1.  Welcome

Welcome to the School of Medical Sciences

The University has a worldwide reputation based on high quality teaching and research, and I am sure that your programme will provide a solid foundation for your future career success.

Within the School and the wider Faculty, our goal is to create an environment that allows you to excel and reach your full potential. Offering access to first-class facilities and strong links with regional health-service providers, our programmes are designed to meet the diverse needs of all our students. The curriculum of our programmes provides the knowledge and skills you will need in your subject area and all our programmes include an opportunity to carry out an independent research project on topics spanning all areas of biomedical research from molecular to experimental biology and clinical medicine. While subject areas cover a broad range, all our programmes have two common aims:

• To develop your skills in your chosen field of study
• To enhance your knowledge within the field you have chosen. Whether you are a graduate, professional or have a clinical background, the programmes have been tailored to meet your specific needs

As a student of the School of Medical Sciences, you will be expected to take responsibility for your degree, within a supportive environment that fosters your development and helps prepare you for your future career. This handbook will be a useful resource as you progress through your programme. It provides programme-specific information that I am sure that you will find helpful throughout your study. If however, you have questions or would like some further advice, please do not hesitate to contact the people listed in this handbook for further information and assistance.

I wish you every success as you embark upon your programme, and in your future career.

Dr Helen Jopling
Director of Education

Welcome to the Physician Associate Studies programme

This handbook contains information on the aims, objectives, structure, content, admissions, assessment and programme management for the programme. We hope that you will find it a useful source of information, but please feel free to approach the programme organisers if you have any other queries. 

The curriculum is built around a core content of common clinical situations that are organised according to their relative complexity. The content of each taught block is delivered using a case-based learning (CBL) approach through the study of clinical cases/scenarios. Each case integrates elements of the taught content, so you will learn about and reflect upon the related biomedical, behavioural and population sciences appropriate to the case. 

You should read the handbook in conjunction with related University documentation, for which links are provided in this Handbook. In particular, at the start of your programme, you should read the University handbook (webpages) entitled ‘Crucial Guide’, which links to all the generic information required by students at the University. You can find it at: www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/crucial-guide/ As clinical students you will also need to comply with additional requirements surrounding fitness to practice, standards of behaviour and dress during clinical placements, the minimum standards guide for placements. Because this is rather a lot of information, we will introduce you to each component at the appropriate time. 

On behalf of the University of Manchester and the programme team I wish you an enjoyable and successful time on the programme. 

Holly Scotchburn
Programme Director

2. Key Contacts

Programme Director	Holly Scotchburn	holly.scotchburn@manchester.ac.uk
Deputy Programme Director	Rebecca Horne	rebecca.horne-2@manchester.ac.uk
Assessment Lead	Sunil Aggarwal	sunil.aggarwal@manchester.ac.uk
Course Collaborators	NHS England The General Medical Council Faculty of Physician Associates Physician Associate Schools Council

Academic Advisors

In addition to your group sessions, you will be allocated a tutor for your personal and professional development, this tutor is known as an ‘Academic Advisor’. Your Academic Advisor will provide you with individual guidance and support you will have the same Academic Advisor throughout Years 1 and 2.  Your Academic Advisor will discuss you wellbeing and guide you in your development as an independent, reflective learner, responding to feedback received, learning from your encounters with patients and across the wider programme. They will also advise you on the maintenance of your PPD portfolios and help you to develop your ability to plan ahead.

You will meet your Academic Advisor individually once or twice per semester. You may have topics you wish to discuss with your academic advisor and they can sign post you to wider services.

These meetings are mandatory as they focus on specific learning outcomes for your professional development: qualities essential to being a PA and your own personal development. Your Academic Advisor will complete a form summarising plans discussed at your meetings and your progress, this will be shared with you.

School Contacts

Information, Advice & Guidance: sms.hub@manchester.ac.uk
Student Support and Wellbeing: sms.wellbeing@manchester.ac.uk
Curriculum and Programmes: sms.programmes-pgt@manchester.ac.uk
Assessment and Progression: assessments.smspgt@manchester.ac.uk
Clinical Delivery: sms.clinicaldelivery@manchester.ac.uk

3.  Overview of the Programme

Programme and course unit specifications will be made available via OneMed in due course.

Facilities

The majority of your academic study will take place within the Stopford Building, Oxford Road in central Manchester. Facilities include: clinical skills laboratories, theatres and seminar rooms.  Extensive library facilities on site directly link to the University of Manchester Network. Each participant will receive access to University of Manchester Library services.

Academic Timetable and Assignment Timeline

Please see OneMed/Publish for academic timetable and OneMedInfo for assessment timeline.

4.  General Information

Health and Safety

Before you visit the University campus, please take time to read the University’s Health and Safety Policy.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the research staff and students for whom you have responsibility are provided with an environment that is safe and healthy and all research is conducted within the requirements of health and safety legislation:

• That necessary risk assessments have been undertaken (Never assume that because your research is not lab-based or using hazardous substances that it would not require a risk assessment).
• That staff are adequately informed, trained and monitored regarding safe practices to ensure they do not endanger themselves, others, or the environment.
• That your research complies with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations as appropriate.

The Student Charter

Our Student Charter, developed jointly by the University and the Student's Union, is an important part of how we establish and maintain clear mutual expectations for the experience of all undergraduate and taught postgraduates. It sets out what we can expect from each other as partners in a learning community.

Online Skills Training Resource

The Faculty has developed a skills training resource to support you through your postgraduate taught programme. This online material should supplement the assessed learning material and activities undertaken in your taught programme.

Accessing the online skills resource
You can access Blackboard through the My Manchester portal (https://my.manchester.ac.uk). The skills training resource is available in an academic community space available to all registered PGT students in the Faculty through Blackboard.

If you cannot see these units in your Blackboard, please contact your Curriculum & Programmes team.

Content
Full details of all these resources can be found in the introduction to each unit. These resources have been designed to give you formative feedback on your progress through them. If you experience any problems and would like to talk to someone, please contact your Programme Director. If you have questions about referencing and how it applies to your own work, please contact your Programme Director or dissertation supervisor/course unit lead.

Research Methods*	This course is spilt into 2 units that cover introductions to study design and dissertation skills. It has a number of online quizzes where you can test your knowledge.
Introduction to Statistics*	The course provides a valuable foundation for understanding and interpreting biostatistics. It aims to provide you with the fundamentals of quantitative analysis.
Presentation Skills	This short interactive unit is designed to help you to enhance your presentation skills. Regardless of whether you are presenting in public, preparing for conferences, an oral examination or more informal settings this unit will give you the tops tips to improve your delivery. The course also includes a unit on influencing effectively, alongside the presentation and poster information.
Qualitative Research Methods*	This unit has been designed to give you an introduction to Qualitative Research.

 * NOTE: the material in this online resource is for reference and formative learning purposes only. In some of your taught programme you may be required to undertake assessed course units for Research Methods, Qualitative Research or Statistics. If your programme involves taught units then you should refer to the Blackboard material relating to that course unit. Please contact the Curriculum and Programmes Team  if you are unsure which material relates to your assessed work. You will still be able to refer to the online skills resource in later years.

Mandatory Introductory Courses

All students are automatically enrolled onto the Blackboard introductory unit that provides information on Health and Safety and Academic Malpractice.

Completion instructions for each of these sections are clearly defined within the course.  All assessments must be completed within a month of you starting your programme, with the academic malpractice driving test completed before the first piece of summative assessment is submitted.

You must achieve 70% in each of the Health and Safety elements and 100% in each of the Academic Malpractice Driving Test elements to pass.

Communication with Students

Please note that only the University e-learning platform (Blackboard) and OneMed and your student university email address will be used as official communication by University staff. It is your responsibility to ensure that you can access and read emails from this source.

Students are required to keep the University informed of any change to their personal circumstances such as change of name or address. Changes can be recorded by the student via their own personal online record. It is also essential to inform your programme team if you do not intend to return to the next session of the course, if, for example, you are moving away.

Sharing Information

The University may share appropriate information relating to your health and/or conduct with external organisations such as your professional employer(s) (for example, relevant NHS Trust, Professional and Statutory Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)), placement and training providers and/or regulator. This may occur where concerns in relation to your health and/or conduct arise and the University considers it necessary for them to be disclosed to one or more of the above organisations. The University’s Privacy Notice for Registered Students (which is accessible via this link) includes further information about how the University may use and process your personal data, including the legal basis and conditions which may be relevant to such processing (see section 6 of the Privacy Notice). The University will only disclose special category data (such as data relating to your health) to a third party organisation where one of the additional conditions are satisfied (see section 9 of the Privacy Notice), including where processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

Student Conduct and Professionalism 

The Physician Associate Programme will help you to develop the professional attitudes necessary for your future career in clinical practice. Not only will you need the discipline to organise and regulate your studies, you also need to recognise that your behaviour at all times – both inside and outside of University and NHS premises – and your treatment of fellow students, academic and non-academic staff and the general public is of paramount importance.

The GMC requires the Programme to pay close attention to the conduct, behaviour and attitude of their students throughout their training, both on and off University and NHS premises. If the conduct, behaviour or attitude of any student is a cause for concern, for example, antisocial or potentially dangerous behaviour, or a pattern of poor attendance, timekeeping and organisation, the Programme has a duty to ensure that appropriate action is taken – both to help the student understand the problem and develop more appropriate and professional behaviours and, importantly, to safeguard patients and colleagues.

The University has the power to exclude a student from the Programme – even if their academic performance is satisfactory – if they feel that the conduct, behaviour and/or attitude of the student is not consistent with the standards required of the profession.

