Essential theories of clinical Psychiatry and basic knowledge are covered in the core teaching week lectures - you can supplement this information with the recommended textbooks and resources as recommended in the resource list. The core lectures are available on media hopper to assist in your revision.

During your 6 week clinical placement you will have a chance to further your knowledge, develop your clinical skills and demonstrate professionalism. You will be primarily attached to a General Adult Psychiatry service with about half being in NHS Lothian placements and the rest in neighbouring health boards (NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Dumfries and NHS Borders). All placements include several days in Psychiatry of Old age services plus a variety of sub specialty taster experience (depending on availability in the local services). Sub specialties may include Addiction, Forensic, Psychotherapy, Child and Adolescent, Intellectual Disability, Perinatal, Liaison or Eating Disorder exposure. You will have an opportunity to work with MDT colleagues and medical staff at various stages from FY2 to consultants within in patient and community settings. You will have an opportunity to observe ECT. You will have the chance to practice history taking, mental state examination, diagnosis, formulation and bio psychosocial treatment planning. You may wish to use the pebble pocket checklists to support peer learning and ask team members to observe you with patients and provide feedback – you should complete at least 3 observed clinical interactions with feedback using the pebble pocket template (or use the paper version and upload to pebble pad later).

Sometimes you may find you have unexpected down time – a patient may refuse to have a student observer during a clinic. You could use such opportunities to catch up on textbook or online background reading so you might want to be prepared with book/ laptop etc. You might be able to arrange impromptu teaching from other MDT staff who are usually very keen to help.

Each placement has a variety of teaching set up to help you meet your learning objectives. Local services may run tutorials, simulation, small group sessions or exam practice. To supplement your clinical placement we organise 6 days of seminar teaching on Thu/ Fri of weeks 2,4,6 of your placement when all central and peripherally placed students return to the Kennedy Tower at Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Edinburgh.

Attendance at clinical placement is mandatory and absence without prior explanation will be recorded as a professionalism issue. You will not receive a satisfactory professionalism form at the end of placement if attendance has been a major issue, a note of concern will be raised and you will not be able to progress. If you are unable to attend you must notify the Yr 5 coordinator and also let the local organiser of your placement know.