eMR

      • Ordering and coordinating pathology, imaging etc.

      • Consent processes

      • Patient assessment - clinical reviews etc.

    • Procedures

      • Venupuncture, Cannulas

      • Spirometry

    • Exam preparation

      • Long case opportunities

      • Clinical problems e.g. deranged pathology - asking them to look up how to interpret it, and what they would do next.

      • Short cases

  • Checking in

    • Have a scheduled check in during the rotation to see how they are going with these goals

    • This is a good opportunity to provide feedback and encouragement