In order to deal with unprofessional attitudes, actions, conduct and behaviour, the Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health has a Fitness to Practise procedure.

The Achieving good medical practice: interim guidance for PA and AA students and Professional behaviour and fitness to practise (2021) set out the professional behaviour expected of physician associate students, key areas of misconduct, the sanctions available for these, and the processes for student fitness to practise arrangements.

You are expected to adhere to these guidelines
Please also read the following:

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Fitness to Practise Procedure
Guidance on Ethics Duty of Care and Confidentiality
Communication and Dress Code
Guidance on Social Networking

“Your studies will bring you into contact with patients and members of the public, who can be physically and emotionally vulnerable. Because of this, and the fact that you’ll be joining a trusted profession, which is regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC), we expect you to understand that there is a difference in the standard of behaviour expected of students on Programmes that bring them into contact with patients and the public.

Specifically, your behaviour at all times, both in the clinical environment and outside of your studies, must justify the trust that patients and the public place in your as a future member of the medical profession. We and your medical school will support you in your journey, which includes teaching and assessment on professionalism.”

GMC’s Achieving good medical practice: interim guidance for physician associate and anaesthesia associate students
All health and social care professionals are bound by the guidance and rules of conduct set out by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the relevant regulatory or representative body, e.g. the General Medical Council (GMC) General Dental Council (GDC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society (BPS). These in turn define the standards for health and social care education in the UK in settings in which a student is interacting with patients, clients or service users.

Professional attitudes and behaviours are both crucial aspects of a career as a physician associate, you therefore need to develop these appropriately over the course of the Programme.  Professionalism encompasses a number of positive attributes such as honesty, integrity, politeness, punctuality, good organisation skills, engaging fully with your studies, complying with University regulations, maintaining your own health, communicating effectively and treating others with respect.

Unprofessional behaviour can include: persistent lateness or absence; dishonesty; rudeness; discrimination, failure to meet deadlines, to respond to communication or to attend teaching sessions and meetings; criminal activity; and drug or alcohol abuse.

Aspects of professionalism will be addressed throughout the Programme, including during CBL, PPD Portfolio, ECE visits and ward rounds. Opportunities to demonstrate your professionalism will arise as you progress through the Programme.

If you are involved in a significant incident or pattern of unprofessional behaviour, the Programme has a duty to discuss this with you to ensure you understand the professional requirements of the Programme and a career in medicine and to discuss and agree any support the Programme can offer to enable you to improve your behaviour.

A major occurrence of unprofessional behaviour or a failure to improve a pattern of poor behaviour, despite advice, support and warnings, may lead to referral for consideration by the Chair of the School Fitness to Practise Committee, who will decide if you need to attend a meeting of the Committee to discuss the matter in further detail.

By the end of the Physician Associate Programme, you should have acquired, and be able to demonstrate, the attitudes essential to the practice of medicine, including:

• Respect for patients and colleagues that encompasses, without prejudice, diversity of background, opportunity, language, culture and way of life;
• Recognition of patients’ rights, particularly in regard to confidentiality and consent;
• Ability to cope with uncertainty and adapt to change;
• Awareness of the moral and ethical responsibilities involved in patient care;
• Awareness of the need to ensure provision of the highest possible quality of patient care;
• Development of the capacity for self-audit and for participation in the peer-review process.

In addition, the following objectives have attitudinal implications, especially with respect to the provision of care for populations as well as for individuals.

You should:

• Understand the ethical and legal issues relevant to the practice of medicine;
• Understand the principles of disease prevention and health promotion;
• Have self-management and team-working skills;
• Understand the provision of healthcare in the community and hospital, the constraints affecting its delivery and audit processes through which delivery is monitored.
• These objectives reflect the requirements of the General Medical Council with regard to Good Medical Practice.

Developing Attitudes

You should:

• Make sure you are familiar with the principles of professional practice as set out in the GMC’s Achieving good medical practice: interim guidance for physician associate and anaesthesia associate students and Professional behaviour and fitness to practise (2016);
• Discuss any concerns with your educational supervisor. There may be occasions when you feel other professionals are not following the guidelines (sadly, everyone
• makes mistakes at times). Be sensitive but be prepared to ask about this;
• Be prepared to listen to comments and helpful criticism from anyone who is involved in your clinical supervision. They are there to help you develop appropriate professional attitudes and gently warn if things are going wrong. The report from your supervisor at the end of each placement is expected to include an appraisal of your development in this field.

Security

If you are going to be visiting the University campus for any purpose, please note that the University of Manchester cannot be held responsible for your personal property. Please keep your belongings with you at all times. Items left unattended may be removed and destroyed or damaged without warning by University Security Services.

5.  Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Teaching and Learning

The programme structure has been designed using established educational theory around a social-constructivist model and practices to enhance student experience and learning.

The University of Manchester virtual learning environment guides participants through module content, assessment submission and programme information.

 The programme uses blended teaching methods that are aligned with intended learning outcomes and assessment. A range of teaching methods is used including problem-based learning, lectures, online activities, e-learning case work, small group tutorials, workshops, clinical simulation, interactive forums, themed case discussions, clinical debriefs and practical sessions with real and simulated patients. 

Students are taught in relatively small groups (between 10 and 35 students per group for most activities and around 65 for lectures) to encourage maximum opportunities for clinical learning.

Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations

Students should familiarise themselves with the degree regulations for Postgraduate Taught Degrees by clicking on this link http://www.regulations.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate-degree-regulations/ or reading the University document here: Introduction to the Postgraduate Degree Regulations for Students.

Postgraduate Taught degrees at the University of Manchester are based on the National Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ). This framework requires students to achieve credit at masters’ level in order to get an award. For a standard postgraduate taught Masters programme this will normally mean passing 180 credits. A standard postgraduate diploma will normally have 120 credits and a postgraduate certificate 60 credits. The way in which you study these credits will be defined later in the programme handbook and the programme specification.

The University sets standards relating to your performance on every unit but also on your progression through the programme. The programme and course unit specifications will set out the requirements for passing the credit on individual units.

Important Note: The Physician Associate programme is structured differently to many other postgraduate programmes and you will enrol on a single a single 60-credit unit in each year of the course for the PGDip (the element of the course required to gain professional registration). There are also are a number of exemptions from University regulations to meet professional body requirements. This is especially so in the area of assessment where the programme differs significantly. The programme does not permit compensation rules to be applied to any assessment

Please find below the link to the degree regulations:

• Postgraduate Taught Degree Regulations (for new PGT students registering from September 2016)

The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the regulations policy document.

Criteria for Awards
The award of postgraduate degrees is normally based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 50%. However, the programme employs a system of standard setting that leads to a variable pass mark for some components, this will mean that the pass mark may be lower or higher than the standard 50% threshold. Guidance on standard setting will be provided separately and the regulations below are provided for information at this stage.

Award Postgraduate Diploma (exit award)
To obtain a Postgraduate Diploma award, students must have accrued 120 credits (as specified by the programme) including any provision made for compensated or referred units. Please note that award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Physician Associate Studies is subject to exemptions from standard degree regulations due to professional body requirements.

Award Postgraduate Certificate (exit award)
To obtain a Postgraduate Certificate (exit award) students must have accrued 60 credits (as specified by the programme) including any provision made for compensated or referred units.

The award of Postgraduate Certificate degree is based upon credit accumulation using a pass mark of 40% for which there is no classification other than pass/fail.

Exit awards are available for students who do not satisfy the criteria for the programme they are registered on or who need to exit the programme early due to unforeseen circumstances.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI tools have the potential to enhance learning, and can support inclusivity and accessibility when used appropriately. It is important that you understand the potential risks and benefits of these tools if you plan to use them during your studies.

You may use AI tools like any other resource to help you generate ideas, key themes, and plan your assessment, and you may also cite or quote content generated by AI systems. However, passing off work generated by AI as your own is plagiarism, and will be treated as seriously as plagiarism of another person.

Some Course Units or assignments may vary this position. In these cases you will be given detailed instructions on what is and isn’t allowed, and may be asked to sign a code of conduct. If you are unclear about what is permissible, contact the course unit lead.

For more detail on the University’s position on the use of AI in teaching and learning, see Artificial Intelligence (AI) Teaching Guidance.

For advice on how to acknowledge and cite content generated by AI see https://manchester-uk.libanswers.com/teaching-and-learning/faq/264824

Fitness to Practise

Where a programme of study requires the student to undertake practical training in a quasi-professional role in relation to patients, clients or service-users or where the qualification provides a direct license to practise, the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has a duty to ensure that the student is fit to practise. In order to protect present or future patients, clients or service users and to comply with the requirements of professional/regulatory bodies, the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has established a procedure for dealing with student-related fitness to practise issues.

Fitness to Practise issues are initially investigated and considered locally within the School by a Concern Review Panel, who will decide whether the case should be referred to a Fitness to Practise Committee at either School of Faculty level. Further information can be found in the FBMH FTP Procedure

A student may appeal against the decision of a Fitness to Practise Committee within twenty days of the decision but only on one or more of the following grounds:

a) procedural irregularity;
b) availability of new evidence which could not reasonably have been expected to be presented to the original hearing;
c) the disproportionate nature of the penalty.

The TLSO facilitates the arrangements for Fitness to Practise Appeals Committees.  An Appeals Committee has the power to confirm or alter the original decision, and the outcome is confirmed to students in a Completion of Procedures letter.  A student may then decide to pursue a complaint with the OIA.

Further information can be obtained from med.ftp@manchester.ac.uk.

