Organising an elective placement

Published: 23/04/2021

This is my guide on how to contact and apply to trusts, rehabilitation centres and specialist units for an elective placement. 

What is an 'elective' placement?

This is a placement which you as the student organise yourself, rather than the University organising it for you.

How should I go about it?

Before you start researching where you would like to apply, I suggest looking at your previous placement experiences and identifying where you lack clinical experience (e.g. neuro, respiratory, MSK skills). This list will enable you to provide a range of placement areas that you would like to experience at the trust you apply to. 

Finding a placement provider

Tip: I printed off a map and used this to enable me to look for providers outside of my universities' placement area. 

• Use google to find hospital sites within a city
• British Association of Spinal Cord Injury Specialists (BASCIS) provide a list of spinal injury centres on their website: http://www.bascis.org.uk/?page_id=152
• Brain Injury Group provides a list of in-patient brain injury rehabilitation services on their website: https://www.braininjurygroup.co.uk/brain-injury-group-directory/residential-rehabilitation/

What should I put in my application?

I attached two documents to my introductory email to the placement providers: a letter of introduction and my CV. 

In my letter of introduction, I included

• My home address
• Placement provider address
• Date the letter was sent
• Why I would like to have a placement at the provider
• Placement dates require
• A list of placement areas that I would like to gain experience in (e.g. Neuro, MSK, resp etc)
• Positive feedback I had received from previous practice educators (e.g. good team worker, enthusiastic etc)
• My name and signature

How many should I send off in one go?

I personally sent of five applications at one time, then waited a few weeks to hear back, before sending off my next group of applications. 

What should I do if I don't hear back 

I would suggest calling the placement provider and asking to speak to the individual you sent your application to. In some cases, it can be that the email has been lost in their inbox, so do not despair. 

My top tips for successful application

• Write an enthusiastic explanation of why you would like to have a placement at the trust
• Try to be flexible with placement dates (if you can)
• Provide a wide range of placement experience, to make it easier for the provider to find you a placement
• Do you best to find a specific person to email within the organisation rather than using a generic email (if possible). Calling the placement provider was the best tactic I found.
• Keep trying new places if you get rejections and do not despair, you will eventually get one you just don't know yet how long it will take.

If you have any useful tips that I have not mentioned, please leave them in the comments section below.