Introduction to clinical programmes

We offer a number of health professional programmes that include practical training. These programmes aim to build the future health workforce of Aotearoa New Zealand. Our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes audiology, dietetics, health psychology, medical imaging, medicine, nursing, optometry and pharmacy.

The practical aspects of your training include:

• Patient-facing interactions: Initially this might be with peers or role-play actors, then followed by real patients in hospitals, clinics, and the community.
• Application: You apply your medical knowledge to learn how to investigate, diagnose and manage diseases.
• Supervised learning: You gather information from patients, build your physical examination skills, and learn how to undertake procedures under the guidance of experienced practitioners.
• Professionalism and communication: You develop your self-awareness, empathy, communication skills, and professional judgment.

Health professionals also undertake non-clinical work such as laboratory research, administration and teaching. Each programme will differ in expectations, but all programmes will require extensive study, including independent engagement with online resources. This self-directed study contributes to a significant workload.

In-person attendance is required for many activities. Depending on the programme, on-campus days could include:

• Classes at any time between 8am and 6pm with a fixed schedule, and long periods of time when you will be required to be present.
• A mixture of lectures, work in small groups, tutorials and labs. 
• Activities including solo tasks, group projects and oral presentations.
• Assessments that may be in person or online.
• Workshops involving role-play with actors and patients.
• Work with biological specimens in a laboratory setting.

Your clinical placements are like an apprenticeship where you have a diverse range of experiences under supervision. You will be supported by a range of health professionals and key contacts to give you the best opportunities to succeed. It is important to be aware of the following:

• A student on clinical placement can expect to engage in a full-time workday, typically starting in the morning at around 8-9am and working until mid-to-late afternoon. Most students can expect to be on placement five days a week and each placement should be treated like a full-time employment commitment. In some cases, you may need to do some out-of-hours work.
• Self-directed study will need to take place outside of the clinical placement, often at evenings and on weekends.
• Students on placement might expect to work with a range of teams for short periods of time. Placement blocks can be as short as 2 weeks, or as long as 8 weeks.
• You will work in multidisciplinary teams with a range of health professionals, and with your peers, actively engaging with patients in a range of clinical scenarios.
• Your learning will be assessed in a variety of ways including group work and clinical presentations, personal reflection, patient interactions and written examinations.
• Travelling to different locations and sites can be common across the clinical programmes, and it is your responsibility to arrange your travel.
• Some programmes require you to relocate outside of Auckland, and you are expected to cover associated costs during these placements.