Occupational Health

A first screening appointment has been made for you with the Occupational Health Services Department and you will receive confirmation of your first screening appointment via email. It is crucial that you keep this appointment. With the pressure of numbers accessing their service it is not possible to rearrange the time set. It is your responsibility to complete the screening and immunisation programme. Occupational Health Services will issue you with a Clinical Placement Certificate to certify that you are safe, from a health perspective, to start clinical work with patients.

Failure to complete the screening/immunisation process may cause delay to you being able to see patients.

You should ensure that you present to your first screening appointment with your full childhood immunisation history in order to obtain clearance. Please gather this in advance of coming to University so that you have it ready, to avoid any delays to your screening.

For any queries relating to your first appointment scheduling or clearance status, please contact sms.clinicaldelivery@manchester.ac.uk

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Clearance

The Programme requires you to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (and/or police check equivalent for those who have been residing overseas) on entry to the Programme, and reserves the right to request subsequent checks.

You will be contacted before you join the Programme with information on what you need to provide. It is important that you act on any requests as soon as possible and follow the instructions carefully.

Not doing so will impact on your ability to participate in the Programme and you may be excluded.

If a positive disclosure is made, the School would need to investigate whether the disclosure affects your suitability to commence the Programme and you would be invited for an initial meeting to discuss this. See the University’s guidance for applicants with a criminal conviction: https://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=17995,

Please note that it is your responsibility to keep a copy of your disclosure certificate for your own records when it is received from the DBS.

The University does not receive a copy of the certificate and will therefore not be able to provide you with a copy. If you do not receive your certificate you will need to contact the Disclosure and Barring Service directly: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service,

Once you have commenced the Programme (including during any interruption or intercalated degree), you are responsible for informing the Programme immediately if you are being investigated in relation to any crime or if you receive any charges, convictions, cautions, warnings or reprimands – or other criminal penalty.

Questions relating to the DBS process can be sent to: sms.dbs@manchester.ac.uk.

Placement Information

As a physician associate student you will develop clinical application of the skills you have acquired whilst at university on clinical placements through observation and deliberate practice. Experiential learning (learning in the work place) is central to the educational experience on the programme. You will experience a variety of clinical environments to develop breadth of knowledge and practice. These clinical environments include; ward rounds, operating sessions, outpatient clinics, MDT meetings, Tier 2 clinics, nursing homes and community clinics delivered by allied healthcare professionals. As you progress through the programme you will be required to demonstrate increasing independence in clinical environments by actively seeking out opportunistic learning experiences. You will provide evidence of these activities through the clinical placement logbooks.

Learning by experiences in this way (experiential learning) is powerful because the patients and their problems make a real and lasting impact in your memory. It is important to understand experiential learning also brings its own challenges:

• Even across the huge diversity of learning environments and opportunities that are made available to all students by the Medical School and its NHS partners, it is impossible to guarantee that you will experience the same balance of patients as each other.

• This variability is fundamental to the nature of healthcare delivery and is reflected in your placements. You will not receive exactly the same placements in medicine or surgery as each other.
• Experiential learning is immersive and opportunistic, it requires you to be proactive and flexible in seeking out opportunities for learning from these environments, interacting with as many patients as you can on a daily basis.

There are 2 Early Clinical Experience blocks and 10 Clinical Placement blocks across the two years of the Programme.

Early Clinical Experience – 2x blocks of 2 weeks

The initial 2 week Early Clinical Experience Blocks provide you with the opportunity to learn examination and procedural skills, whilst spending time in the clinical environment to understand the roles of other healthcare professionals and integrate into the clinical team. With this grounding, you will start your clinical placements with a role within the clinical team. You will usually spend 2 weeks in primary care and 2 weeks in secondary care during ECE.

The aim of the ECE blocks is to ‘frontload’ you with the skills you will need on a day to day basis during placements so that you can feel confident to involve yourself in the clinical environment and “hit the ground running” when the clinical placement blocks begin in earnest.

Clinical Placements – 4 weeks

Throughout your studies you will be attached to one of the Home Trusts (HTs).  Each HT has an allocated teaching hospital which will serve as ‘basecamp’ and clinical placements will either be there or at associated hospitals.

The Home Trusts for physician associate students are:

• Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) Oxford Road Campus (MRI, St Marys, Eye Hospital, Trafford General)
• Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) Wythenshawe Hospital
• Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) North Manchester General Hospital
• Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Preston, Chorley)
• Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (Salford, Oldham, Rochdale)
• Mid-Cheshire NHS Foundation Trust (Leighton)
• Stockport NHS Foundation Trust (Stepping Hill)
• East Cheshire NHS Trust (Macclesfield)
• Tameside and Glossip Integrated Care NHS Trust (Tameside General)

You will rotate through various specialty placements during the Programme. This will usually include 2x primary care blocks, general medicine, surgery, front door medicine, obstetrics & gynaecology, paediatrics and mental health.  The aim of these placements is to give you experience of clinical practice in a variety of settings.  It will also give you opportunity to apply the knowledge you have been amassing over the academic blocks of your studies, apply clinical examination and procedural skills, refine your patient assessment abilities and improve your clinical reasoning.

What you can expect from a clinical placement:

Whilst on your clinical placement blocks the expectation is that you spend the vast majority of your time in the clinical environment. It is crucial to note that this time may not specifically be written in your timetable. Where you have nothing allocated in the timetable you are expected to seek opportunities to go to your allocated wards and ask the ward staff to see suitable patients, read their notes, and offer to support ward activities that are within your competency. On the rare occasions when there are limited clinical learning opportunities, you may engage in private study, and this should ideally be within the ward environment in case a learning opportunity arises. There is no allocated protected time for private study.

You will be allocated a Clinical Placement Supervisor for each clinical block.

• You will be notified in advance of your placements in order for you to make arrangements for travel.

• You will be allocated a clinical placement supervisor (CPS) whose responsibility it is to meet with you and to supervise your placement. Your supervisor is trained in their role and will be required to sign you off at the end of each placement.  If they are unavailable for any reason the programme requires the clinical placement supervisor to provide an associate placement supervisor. In the most exceptional circumstances, remote sign-off may be able to be arranged. This needs to be approved by the CPS and Clinical Delivery team.
• Your CPS manages your placement together with the local PA administrator.
• Your CPS or associate will usually provide you with a timetable in advance of your clinical placement starting or provide one during your initial meeting. Please remember that the timetabling is extremely complex and subject to change at short notice due to the nature of clinical work. Your Home Trust oversees this and will do their utmost to minimise disruption or cancellations, and will try to organise alternatives to the best of their abilities but this is not always possible, and so you should be prepared to seek out learning opportunities yourself as well.
• Your CPS and clinical team in placement will support you in making the most of learning opportunities available in the placement.
• Your CPS and clinical team will ensure minimum placement requirements are delivered for all students.
• Your CPS, clinical team and yourself will organise a minimum of two supervisor meetings (one at the beginning and one at the end of placement). They may also arrange clinical teaching activities.
• Your CPS will allocate an associate to take their place if they are absent / on leave. If this does not happen, please alert the Home Trust administration team as soon as possible, and always before the end of your rotation.
• Your placement timetable provides a guide to what clinical learning activities are accessible on placement.
• It is recommended that placement activity takes place during core working hours (Monday – Friday, 8am – 6pm), however there may be some flexibility in response to supervision availability and provision of adequate learning opportunities.  If adequate provisions are available, you may attend placement outside of these hours and it may be beneficial to experience out-of-hours care.
• You are expected to attend placement on a full-time basis for a minimum of 35 hours per week. This will usually be over 5 days, but some flexibility may be possible after discussion with your clinical supervisor and administration team. Any changes in working patterns may be made in only in exceptional circumstances, will not be at the expense of learning opportunities and must be approved by the placement supervisor and academic lead for clinical placements.
• These are minimum requirements for each placement. These have been defined and agreed by the PA programme and our NHS partners. You will be asked to complete an evaluation of each placement and the feedback you provide will be used to improve those placements. Please give honest, constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement as well as letting us know when things have gone very well.

What we expect from you in a placement:

During your clinical placement blocks we have the following expectations of you as students:

• Prior to your induction and orientation meeting with your clinical placement supervisor (CPS), you should identify your intended learning objectives (ILOs) for the placement based on: a) Identified gaps in your personal learning (consider the feedback from previous assessments and supervisors). b) The ILOs for the programme, including procedural skills (UPSAs) and tasks and bring this information to your initial meeting with your supervisor in order to agree appropriate ILOs for your placement.
• Attend all your clinical placement sessions and formal teaching and learning activities as per your timetable (with attendance in line with programme requirements – 100% attendance is expected).
• Assume responsibility for patients consistent with your level of training.
• Complete the minimum number of log book assessments (please see below for details)
• Achieve a satisfactory placement sign off at the end of your placement
• Ensure that your placement sign-off eform is submitted by 6pm on the last day of your placement after the final meeting with your supervisor. The latest acceptable date for submission post-placement for this form is 5 days later, after which point you will be graded as unsatisfactory for that placement Students who are graded as unsatisfactory, either by their supervisor assessment or through failure to submit, will be required to meet with the Placements Lead, to discuss how they will remediate within their next placement.
• We expect you to notify us if you are absent and provide a reason for this in a timely manner. Please see the Absence Reporting section of the Handbook for further details.
• We expect you to dress appropriately, attend on time and behave in a professional manner at ALL times including during virtual teaching.

 What constitutes a ‘Satisfactory’ grade in a SINGLE Clinical Placement Block?

Decisions are made on the basis of evidence that you provide. An electronic logbook has been created to support you to achieve this. It is your responsibility to show your supervisor how you have performed in the placement.

At the end of each clinical placement block you will have an End of Placement meeting with your Clinical Placement Supervisor (CPS).  This meeting will give you a chance to reflect on what you have learned during your clinical placement and identify future learning needs.  During this meeting your CPS will review your logbook to ensure that you have met the required targets.

