Last Updated on 28/09/2023
Trainees are engaged in assessed academic activities across the three years of training in parallel to the teaching and placement activities. Whilst the exact timings will differ for each trainee, a typical timetable of this activity for a trainee on a full-time pathway is detailed in the table below.
Typical timetable of trainee assignment and thesis activity over the programme
| Self-Assessment Exercise (SAE) |
Placement Assignment Live Skills (PALS#1) | Further Live Skills Assignments (PALS#2, PALS#3, PASE) | Service Improvement Poster Presentation (SIPP) | Thesis Preparation Assignment (TPA) & Thesis | |
| YEAR 1 Sep – Oct |
Initial self-appraisal written
Formative roleplay & other self-assessment activities |
Start first placement | Thesis supervisor allocated | ||
| Nov – Dec | Submit SAE form
SAE clinical viva |
Start videoing placement work for PALS | TPA proposal form submitted | ||
| Jan – Mar | Finalise choice of work for PALS. Collate information and video. | TPA introduction draft read
TPA literature review section submitted |
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| Apr – June | Submit PALS#1 | Second placement begins.
Decide on PALS#2 or PASE.
If PASE obtain approval at placement and submit PASE proposal form
IF PALS begin videoing work |
Finalise thesis topic
Identify Field supervisor
TPA thesis proposal section submitted |
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| Jul – Sep | Continue work on PALS#2 or PASE | Thesis proposal reviewed
Thesis contract / action plan meeting Identify ethics committee(s) to apply to. Get relevant forms and deadlines for submission. |
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| YEAR 2 Oct – Dec |
Submit PALS#2 or PASE
Third placement begins.
Decide on PALS#3 PALS#2,or PASE (if not already completed)
If PASE obtain approval at placement and submit PASE proposal form
IF PALS begin videoing work |
SIPP assessed project work week and presentation | Hand in complete draft ethics proposal. Finalise ethics proposal and submit for ethical approval.Decide on topic for Systematic Literature Review chapter and begin collecting references |
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| Jan – Mar | Continue work on PALS or PASE
Submit PALS or PASE. |
Obtain ethical approval for thesis study.
Draft introduction and method of Systematic literature review chapter |
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| Apr-Jun | Fourth placement begins.
If PASE obtain approval at placement and submit PASE proposal form
IF PALS#3 begin videoing work |
Draft introduction and method to Empirical paper
Data collection
Begin analysis |
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| Jul – Sep | Continue work on PALS or PASE
Submit PALS or PASE. |
Complete data collection
Review literature for Systematic review
Identify topic for critical appraisal chapter |
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| YEAR 3 Oct– Dec |
Draft results and discussion of systematic literature review chapter
Complete analysis of data
Draft results and discussion of empirical paper |
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| Jan – Mar | Draft critical appraisal
Final drafts of other chapters
Final formatting of thesis
SUBMIT THESIS |
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| Apr – Aug | Viva voce examination
Corrections to thesis as required |
Structure of Assignment and Thesis Activity
Part time route
Trainees are engaged in assessed academic activities across the four years, 4 months of training in parallel to the teaching and placement activities. Whilst the exact timings will differ for each trainee, a typical timetable of this activity for a trainee on a part-time pathway is detailed in the table below.
| Timepoint in training | Self-Assessment Exercise (SAE) |
Placement Assignment Live Skills (PALS#1) | Further Live Skills Assignments (PALS#2, PALS#3, PASE) | Service Improvement
Poster Presentation (SIPP) |
Thesis Preparation
Assignment (TPA) & Thesis |
| Year 1
Sept – Oct |
Initial self-appraisal written
Formative roleplay & other self-assessment activities.
|
Start first placement
|
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| Nov – Dec | Submit SAE form
SAE clinical viva |
Start videoing placement work for PALS | |||
| Feb – May |
Finalise choice of work for PALS. Collate information and video. |
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| JUNE | First placement ends | ||||
| July |
|
Second placement begins.
|
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| Aug | Submit PALS#1 | Decide on PALS#2 or PASE.
If PASE obtain approval at placement and submit PASE proposal form
IF PALS begin videoing work |
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| Year 2 Sept – Oct | Thesis supervisor allocated
Oct – Feb 1.5 study days per week – work on TPA and PALS#2/PASE |
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| Nov – Dec | TPA proposal form submitted | ||||
| Jan | TPA introduction draft read
Continue work on TPA |
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| Continue work on PALS#2 or PASE | |||||
| March | Second placement ends
|
Formative SIPP
|
TPA literature review section submitted | ||
| April | Third placement begins
Submit PALS#2 or PASE
|
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| April – Aug | Decide on PALS#3 PALS#2,or PASE (if not already completed)
If PASE obtain approval at placement and submit PASE proposal form IF PALS begin videoing work |
Finalise thesis topic
Work on thesis proposal
Identify Field supervisor |
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| Year 3 | |||||
| Oct | Continue work on PALS or PASE
|
TPA thesis proposal section submitted | |||
| Nov – Dec | Thesis proposal reviewed
Thesis contract / action plan meeting Identify ethics committee(s) to apply to. Get relevant forms and deadlines for submission. |
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| DEC | Third placement ends | ||||
| Jan | Fourth placement begins
If PASE obtain approval at placement and submit PASE proposal form Submit PALS#3 or PASE. |
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| JAN – March | IF PALS#3 begin videoing work
Continue work on PALS or PASE
|
Summative SIPP | Hand in complete draft ethics proposal. Finalise ethics proposal and submit for ethical approval.Decide on topic for Systematic Literature Review chapter and begin collecting referencesMarch – Aug 1.5 study days per week to include some thesis study allocation |
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| April – June | Continue work on PALS or PASE
|
Obtain ethical approval for thesis study.
Draft introduction and method of Systematic literature review chapter |
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| July – Sept | Continue work on PALS or PASE
|
Draft introduction and method to Empirical paper
Data collection Begin analysis |
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| Year 4 | |||||
| Oct | Fourth placement ends | ||||
| Nov | Final placement begins
Submit PALS#3 or PASE. |
From Nov take majority of thesis study allocation in addition to 0.5 study days a week | |||
| Oct – Dec | Complete data collection
Review literature for Systematic review Identify topic for critical appraisal chapter |
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| Jan – April |
Draft results and discussion of systematic literature review chapter
Complete analysis of data Draft results and discussion of empirical paper |
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| May – June | Draft critical appraisal
Final drafts of other chapters |
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| June | Final formatting of thesis | ||||
| July | SUBMIT THESIS | ||||
| Year 5
Sept – Oct
DEC – end of training |
Viva voce examination
Corrections to thesis as required
|