Medical science professional student placements

This specialised degree covers areas such as biochemistry, biotechnology, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience and more. It provides exciting options for students interested in a wide range of careers in the medical and health sciences, and emphasises the fundamental sciences that underpin virtually all fields of medical science.

BMS | Professional Placement in Medical Science: MDSC3102

As part of the Bachelor of Medical Science course, the professional placement medical science topic aims to provide students with work experience in medical science through participation in project-based laboratory work, and to cover the key elements of work practice necessary for the development of successful careers in medical science.

BMS (Honours) | Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours): MMED7004

Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) allows students to extend their undergraduate career by demonstrating their ability to work in a research environment. In particular, the Honours year provides experience in research design, critical analysis of information, data management and theory generation using both qualitative and quantitative methods.

BMS (Lab Med) | Professional Practice in Medical Science: MMED4013 & 4014

The Bachelor of Medical Science (Laboratory Medicine) includes 2 x 12-week full-time Professional Practice component which meets requirements as specified in the SA Health Allied Health Professional Credentials, including Access Appointments Policy Directive, for the SA Pathology credentialing process.

MDSC3102 Pre-Placement Compliance Checklist

MMED7004 Pre-Placement Compliance Checklist

MMED4013&4014 Pre-Placement Compliance Checklist

Pre-requisites for placement

Compliance requirements for placement eligibility

Essential compliance for all students

Activity	What you need to do	Form / more information	Submit to
Fitness for placement declaration	Declare your fitness for placement by reading and acknowledging the Fitness for Placement statement on InPlace. Let the University know if you have an access plan.	N/A	InPlace
Student consent for placement	Read and acknowledge the relevant essential conditions around student consent for placement using the applicable form. (Please note: if you are required to undertake multiple placements during your degree, you may be required to read both student consent documents, check with your WIL Support Team if you are unsure.)	Placements undertaken outside Flinders University - Student Consent for Placement Statement (PDF) OR Placements undertaken within Flinders University ONLY - Student Consent for Internal WIL Placement with Flinders University Statement (PDF)	InPlace
Intellectual property for placement	Watch the student IP declaration, then acknowledge your understanding in InPlace. Watch the IP counselling video.	Student Intellectual Property Statement (PDF)	InPlace
Emergency Contact	Confirm your emergency contact details are up to date in the Student Information System.		Student System
Student Declaration for Placement	Read and acknowledge the Student Declaration for Placement. If you agree with it, you will be eligible for placement.	Student Declaration for Placement (PDF)	InPlace
Police Check	You will need to provide a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC).	Police Check detailed information	InPlace

Upload all required documents via InPlace.

Detailed Compliance information for Laboratory Medicine placements

Immunisation and vaccinations

Valid indefinitely.

The Immunisation Compliance Certificate sets out the immunisation requirements for students and identifies acceptable evidence of immunity for each disease. The Immunisation Compliance Certificate must be completed by an immunisation provider, this can include General Practitioners (GPs) or Registered Nurses (RNs).

Students are responsible for:

Understanding the immunisation requirements.
Ensuring the immunisation provider completes the Immunisation Compliance Certificate correctly.
Ensuring the immunisation provider provides the student with evidence of immunity, including vaccination records and blood test results (serology).

Completing the Immunisation Compliance Certificate may require several appointments with an immunisation provider. The schedule of appointments will vary depending upon previous vaccination history and the availability of medical records. A typical appointment schedule may include:

First appointment
- Review vaccination history
- Request blood test to determine immunity
Follow-up appointments
- Administer vaccinations according to schedule
- Blood test to determine immunity post-vaccination (required for Hepatitis B)

Who can complete the Immunisation Compliance Certificate?

The Immunisation Compliance Certificate must be completed by an immunisation provider in Australia. This can include General Practitioners (GPs) and Registered Nurses (RNs). Students are encouraged to utilise the Flinders University Health, Counselling and Disability service.

Do I have to be fully compliant with the immunisation requirements to attend placement?

Some students may find that they are unable to complete the immunisation requirements before their first (and sometimes second) placement. In such cases, students can be deemed provisionally compliant and allowed to attend placement if they meet the following criteria:

All other pre-placement requirements are met, AND
At least one vaccine dose has been given (or immunity confirmed by blood test) for all vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs), AND
The student is not overdue for vaccines and/or blood tests

Can Hepatitis B immunity be confirmed by vaccination record?

No. Immunity to Hepatitis B must be confirmed by blood test. For students undergoing a course of vaccinations, the blood test is to be completed 4-6 weeks after the final (3rd) dose of the vaccine.

I have been vaccinated against Poliomyelitis but do not have a record of this. What can I do?