During your End of Placement meeting your CPS will be required to mark your placement as either ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Unsatisfactory’.

Your Supervisor will meet with you at the end of your placement to make an assessment based upon:

1. The entries in your logbook and your attainment of the MINIMUMrequirements:
2. Their experience of teaching you, which includes attendance and your professionalism.
3. Their colleagues’ experience of working with and teaching you.

 What constitutes an overall ‘Satisfactory grade’ in the Clinical Placement Blocks ACROSS the Year?

A satisfactory grade for each Block

PLUS

The minimum requirements of your logbook

What happens if you do not meet these requirements?

An ‘Unsatisfactory’ grade helps us to identify and provide assistance for students who may require extra support in their studies.  If you receive an ‘Unsatisfactory’ grade for one of your placements you will be asked to meet with the Academic Lead for Clinical Placements to discuss what academic support and action plan you need to ensure your learning continues in a way to enable you to progress successfully in your studies.

A student may carry an unsatisfactory grade in a maximum of one clinical placement but must satisfactorily meet the objectives subsequently set by the Clinical Supervisor and the Academic Lead for Clinical Placement. Any student failing to meet this would be required to repeat the failed placements. This will normally mean the student’s progression through the programme will be delayed. For example, if it is not possible to accommodate the repeated placement within the academic year the student will be required to interrupt and re-join the programme at the beginning of the following academic year.

 

HEALTH & SAFETY ON CLINICAL PLACEMENTS

The health and safety of patients, students and staff requires certain regulations to be observed. In particular, it is important that students are known to have been immunised against (or be immune to) a number of infectious diseases. For this reason students are required to attend appointments at the University’s Occupational Health Service where you will be assessed to make sure you are able to attend clinical placement and will be provided with the necessary vaccinations.

During clinical placements you will be briefed on local health and safety procedures and arrangements. It is your duty to comply with these arrangements.

All accidents whether involving injury or not must be reported to the placement provider and the University. In some cases the placement provider may have a system in place for forwarding this information to the University. Alternatively the form for accident/incident reporting can be found here:
https://www.healthandsafety.manchester.ac.uk/toolkits/accidents/reporting/

PERSONAL SAFETY WHEN TRAVELLING TO PLACEMENTS

When travelling to and from placements, just as when travelling about in your social and personal life, there are some common sense guidelines to follow for your health and safety:

• Plan your journey so that you know in advance where you are going – know your route and, if you will be travelling by public transport, the times of trains, trams and buses and the use of appropriate masks (Google Maps or www.tfgm.com).
• Tell friends and housemates where you are going and importantly when you are due back. Equally let them know if your plans change. It is always safest to know that someone will notice if you do not arrive or return at the time you planned.
• Let your placement supervisor and your group know if you are going to be absent or late.
• Avoid short cuts and keep to well lit areas – exercise judgement in using ill lit stairs and quiet lifts and don’t wait at deserted train or bus stops. If you have to wait, do so in well lit areas with plenty of people in view.
• Download the SafeZone app which is designed to keep you safe across campuses in the city.
• Visit the University’s Safety Tips guidance which contains information about obtaining a personal alarm,  the safe taxi scheme and other useful tips
• Don’t assume everyone knows who you are – always carry some identification.
• Only carry just enough money for expenses.
• Avoid displaying expensive gadgets (phones, tablets, etc.) and wearing high-value jewellery when travelling to and from placements.
• Don’t travel in your clinical placement uniform, (this will be provided by the University). Remember that this uniform is for the workplace only.
• Remember the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Sciences Professionalism Policy including Dress code.
• Always leave the environment if your instinct tells you to.

Please also read the University Occupational Health Service’s guidance on action to be taken in the event of needle sticks/sharps injuries and incidents involving human blood or other body fluids: https://www.occhealth.manchester.ac.uk/wellbeing/inoculation-sharps-indicents/

Minimum Logbook Requirements

Listed below are the minimum requirements that you will need to achieve on clinical placement, it is expected that you will be able to achieve and submit more than the minimum.

Turnitin and Plagiarism

Plagiarism and Other Forms of Academic Malpractice
Academic malpractice is any activity - intentional or otherwise - that is likely to undermine the integrity essential to scholarship and research. It includes plagiarism, collusion, fabrication or falsification of results, and anything else that could result in unearned or undeserved credit for those committing it. Academic malpractice can result from a deliberate act of cheating or may be committed unintentionally. Whether intended or not, all incidents of academic malpractice will be treated seriously by the University.

The Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health have designed a learning module to raise your awareness of academic malpractice and how it can occur in general writing during your studies. This resource can be accessed via Blackboard - SMS Introductory Course and must be completed before you submit your first piece of academic writing for assessment.

The University provides workshops and online training via My Learning Essentials

Please refer to the University of Manchester guidance to students on plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice

The full guidance document can be viewed here: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?DocID=2870

Academic Malpractice: Procedure for the Handling of Cases can be found at: http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=639

Turnitin
The University uses electronic systems for the purposes of detecting plagiarism and other forms of academic malpractice and for marking.  Such systems include TurnitinUK, the plagiarism detection service used by the University.

As part of the formative and/or summative assessment process, you may be asked to submit electronic versions of your work to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University (this requirement may be in addition to a requirement to submit a paper copy of your work).  If you are asked to do this, you must do so within the required timescales.
The School also reserves the right to submit work handed in by you for formative or summative assessment to TurnitinUK and/or other electronic systems used by the University.
Please note that when work is submitted to the relevant electronic systems, it may be copied and then stored in a database to allow appropriate checks to be made.

Academic Appeals, Complaints, Conduct and Discipline

Academic Appeals
You can submit an appeal about an academic outcome based on one or more of the following grounds:

a. Circumstances exist (or existed) affecting your performance of which, for a good reason, the relevant decision-making body may not have been made aware when its decision was taken, and which might have had a material effect on its decision.
b. A material administrative error or procedural irregularity has taken place in the assessment process (or in putting into effect the regulations for your programme of study) of such a nature as to cause significant doubt whether the decision you are appealing might have been different if the error or irregularity had not occurred.
c. You have evidence of prejudice or bias by one or more of your examiners.
d. Your supervision or training in respect of research for a dissertation or thesis (or equivalent work) was unsatisfactory to the point that your performance was seriously affected.

An appeal cannot challenge academic judgement, including challenges to examiners’ scores and feedback.

STAGE ONE – Early Resolution
Stage One Academic Appeals must be submitted within 20 working days of being notified of the decision you are appealing against.

Complete the Stage One Academic Appeal form: Stage One Academic Appeal form (manchester.ac.uk)

The School will conduct an initial assessment to check the appeal:

• is on time, within 20 working days of the publication of confirmed results or the decision being appealed.
• meets one or more of the grounds to appeal.
• is not a challenge to academic judgement.
• is supported by relevant evidence where necessary.

If your appeal does not meet all of the above, the School will write to you within 10 working days to explain why.

If your appeal is considered eligible, it will be reviewed by the School and you will receive an outcome letter.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can choose to progress to Stage Two.

All evidence and reasoning relating to your appeal must be included with the Stage One application. Any new evidence or reasoning presented at Stage Two or Three will not be considered if there is not a clear and credible reason why this was not submitted or declared in the Stage One application.

STAGE TWO – Formal Consideration
Stage Two Academic Appeals must be submitted within 10 working days of receiving the Stage One outcome.

A Faculty Officer will review your appeal and the response from the School. The Faculty Officer may decide that your appeal is not eligible for consideration at Stage Two because the School has already made a decision at Stage One that the Faculty Officer thinks is reasonable.

If the Faculty Officer decides to review your appeal at Stage Two, they may request further documents and evidence from you. Please note that you are usually expected to provide all the evidence that you wish to be considered in an appeal at Stage One.

Your appeal will be considered and you will receive a Stage Two outcome letter. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can choose to progress to Stage Three.

STAGE THREE – Review Request
If you do not agree with the decision to dismiss your appeal after it has been considered by your Faculty, you can request that the decision is reviewed.

A Stage Three review is not a reconsideration of the appeal. A review is to check that the appeals procedure has been properly followed, and that the Faculty Officer’s decision was reasonable based on all available evidence.

You can request a review up to 10 working days after receiving your Stage Two outcome.

More information about the three stages of the appeal process can be found here: Quick Guide to Academic Appeals and Academic Appeals Procedure Regulation XIX

Information about the support available to you during the appeals process can be found here: Available support - factsheet for students who are accessing the University's appeals process

Student Complaints

• The University's Student Complaints Procedure (Regulation XVIII) and associate documents, including a basic guide to students, can be found here.
• The University has separate procedures to address complaints of bullying, harassment, discrimination and/or victimisation - see Report + Support
• Students thinking of submitting a formal complaint should, in most instances, attempt informal resolution first (see the procedure). Formal complaints should be submitted on the relevant form to Faculty Appeals and Complaints Team

Conduct and Discipline of Students

• The University's Procedure for Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulation XVII) and associate documents can be found here.
• Faculty policies for students on communication and social networking can be found here:
  • Communication and Dress Code
  • Social Networking
• Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it can be found here.
• In accordance with the Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes, ‘All typed summative assessment, including dissertations, should be submitted online and subjected to plagiarism detection software, where appropriate’.

The University Library has produced online resources to help students in avoiding plagiarism and academic malpractice, they can be found here.

Examinations and Assessment

Examinations are important for you to find out how you are progressing through the programme and necessary for the programme to make sure that you have reached the required level of competence and are safe to move on to the next stage or to be recommended for professional registration. However, we do not want to make the examinations so complicated and arduous that you spend all your time revising for them rather than concentrating on learning how to be a good PA, or revising only to ‘pass and forget’ the information.

