Medicine in Society Guide 2023/24

6. Themed Days

6.1. Day 1: Introduction to the Placement

Preparatory work 

In preparation for their first placement day, students should have: 

  • Prepared questions to ask a team member, focusing on finding out about their training, role and responsibilities within the Primary Health Care Team, and reasons for working in Primary Health Care. 

 

Aims 

  • To welcome the students to the practice and introduce them to their GP tutor and the practice team.  

  • To clarify learning outcomes for the course. 

 

 

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of the day, students should be able to: 

  • Know how to contact their tutor and/or members of their tutor group 

  • Describe the overall aims of the course 

  • Interview a member of staff about their role and responsibilities within the primary care team and report on findings from the interviews  

 

 

Example timetable 

9.30 – 10.30  


Welcome & Introductions 


 

10.30 – 10.45  

 

Tea break

10.45 – 11.45 

Icebreaker activity 

 

11.45 – 12.45 

Tour of the surgery

 

12.45 – 13.45 

Lunch 

 

13.45 – 14.30 

Group activity – Who’s who? Make a list of roles within the primary health care team and suggest what they do?  

 

Plan questions for interviews with practice team members 

 

14.30 – 15.30 

Meeting the practice team - interviews with team members in small groups (if there are team members who are unavailable this could be pre-recorded) 

 

Each small group feedbacks to group – this puts real names and faces to the Who’s who? list 

 

Includes tea break 

 

15.30 – 16.00 

General Q&A/Feedback on day 1 

Set homework for next session 

 

 

Suggested Activities 

  • Introductory activities - meeting tutors and peer group; ice-breaker activity;; overview of course including aims, assessments and student expectations; ground rules discussion outlining group etiquette and professional behaviour expected of students i.e. time keeping, attire, contacting tutor/practice if unable to attend; collecting contact details for each student; other miscellaneous e.g. set up WhatsApp group. 

  • Who’s who? Identify different members of the practice team. Interview with member of the Primary Care Team about their role.  

Questions for students to consider 

  • Who did you meet from the practice team today? Did anything you found out about that person’s role surprise you?  Were you aware that there was such a role?  Were you aware that so many different people were part of the primary health care team?