BSMS dress code

Students will encounter patients while on placement and therefore they must adhere to the BSMS Dress Code. They will be issued with an NHS name badge indicating that they are a medical student, which should be always worn when on clinical placement.

The BSMS dress code has been designed to:

• reduce risk of cross-infection (e.g. improved hand hygiene);
• to avoid an unintentional injury to patients (e.g. from wristwatches or jewellery);
• to reduce likelihood of injury to students (e.g. assault – neck chains);
• to respect the cultural values or beliefs of patients, visitors and staff and avoid unnecessary offence or distress.

All students should consider the patient group they work with, and dress to ensure that their appearance will not be distracting or distressing and will inspire confidence with regard to safety and infection control. BSMS respects the right for students to adhere to religious and cultural observances or adaptations necessary due to disability. However, for clinical students, consideration should be given to infection control, safety, the operation of machinery, and clear identification and communication.

View the full policy on dress code here >

Independent placements

Students in Year 3 are provided with information about sourcing an ‘Independent Placement’ (IP) in GP. This is in preparation for their 4th year longitudinal 4-week block placement. An IP is a self-selected attachment in general practice which can be anywhere in

the UK (with certain areas restricted). These self-sourced placements are requested 8-16 months in advance of the placement dates, as our QA processes and practice liaison takes many months to complete, before we grant approval of a provider. We also need to know students plans before engaging with local practices for the remainder of placements for the year-group.

Many students opt for an IP in locations that are either close to family or friends so that they can stay with relatives or people they know. In cases where students need to find ‘commercial accommodation’ (such as Airbnb or hostels), they are responsible for researching and securing this. BSMS do offer some reimbursement of these costs if the students meet specific eligibility criteria.

The number of IP applications is capped to ensure that we are utilising our local placement providers as well as providing an option for students to gain experience of GP in an alternative location.