We want examinations that reliably measure your knowledge and ability and are fair in judging whether you should pass. All this has been taken into account in deciding on the examination system for the PA Programme. We have based the assessments on the best evidence available from research.

Responsibility for Assessment
The Programme Committee has overall responsibility for PA Programme examinations and assessments. Members include the Academic Lead for Assessment, Head of the PA Programme, the Academic Leads responsible for each major assessment (End of Year Tests, OSCEs and PPD Portfolio).

Each assessment is the responsibility of this multidisciplinary group, which sets the examination, ensures the quality of the process and evaluates the results.

Assessment for the PA Programme is by a combination of written and practical examinations, taking place (in general) at the end of each year. The examinations are designed to test skills and knowledge that you will have acquired throughout the programme. The programme reserves the right to change any assessment method but will give students full information on such changes.

If you need any advice about examinations, you should contact the Academic Lead for Assessment, Dr Sunil Aggarwal sunil.aggarwal@manchester.ac.uk

Formative versus Summative Assessments
A summative assessment is one that you must pass in order to carry on to the next stage or complete the Programme. Summative assessments are also called ‘high stakes’ assessments for this reason.

A formative assessment is one that gives you feedback on how you are progressing and what you need to work on. We aim for all our summative examinations to have a formative element as well (hence the breakdown of marks in the OSCEs).

Student Identity Card, Calculators and Dictionaries
You must bring your University Student Identity Card to all examinations, including all OSCEs. Failure to do so may result in you not being allowed to sit the examination. No other form of identification will suffice, including hospital identification. You may bring a calculator to examinations but it must not be capable of storing text. You cannot bring a dictionary. Please see University Guidance for further details:

http://www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectiond- theprocessofassessment/useofcalculatorsinexaminations/

Possession and Use of Mobile Phones/Radio Transmitters/Receivers
There is a strict policy on the possession of electronic equipment, including mobile phones, radio transmitters/receivers (music players, PDAs, mobile phones and pagers) during examinations. No PA student is allowed to have such a device in their possession during examinations. To do so may lead to a charge of trying to cheat. Merely switching the device off is not acceptable. Do not bring any of the above to examinations. The penalty for having such a device during an examination may be a mark of zero.

Examination Information/Timetables/Results
Assessment timetables and results release dates will be published on OneMed during the academic year. Timetables for examinations are normally released the month before the examination and individual time-slot allocations (e.g., for OSCEs) are provided in the week before the assessment. Most examinations take place in May. Please ensure you check your University email account, Blackboard and announcements daily for updates and further information on assessments and results. Individual results will be sent to your University email account on the results release date. 

Sickness/Absence & Examinations
If you are ill, or cannot attend due to significant personal circumstances, on the day of an examination, you must notify the the School immediately on sms.programmes-pgt@manchester.ac.uk

You must then complete a mitigating circumstances form and submit it, along with suitable evidence (e.g. doctor’s or hospital note), stating that you were unfit to sit the examination the next working day of the missed examination.

Please see:　Mitigating Circumstances　and the　MB ChB Examinations and Assessments Policy for “Students with a Temporary Injury or Illness That may be Contagious to Others”

Reassessments
The opportunity to re-sit an examination is not a right. Examiners may refuse a student a re- sit opportunity, for example, should a student have failed to meet the minimum work and attendance requirements. Marks will be capped in line with the degree regulations for all reassessments. Failure to satisfy the examiners at re-sit normally results in exclusion from the PA Programme. 

End of Year Reassessment
Re-sit examinations for Year 1 and Year 2 are normally held in July/August  (OSCE and MCQ). Any student who needs to re-sit an examination is encouraged to make an appointment to see the Academic Lead for Assessment (Dr Sunil Aggarwal) to clarify the reasons for initial failure and to seek study skills support. Help is best sought immediately after the results are published and will be offered for those components of the examination that led to the failure to satisfy the examiners. 

Personal and Professional Development (PPD)

The PA team are committed to helping you develop your professionalism and your professional identity.

You will be introduced to the concept of Personal and Professional Development (PPD).  PPD is a longitudinal strand running throughout the physician associate programme.

You will build a portfolio that will provide evidence of your development and your ability to be a reflective practitioner. This is a core skill for the physician associate role as you will be expected to maintain a reflective portfolio and reflect on any significant events throughout your career. .

You will be introduced to the key concepts of personal and professional development (PPD)  through introductory lectures, and through PPD group learning sessions. Group sessions provide an opportunity to discuss experiences openly with peers, share examples of best practice and learn how to apply the process of reflection to enhance your development as a PA student and future PA.

It is of the utmost importance that all entries in your PPD portfolio are completed honestly and with integrity and are based on your own experiences. Students must not plagiarise or fabricate material. All students will therefore be required to complete a ‘Declaration of Probity’ to this effect at the beginning of each academic year.

What do I put in my portfolio to demonstrate my personal and professional development?
You will be provided with a list of intended learning outcomes at the beginning of the year accompanied by clear indications of the type of evidence you need to enter into your PPD portfolios for each of these learning outcomes.

Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Review Years 1 and 2
Your Academic Advisor will review your PPD portfolio summatively at the end of Year One and Year 2.  All PPD Reviewers are trained and experienced in what is expected of your portfolio evidence. You will have the opportunity to discuss entries in your PPD portfolio and be given feedback before the final submission.  If the PPD Portfolio Summative Review is Satisfactory, and all other requirements for the year have been met:

in year One: you will be able to progress to year two
in year Two: you will be able to progress to graduation

For both years one and two, if the Summative Review is Unsatisfactory you will be permitted one further attempt within the resit period. You will be provided with academic and pastoral support and guidance. If the resubmission is Satisfactory you will be able to progress to the next stage, if the resubmission remains Unsatisfactory you will be required to be exited from the programme

PPD Portfolio Reassessment
Students will be required to maintain a satisfactory PPD portfolio throughout the Programme including any reassessment period. Any reassessment of the PPD portfolio must meet the requirements specified for the relevant period of study.　Specific requirements for the PPD portfolio are identified separately in the Handbook.

Quality Control
We work very hard to ensure that examinations are fair for everybody. To help us do this, we employ rigorous quality control measures. Some examples of our quality control are as follows.

Design of questions
The MCQ SBA Exam questions for the End of Year tests are derived from our own database and may be provided in some cases by our course collaborators or from the Physician Associate Schools Council question bank. We are committed to the highest standards of quality assurance and spend a considerable amount of time creating and reviewing new questions each year. Please note that we do not release past papers. Following each assessment, the performance of each question is analysed carefully. OSCE questions are chosen from question banks. New questions are added every year by teams of trained doctors, health professionals and other academic staff, following detailed guidance. We use blueprints to ensure that our assessments appropriately assess the intended learning outcomes of the curriculum. 

Review of Questions
Written assessments and OSCEs are reviewed by a panel of experts to ensure they are fair and appropriate. They are also reviewed by external examiners. These are experienced academic  staff from other universities. They help to ensure that our examinations are set at the right level and conform to Curriculum Framework standards and guidance (see External Examiners). 

Pass Mark
We use well-established measures to correct for this and ensure fairness 

for all students. We use appropriate systems to set the pass mark for individual assessments to ensure that only safe, competent students pass. We follow the same systems used in other medical schools in the UK and around the world. 

Marking the Assessments
All OSCEs are marked using trained and suitably qualified examiners. All new OSCE examiners must undergo specific training before taking part in their first OSCE. Experienced examiners undergo regular refresher training. In addition, a briefing is given to examiners before each OSCE cycle. The End of Year MCQ tests are performed electronically in a secure server. For the 

OSCEs examiners record their marks electronically using iPads. All OSCEs are marked using trained and suitably qualified examiners. During the OSCE itself, senior internal and external examiners monitor the performance of examiners to ensure they are following the guidance given and marking fairly and appropriately. The End of Year Tests and OSCEs are processed using automated systems. Quality control processes ensure reliability of the data collection and processing. 

Reviewing the Assessments
After each assessment, we perform a detailed statistical analysis. This includes a comparison of the performance of different examiners at different streams to ensure that marking was fair to all groups of students. After each OSCE, we ask examiners for feedback about individual questions. External examiners send detailed reports. We also carefully read all letters and emails sent by students. In the light of all these comments, we amend our questions or assessment procedures to ensure we continue to set the highest possible standards. 

Assessments Overview
In the examinations, you will be tested on behavioural and social sciences, and biosciences including anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, pathology, immunology and genetics. All of these topics that you have studied in CBL cases and in practical classes (e.g. physiology, pharmacology, anatomy and consultation skills) will appear in the examinations. 

The assessments are: 

END OF YEAR TESTS  

• Knowledge-based examinations consisting of single best answer questions (SBA). 
• Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) to assess your clinical skills 
• PPD Portfolio  

It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of the dates, times and details of examinations. Examination details will be posted on OneMed and will be sent to you by individual email to your University of Manchester student email account as an announcement. No member of academic staff, the Programme Office or the University Examinations Office will give any information about examinations over the telephone or by email. 

END OF YEAR TEST
The End of Year Test is a multiple choice  (SBA) question paper consisting of approximately 100 questions (Year 1) and 150 questions (Year 2), which requires the selection of a single best answer from five possibilities. Two hours are allowed for the paper in Year 1 and three hours in Year 2. Negative marking is not used; an incorrect answer will simply be awarded a mark of zero. It is therefore in your interest to answer every question on the examination paper. Extensive research demonstrates that students who have engaged with their studies score better than ‘chance’ if they attempt a question even if they do are not 100% sure of the answer. 

