How To Get A Clinical Attachment

How To Get A Clinical Attachment

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Clinical attachments are really useful for doctors looking for more experience in the UK to enhance their CV before applying for jobs. But what is a clinical attachment?

A clinical attachment is a program where you can observe a consultant in a relevant specialty without having the responsibility of patient care. It will help you prepare for working in the NHS, since It allows you to gain an overview of medical processes and systems in this healthcare system. During the attachment, you are not given any responsibility and are not able to make clinical decisions or give clinical advice.

Duties are generally limited to:

observing consultations
participating in patient administration
taking patient histories
physical examinations
observing surgery

How do I apply for a clinical attachment?

First, you need to make sure you fit in the following criteria:

are able to have a successful completion of a criminal records check
have documents giving your proof of identity
IELTS or OET certificate at level 7.5 or B respectively or an equivalent level of English that you can demonstrate
have occupational health clearance from the NHS trust
have satisfactory references from the referees cited in the application form

Then, you need to find a clinical attachment to apply to. There’s not a wide search tool to find that, but usually these organizations run clinical attachment programs that you can take a look:

Alternatively, you could call hospitals or email consultants directly to ask about clinical attachment programs.

When you find a program that suits you, you’ll then just complete the application form they send you and submit it to the organisation responsible for your program.

We strongly advise you to include the following with your application:

your personal details
your reasons for wanting to complete a clinical attachment
a brief outline of your medical background, your career ambitions, why you are interested in this field in particular
what you hope to get from the clinical attachment
your level of clinical expertise and your previous work experience in health
whether you are applying for GMC registration and what stage in the process you have reached
a current CV

After that, just wait to hear back from them and you’re all set!

Good luck!