The paper contains questions which sample the core knowledge that you have acquired during your studies and will be oriented by the ILOs of that year. The Year 2 End of Year test questions will be guided by the ILOs of both years of the programme. 

Setting the Pass Mark
We use well-established measures to correct for this and ensure fairness for all students. The pass mark is determined using the Angoff method, which has been used in many universities for more than 30 years. A mark below the pass mark determined using the Angoff method will be classified as unsatisfactory. Angoff standard setting is cross-checked using the Cohen method which may be adopted for any assessment by resolution of the examination board. 

OSCE
The OSCEs test your emerging abilities in the skills and applied knowledge that underpin clinical practice. Your skills and knowledge will build throughout the two years, preparing you to successfully perform as a PA at the end of the programme. 

What do the OSCEs consist of? 

There are 10 stations in Year 1 and 12 in Year 2 OSCEs. They will test your competence in clinical, bioscience, and communication skills and applied knowledge that underpin the execution of these skills. The skills will be taught in practical classes, in consultation and communication sessions whilst the knowledge is drawn from across the years. The overall list of skills appropriate for each year will be published during the semester in which the OSCE takes place. The skills to be tested in the OSCE assessments will be chosen from these lists. 

How are the OSCEs graded? 

Each station is marked in 3 sections: [1] the sub-domain ratings, [2] your global score and [3] typed free-text feedback from the examiner.  The sub-domain rating scales are selected to match the station content. The sub-domain rating scales are there to provide you with formative feedback. They are also used to calculate the pass mark for each station. The global rating is the examiner’s expert judgement of your overall performance on the station. The global score is not simply derived by aggregating the domain ratings but instead reflects how skillfully and competently you performed the station overall – it allows examiners to take into account aspects of your performance not captured by the sub-domains, and how you integrated the various components.  

The global rating is a 5-point scale: 

1. Clear Fail
2. Borderline
3. Satisfactory
4. Good
5. Excellent

Using both the sum of the marks obtained in the sub-domain rating scales and the mark obtained in the global rating the pass mark is calculated by Borderline regression method. After the OSCEs you will receive feedback, which will include your subdomain score for each station, your pass/fail mark for each station and written feedback where available.  

Year 1 Students who fail will be permitted one re-sit opportunity, the re-sit exams are usually held the summer (July/August). If the re sit attempt is successful students will progress to Year 2 provided all other components have been completed satisfactorily. 

Year 2 Students who fail will be permitted one re-sit opportunity, the re-sit exams are usually held the summer (July/August). If the sit attempt is successful students will progress to graduation provided all other components have been completed satisfactorily.  

Students who fail their re-sit opportunity are automatically excluded from the Programme unless acceptable mitigating circumstances are submitted for consideration and are approved by the Mitigating Circumstances Panel.  

Preparing for each OSCE
As the OSCE assesses skills and attitudes, the best way to prepare is to carry out as much practical work as you can on the wards, in outpatient clinics and in the community. Practiseyour skills in the following areas: 

• taking and presenting histories
  
• interviewing patients 
• performing physical examinations 
• performing simple procedures (e.g. recording blood pressure or venepuncture 
• explaining procedures or results to patients 
• interpreting investigations or results (e.g. radiographs, ECGs). 

It is not sufficient just to rehearse in the skills lab; you must obtain as much real clinical experience as possible. 

Below is some practical advice that you may find helpful. Please read it carefully before each OSCE: 

In the OSCE the stations are structured. For many stations, examiners are given specific questions to ask and have to mark according to specific points. It is important therefore that you: 

• read the instructions carefully 
• answer any questions that you are asked 
• if you don’t understand what is required of you, you should ask the examiner to clarify the question 

Each station is marked individually. A poor performance at one of the stations will not have a great impact on your overall mark, but there are a limited number of stations you are permitted to fail, the number is determined on a yearly basis.  

It is important therefore that you: 

• try not to be preoccupied with your performance on an earlier station 
• focus only on the station that you are actually doing 

The End of Year OSCEs are official summative examinations: examiners are not allowed to give you feedback or comment on your performance in these examinations as this could potentially unsettle you and impair your performance at other stations.  

Do not therefore:  

• ask the examiner for feedback 
• feel disappointed when you do not receive feedback 

If you finish a station early it does not necessarily mean that you have achieved full marks. For example in a physical examination station, it is possible that the reason you finished early is that you missed out an important part of the examination. Take a few moments to reflect on what you have done – there may be still time to do the part you have missed out. Try not to pre-empt another station by trying to overhear what is being said by another student. It may be wrong! 

If you have any concerns about inappropriate behaviour by an examiner during the examination, e.g. using their mobile phone whilst examining, unacceptable attitude, not paying attention, or if any necessary equipment is missing etc. you must bring this to the attention of the site organiser as soon as the OSCE is completed. Alternatively, please send an email to the Lead for Assessment within 24 hours listing full details. These will be reviewed carefully by the Programme Committee and action will be taken by the Examination Board if appropriate. We will not take action in response to anonymous comments as this can lead to unfairness. 

Assessment Information

Please refer to the Blackboard unit spaces for more information regarding coursework and assessment, including submission deadlines: https://my.manchester.ac.uk/

Assignment Word Count (Including Dissertation)

Each written assignment has a word limit which you must state at the top of your first page. It is acceptable, without penalty, for you to submit an assignment within a range that is plus 10% of this limit. If you present an assignment with a word count exceeding the specified limit+10%, the assignment will be marked but 1% will be deducted from this mark for every 100 words over the limit given.

For an original word limit that is 1000 words and an assignment that is marked out of 100.  If a submission is made that is 1101 words, then it exceeded the 10% leeway, and is more than 100 words over the original limit and should receive a 1-mark deduction.

In accordance with accepted academic practice, when submitting any written assignment for summative assessment, the notion of a word count includes the following without exception:

• All titles or headings that form part of the actual text. This does not include the fly page or reference list
• All words that form the actual essay
• All words forming the titles for figures, tables and boxes, are included but this does not include boxes or tables or figures themselves
• All in-text (that is bracketed) references
• All directly quoted material

Certain assessments may require different penalties for word limits to be applied. For example, if part of the requirement for the assessment is conciseness of presentation of facts and arguments. In such cases it may be that no 10% leeway is allowed, and penalties applied may be stricter than described above. In such cases the rules for word count limits and the penalties to be applied will be clearly stated in the assessment brief and in the submission details for that assessment.

Word Count Guide
What is and what is not included in the word count. Please note: Depending on the type of assessment, not all sections will be applicable.

Title page	No
Contents	No
List of tables, figures	No
Glossary of Terms	No
Page numbers	No
Abstract	No
Declaration	No
Intellectual Property	No
Acknowledgements	No
Introduction	Yes
Background, Critical Review of Existing Literature	Yes
Aims	Yes
Methods	Yes
Results	Yes
Discussions	Yes
Conclusions	Yes
Recommendations	Yes
Citations in the main text	Yes
Directly quoted material in the main text	Yes
List of references	No
Appendices	No
Tables and Figures	The titles, footnotes and citations for Tables and Figures are included but the actual text within them is not.

Guidance for Presentation of Taught Master's Dissertations

The University of Manchester guidance on presentation of taught Masters Dissertations is available at: Guidance for the presentation of Taught Masters dissertations.  The guidance explains the required presentation of the dissertation, and failure to follow the instructions in the guidance may result in the dissertation being rejected by the examiners.

Submission of Assessments

All course paperwork must also be submitted via Blackboard as instructed. Do not submit laboratory reports, tutorial work or other items of work to your MSc/ MRes Programme Director or other members of staff unless specifically asked to do so – they should be submitted electronically as explained below. Please be aware that all electronically submitted work will be assessed for plagiarism using Turnitin software as described below.

Please refer to your Blackboard unit spaces for more information regarding coursework and assessment, including submission deadlines.

Late Submission Penalty (Including Dissertation)

Work submitted after the deadline without prior approval will be subject to a late penalty in accordance with the University Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes.  The penalty applied is 10% of available marks deducted per day/24 hours (from the time of the original or extended deadline), until the assignment is submitted, or no marks remain.

Penalties for late submission relate to 24 hours/calendar days, so include weekends and weekdays, as well as bank holidays and University closure days.

The mark awarded for the piece of work will be reduced by:

10% of the available marks deducted if up to 24 hours (1 day) late
20% of the available marks deducted if up to 48 hours (2 days) late
30% of the available marks deducted if up to 72 hours (3 days) late
40% of the available marks deducted if up to 96 hours (4 days) late
50% of the available marks deducted if up to 120 hours (5 days) late
60% of the available marks deducted if up to 144 hours (6 days) late
70% of the available marks deducted if up to 168 hours (7 days) late
80% of the available marks deducted if up to 192 hours (8 days) late
90% of the available marks deducted if up to 216 hours (9 days) late
100% of the available marks deducted if up to 240 hours (10 days) late

If the assessment is submitted within 10 days of the deadline the assessment should be marked and feedback to the student provided. If this mark before the penalty is applied reaches the appropriate pass mark but the applied penalty results in a fail of the assessment, the student should not be required to resit the assessment as the original mark can be taken as the resit mark. Further information and examples can be found in the Policy and associated Guidance documents.

For work submitted more than 10 days late, it is regarded as a non-submission and need not be marked. In this case a mark of zero will be awarded and normal resit regulations will apply.

The sliding scale should only be applied to first-sit submissions. For all referred (resit) assessment, any late submission will automatically receive a mark of zero.

For further information see Guidance on Late Submission and Policy on the Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes.

Marking and Feedback

Summative assessments for the taught units will be marked by the primary assessor (and secondary assessor where specified) and feedback given to help you understand the mark you have received for the work submitted and how your performance might be improved in future. A sample of the assignments will be assessed by an internal moderator. Where appropriate, the primary assessor and secondary assessor/moderator will meet to agree a final mark, accompanied by written feedback where necessary. The agreed mark may be an average of the two marks; if not the assessors will provide written justification of the agreed mark. If the assessors cannot agree a final mark then a third marker will assess the work. The agreed mark and feedback will be available for you to view on Blackboard, within 15 working days of the submission date.

The research project/dissertation will be independently double marked by two assessors. Both will provide feedback and will meet to agree a final mark. This may be an average of the two marks; if not the assessors will provide written justification of the agreed mark. If the assessors cannot agree a final mark, then a third marker will assess the work. The external examiner will moderate the research project reports. Marks and feedback will be available for you to view on Blackboard, within 20 working days of the submission date for Research Project 1 and following the Final Examination Board for the Research Project 2/Dissertation.

Assignments will be marked anonymously wherever possible and therefore should be identified by your ID number rather than your name. The only exceptions to this rule are oral presentations and pieces of work, which are required to bear a name (e.g. laboratory notebooks).

For further information see Policy on Marking and Policy on feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students.

Special Permissions

It is the expectation of the University that postgraduate taught students pursue their studies on a continuous basis for the stipulated duration of their programme.  However, it is recognised that students may encounter personal difficulties or situations which may seriously disrupt or delay their studies.  In some cases, an interruption/programme extension/change mode of study or an extension to writing up may be the most sensible option.

Should you wish to apply for special permission, in the first instance, please discuss your circumstances with your Programme Director/Academic Advisor/Dissertation Supervisor.  Alternatively, you can contact the Student Support and Wellbeing team via sms.wellbing@manchester.ac.uk.

Withdrawal from the Programme

Students who are considering withdrawing from the programme should discuss this in the first instance with their Programme Director.  If arrangements for withdrawal needs to be made, this will be handled by the relevant TLSE Team within the School.

Graduation

All students who successfully complete the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and MSc/MRes programmes are invited, along with their guests, to attend a graduation ceremony. Further details can be accessed via the Graduation page on the University's website.

The University of Manchester degree ceremonies are broadcast live online, and are also stored on the University website.

Monitoring Attendance and Engagement of Students

The programme director and teaching staff will monitor the work and attendance of students on the programme via the SEAtS application. This is for your benefit and helps to ensure you are coping with the work. Regular or a pattern of non-attendance and/or engagement will result in you being contacted by the School to meet with your programme director. Following this, further action will be taken if there isn’t a significant improvement in attendance.  For further information see: Regulation XX Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

You are expected to attend all timetabled sessions. We also expect that students will be available to be on campus during published semester dates.

The University offers a range of advice and support to students experiencing problems with attendance. The A-Z of Services can be found on the MyManchester website, where you can find a information on a wide range of topics such as library services, disability support and careers advice.

You can also speak to your Programme Director, Academic Advisor of the Student Support and Wellbeing team.

Logging Your Attendance: A Quick Guide to SEAtS

From September 2024, the University is introducing a new Student Engagement and Attendance System called SEAtS, enabling students and staff to log attendance at teaching sessions (such as lectures and seminars).

 Your attendance will be logged in one of two ways:

1. The academic will take a digital register (usually for small group teaching sessions, or
2. You will mark yourself as having attended via a QR code or PIN code provided by the teaching colleague leading your session.

This system will actively support your engagement and wellbeing, allowing us to offer you further support should you need it.

Using the new system will involve a few simple steps, which we have outlined below. This will be compulsory for all Undergraduate and Postgraduate students taught on campus.  Other students will begin to use this system at a later date; they will be provided with further information on this nearer the time.

How to use SEAtS
SEAtS is a powerful tool that helps you manage your attendance and stay on top of your schedule. As a student, logging in to SEAtS for the first time is a straightforward process that involves a few simple steps. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Download the SEAtS App
To begin, download the SEAtS App on your smartphone. It's available on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, so whether you're using an iPhone or an Android device, you can easily access it. Simply search for "SEAtS 2024" in your app store, download, and install the app.

If you do not have access to a working smartphone, it will be possible to use a web-based version that you can access from a laptop or a desktop computer. More information on this will be available via our SEAtS information hub.

Step 2: Log in using your University Email
You will only be able to log onto SEAtS once you have completed registration and signed up for your University IT account. Once the app is installed, open it and log in using your university email address and password. It's important to note that you must use your official university email for this initial login. This ensures that your account is correctly linked to your student profile and schedule.

Step 3: Logging your attendance
If your attendance is being logged via a digital register the teaching colleague leading your session will do this.

If your attendance is being logged via a QR or PIN code, once you have logged in you'll be directed to the home screen of the SEAtS app. Here, you'll see a list of your upcoming teaching events. Select the relevant event to check into from the list, and you'll be prompted to confirm your attendance. You can do this by either scanning the QR code displayed in your classroom or entering the PIN code provided by the teaching colleague leading your session.

These steps are essential for tracking your attendance accurately.

What happens after the first login?
Following your first login, accessing SEAtS becomes even easier. You can simply open the app, choose the teaching event you’re attending, and scan the QR code or enter the PIN code, just like before. The app remembers your login details, so you won't need to re-enter your email each time you use it.

What to do if you are absent
You should record all absences in the SEAtS app. Additionally, in the case of illness that will result in you being absent for more than 7 calendar days or if you are absent for other reasons then you should email the Programme Director and sms.attendance@manchester.ac.uk explaining the circumstances. Whatever your reason for being away, you should inform your Programme Director or Supervisor and make any necessary arrangements to catch up with work you have missed.

For further information see: Regulation XX Monitoring Attendance and Wellbeing of Students

Wellbeing Support

If your physical/mental health or any other issues are having an impact on your ability to attend your studies please do reach out to the Student Support and Wellbeing team.

The Physician Associate Programme has a 90% minimum attendance requirement across all aspects of the programme.

Student Visa Attendance Requirements

If you are a student sponsored by the University of Manchester for a Student (formerly Tier 4) Visa, there are certain responsibilities that you need to understand and comply with in order to protect your status. This includes co-operating with the University in fulfilling our shared Student route duties to UK Visas & Immigration. Any breaches to your responsibilities can have serious implications on your studies and eligibility to stay in the UK. There are some responsibilities associated with academic attendance.

Please ensure you are fully aware of all your responsibilities: https://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/immigration-and-visas/responsibilities/

6.  Student Support and Guidance

Support within the Programme

Academic support and advice is available to all students both formally and informally from the Programme Director, Academic Advisors and Research project Supervisors.

The School also have a dedicated Student Support and Wellbeing team who can help with a wide range of issues whether they are personal, health or financial. The team can help you with wellbeing advice, Mitigating Circumstances, Disability Support and anything you experience that may affect your engagement with course.

The SMS Student Information Hub has lots of helpful guidance to support you throughout your time with us here at the University of Manchester.

The Student Support and Wellbeing team offer one-to-one appointments to any challenges you are facing, offer personalised guidance and signpost to the relevant support. These meetings can take place either on campus or online.

Academic Success Programme

You’re studying at the University of Manchester – congratulations!  Writing and speaking Academic English can be challenging, even for native speakers.  Our team of experienced tutors are here to support you, and will help boost your confidence to work independently in English through a series of interactive workshops - freely available to all University of Manchester students.

To find out more, and to register, please go to www.manchester.ac.uk/academicsuccessprogramme

The Academic Writing workshops are delivered via live synchronous video sessions, and offer faculty-specific support covering both the basics and the finer points of good academic writing. The sessions are interactive and encourage small group work to solve problems and edit texts. Our Academic Grammar workshops are also online and open to students from all faculties. They include the fundamentals of good sentence structure as well as more subtle ways of showing nuance and emphasis.

There are also self-study resources available via our Blackboard community – details, and registration, is via the “Online Resources” link.

Should you have further queries, please email academicsuccess@manchester.ac.uk

Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS)

The University of Manchester welcomes students with a disability or specific learning difficulties. The University has a Disability Advisory and Support Service, who can supply further information and DASS advisors will be pleased to meet you to discuss you needs. DASS will liaise with your School through the Disability Coordinator to make the necessary arrangements for your support during your time in Manchester.

The DASS office can also provide a copy of the University’s Disability Statement, ‘Opportunities for Students with Additional Support Needs at the University of Manchester’ which sets out the policy and provision for students with a disability.

School Disability Coordinator (Karen Ross) Contact Details: sms.dc@manchester.ac.uk
DASS Contact Details: https://www.dass.manchester.ac.uk/contact-and-see-us/

Religious Observance and Looking after yourself and your patients during Ramadan 

Policy on Religious Observance:

• University Policy
• The Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has produced guidance for healthcare students on fasting and caring: Fasting and Caring - Looking after yourself and your patients during Ramadan: guidance for health care students.

7.  Student Representation and Feedback

Student Representation
A Student Representative is a student leader and works in partnership with the University staff and Students’ Union to represent the views and experiences of student peers.

The programme’s Student Rep is expected to:

• Complete general SU training & specific school or programme training
• Contact your cohort (other students on your course) to introduce yourself & gather feedback
• Work with staff, the SU and other reps to act on feedback and enact change
• Use existing data to suggest improvements to student experience
• Attend regular staff-student meetings to deliver feedback & propose change
• Attend Faculty level feedback meetings (i.e. Faculty Forum)

There is a dedicated team in the Students’ Union available to support reps with each aspect of the role, along with staff contacts in each programme who help to facilitate the staff-student meetings.  Further details of training will be provided for reps once elected and information about additional support/activities for student representatives can be found on the Students’ Union website http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/reps.

You can find more information by visiting the SMS PGT Student Support Hub.

Course Unit Evaluations
The quality of teaching on the programme is monitored in part by student feedback. Thus it is very important that you make your views, good and bad, known. At the end of each course unit, and at the end of the programme, you will be asked to complete an anonymous course unit evaluation form. In addition, please let the course unit leader or the programme director know at any time if you feel there is a problem with a particular area of the programme.

8.  Programme Management

The programme is managed and operated in accordance with the policies, principles, regulations and procedures of the University of Manchester.  Programme Directors relate to the School and Faculty Postgraduate Teaching Committees on matters relating to admissions, exams, reviews and approval of new programmes and units, quality assurance etc. and policy issues of broad relevance to the School.  The Programme Committee will meet at least four times in each acdemic year and membership should consist of the Programme Director, Deputy Programme Director (if applicable), Course Unit Leads, Professional Support Staff and Student Representatives.

The remit of the committee will be to:

• Oversee the teaching, assessment and examining arrangements;
• Monitor cohort progression including failure rate, withdrawal rate;
• Evaluate the extent to which the learning outcomes are achieved by students;
• Monitor, maintain and enhance standards of all aspects of the programme;
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and of assessment in relation to programme learning outcomes;
• Evaluate the effectiveness and relevance of the teaching and learning methods employed;
• Review and revise the programme in the light of any relevant Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) benchmarks, any other relevant external and/or professional requirements and developing knowledge in the subject area;
• Receive, consider and respond to feedback from students, employers and external examiners;
• Where the need for change is identified, effect the changes quickly and efficiently;
• Produce an annual action plan via annual monitoring;
• Produce reports for periodic review
• Produce relevant information for an Institutional Audit;
• Review programme documentation, e.g., programme handbooks, programme specifications, promotional literature and programme website;
• Ensure suitable and efficient arrangements are in place for recruitment, admission and induction.

The Programme Committee acts as a curriculum development team for the Programme. The Programme Committee will report to a School, or Department, or Faculty level committee. The Programme Director is responsible for the management of the programme, and the Programme Committee is established to support the Programme Director in the carrying out of their responsibilities.

External Examiner

The External Examiner for this programme is Dr Gillian Conde who is based at the Birmingham Medical School.

The role of the External Examiner
External Examiners are individuals from another institution or organisation who monitor the assessment processes of the University to ensure fairness and academic standards. They ensure that assessment and examination procedures have been fairly and properly implemented and that decisions have been made after appropriate deliberation. They also ensure that standards of awards and levels of student performance are at least comparable with those in equivalent higher education institutions.

External Examiner Reports
External Examiner reports relating to this programme will be shared with student representatives and details of any actions carried out by the programme team/School in response to the External Examiner’s comments will be discussed. Students should contact their student representatives if they require any further information about External Examiner reports or the process for considering them.

Please note that it is inappropriate for students to make direct contact with External Examiners under any circumstances, in particular with regards to a student’s individual performance in assessments.  Other appropriate mechanisms are available for students, including the University’s appeals or complaints procedures and the UMSU Advice Centre. In cases where a student does contact an External Examiner directly, External Examiners have been requested not to respond to direct queries. Instead, External Examiners should report the matter to their School contact who will then contact the student to remind them of the other methods available for students. If students have any queries concerning this, they should contact the Assessment & Progression Team.

9.  Student Privacy Notice

The University of Manchester needs to collect, maintain and use personal data relating to you to allow us to process your application for study, register you as a student, to administer your course and to provide facilities during your time as a student. We will also use your data to keep in touch with you after you have graduated, and contact you to complete a graduate outcomes survey.

We share this data within the University in order to deliver a high standard of service to you, so it is important that you regularly check to see that we have up to date information about you in the Student System. We are occasionally required to share your information with external agencies who have need for it, such as the Higher Education Statistics Agency, or Student Loans Company. We may also ask other agencies for the information they have about you, in order to verify the personal details you provide.

Please read the full Privacy Notice - Registered Students here.

10.  Learning Resources

Library Facilities

The University of Manchester Library
The University of Manchester Library provides you with the resources and support you need throughout your programme. The Main Library houses all of the essential text books whilst the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons provides a 24/7 learning environment in addition to study skills workshops. The Library also has an extensive collection of eBooks, databases and journals available online.

The My Library tab in My Manchester has quick links to all of the Library’s resources and services available to students.

Getting Started
You will need your student card to access all library sites around campus. Many of our services and resources also require you to confirm that you are a registered student. This authentication can be your student card, the ID number on the card, your Library PIN, the central username and password you use to log on, or a combination of these.

Each course unit in Blackboard includes an online reading list, so you can quickly check availability and directly access e-books, digitised chapters and e-journals or articles.

The Main Library
The University Library has an extensive collection of printed books relevant to members of the Division of Dentistry. These are housed in the Main Library and the Stopford Library.

The main collection of books on dental topics, along with those for other health related subjects such as Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy, are located in Blue 2 of the Main Library.

The Main Library offers group study rooms, individual study space options and computer clusters. Wi-Fi is available throughout the building and a cafe lounge can be found on the ground floor. The Library has long opening hours and extends these during exam periods. Please check Locations and Opening Hours for full details on opening hours and facilities.

The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons
The Alan Gilbert Learning Commons is a state-of-the-art learning environment with 24/7 opening hours throughout term-time. The Learning Commons has flexible open learning spaces with multimedia facilities, computer clusters and 30 bookable group study rooms with whiteboards and media screens.

There is a series of training workshops covering a variety of academic and transferable skills hosted in the training room at the Learning Commons.  These workshops include training on revision/study skills, note-taking and other topics and have been developed by the Learning Commons staff in partnership with other teams across the University.  Full details of training sessions are available in the My Learning Essentials Calendar.

IT Services Support Centre online

Details of what IT support is available and how to access it can be found on the IT Services Support page.
Login to the Support Portal online to log a request, book an appointment for an IT visit, or search the Knowledge Base.
Telephone: +44 (0)161 306 5544 (or extension 65544).  Telephone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In person:  Walk-up help and support is available at the Joule Library, Main Library or Alan Gilbert Learning Commons:
Use Support Centre online for support with eLearning, from where you may make a request, or search the Knowledge Base.

For IT and eLearning support visit: https://handbooks.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/student/technical-support/

Blackboard
Blackboard, the University's 'virtual learning environment', will be used for online teaching.

What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is a web-based system that complements and builds upon traditional learning methods used at The University of Manchester. By using Blackboard you can

• view course materials and learning resources,
• communicate with lectures and other students,
• collaborate in groups,
• get feedback
• submit assignments
• monitoring your own progress at a time and place of your own convenience.

Training in the use of software
The Faculty eLearning team has produced an online induction package to help you understand our online services, software, and facilities. You can access this at https://elearning.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/student/study-support/online-induction/.

Centre for Academic and Researcher Development (CARD)

http://www.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/trainingteam/Default.aspx

The Centre for Academic and Researcher Development team creates an environment that supports you through every stage of your career, allowing you to excel and reach your full potential. They deliver face to face training programmes and continual online resources that are tailored to meet your needs.

Good Research Conduct

The University of Manchester’s Code of Good Research Conduct sets out our commitment to research integrity and our expectations of those who conduct research in our name.

General principles
This code is written to preserve the highest professional standards, while striving to maintain an environment that values creativity and flexibility.

• All work must be carried out in accordance with the highest standards of scientific practice.
• Policies on safeguarding good scientific practice are available from the BBSRC

Recording, Storing and Archiving
Research Data/Materials
As leader of a research project, you are responsible for ensuring that there are clear protocols for the collection, recording, storage and archiving of research data/materials generated as part of your project. These protocols should fit within any professional guidance available, guidance from funding bodies, your school and the University’s Code of Good Research Conduct.

Health and Safety
It is your responsibility to ensure that the research staff and students for whom you have responsibility are provided with an environment that is safe and healthy and all research is conducted within the requirements of health and safety legislation:

• That necessary risk assessments have been undertaken (Never assume that because your research is not lab-based or using hazardous substances that it would not require a risk assessment).
• That staff are adequately informed, trained and monitored regarding safe practices to ensure they do not endanger themselves, others or the environment.
• That your research complies with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations as appropriate.

11. Useful Links

Academic Support Policies

A full list of University Policies and documents
Academic Appeals (Regulation XIX)
Academic Malpractice: Procedure for the Handling of Cases
Basic Guide to Student Complaints
Conduct and Discipline of Students (Regulations XVII)
General University information on the Conduct and Discipline of Students
Faculty policies for students on Communication and Dress Code, Social Networking and Drugs & Alcohol
Information on Academic Malpractice and how to avoid it
Data Protection
Guidance for the Presentation of Taught Masters Dissertations
Guidance to Students on Plagiarism and Other Forms of Academic Malpractice
Policy on Submission of Work for Summative Assessment on Taught Programmes
Policy on Mitigating Circumstances
Mitigating Circumstances Guidance for Students
PGT Degree Regulations
Policy on Feedback to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Students
Student Complaints Procedure
Student Charter
Work and Attendance of Students (Regulation XX)

Student Support
A-Z of Student Services
Accommodation
Blackboard via My Manchester
Careers Service
Counselling Service
Disability Advisory and Support Service
University Language Centre – Study English - Tel: 0161 306 3397
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for Staff and Students
Health & Fitness
Health & Safety Policy
International Advice Team
IT and eLearning Support
Mature Students Guide
Occupational Health Services for Students
Personal Development Planning
A Personal Safety Guide for International Students
Students Union