If a student is confident of their previous vaccination against Poliomyelitis, the Poliomyelitis Statutory Declaration (PDF) can be completed and will be accepted as evidence of immunity. Students that are unsure of their vaccination history should complete a course of vaccinations.

What happens if I can’t be fully vaccinated/immunised?

There are several reasons why a student may not be able to fulfil the immunisation requirements:

Hepatitis B carrier: In cases where serology confirms Hepatitis B infection, students must provide evidence of this. Students that carry the Hepatitis B infection are able to attend placement, but will be limited in the types of care settings in which they can work.
Hepatitis B non-responder: In cases where post-vaccination serology does not confirm immunity to Hepatitis B, a booster dose may be given followed by another blood test. If immunity is still not confirmed, students may provide documentation from their medical practitioner, and will be considered as having met the immunisation requirements.
Medical contraindication: Students with a medical contraindication to vaccination should follow the advice of their doctor. Once the Immunisation Compliance Certificate is completed to the extent possible, and a letter from the doctor is provided, students will be considered as having met the immunisation requirements.

Students who cannot be fully vaccinated/immunised for the above reasons will be required to meet with their placement education coordinator to discuss strategies for ensuring the safety of themselves and others while on placement.

Students who refuse to be screened or vaccinated, or who refuse to provide this information to the University, are not considered as having met the immunisation requirements and will be refused a placement on this basis. Vaccination refusal will impact a student’s ability to complete their course; students that refuse vaccination are advised to meet with their course coordinator.

Do I need to provide evidence of flu vaccination?

Students are required to obtain an annual flu vaccination, and evidence of this may be required by your placement venue, so please carry the influenza vaccination certificate on your person.

Influenza vaccination certificate

Immunisation Compliance Certificate

Police Check (NCCHC)

Students must supply a valid Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) prior to the commencement of their placement.

Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC)

Valid for three years from date of issue

Commonly referred to as a Police Check, a National Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) is a document that lists all criminal convictions recorded against a person in the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) database. For more information visit the ACIC website.

Police Checks (NCCHCs) can be issued by:

State and Territory or
Private brokers that have been accredited by the ACIC

An acceptable Police Check (NCCHC) must meet the following requirements:

The following information is provided to assist you complete an application form for your Police Check:
Reason for Check – University Student Placement
Proposed Place of Work – Health/Aged Care Sector
Location – Adelaide, South Australia

Please note – if you are completing a Police Check for a Northern Territory placement, please follow the instruction provided by Flinders NT or your discipline specific checklist. In the absence of this advice, follow the above instructions to complete the application form.

Students are responsible for the cost of obtaining their Police Check (NCCHC).

Students completing placements in South Australia may choose to apply for a Police Check (NCCHC) directly through their local police, or through a commercial broker. If a Police Check (NCCHC) is required urgently (e.g. sooner than 4 – 5 weeks) then it is advisable to apply online through an accredited broker that offers fast turnaround.

Police Check (NCCHC) providers:

South Australia Police (SAPOL) - We strongly recommend you use the SAPOL Police Check as this the most accepted document.
Third party providers are https://flinders.checked.com.au and www.cvcheck.com.
State clearances are most widely accepted across organisations and interstate, third party provided clearances may not be accepted by host organisations outside of the control of the University.

Please note that Flinders University does not endorse these providers and cannot guarantee their turnaround times.

What happens if there are offences listed on my Police Check?

Students with criminal convictions should to refer to the SA Health Criminal and Relevant History Screening Policy Directive. Students with serious criminal convictions may be precluded from placement. Students with criminal convictions are advised to meet with their course coordinator to discuss their ability to satisfy the requirements of their placement topic.

Will you accept a Teachers Registration Board (TRB) Registration Certificate?

No. The Teachers Registration Board (TRB) undertakes a Police Check (Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check) as part of the registration process, however, no outcomes are listed on the registration certificate. You are required to obtain a separate Police Check (NCCHC).

How can I obtain a replacement Police Check?

Replacement Police Checks (NCCHCs) can sometimes be obtained by contacting the organisation that issued the original certificate. In many cases, students who have lost their Police Check (NCCHC) will need to apply for a new one.

NT Health placements and the National Police Certificate

In accordance with the Northern Territory government guidelines for clinical placements within NT Health, only National Police Certificates (NPCs) provided by police services in Australian states or territories will be accepted. NPCs issued by 3rd party providers are not accepted.

International Police Check (IPC)

An International Police Check (IPC) is required by students if in the last 10 years they have lived in a country other than Australia, for more than 1 year since turning 18 years of age.

Fit2Work is an accepted provider of an IPC or you may already have an IPC and can upload this as evidence on InPlace.

Department of Human Services (DHS) clearances

These clearances are valid for three years from date of issue (unless revoked prior), except Working with Children Check which has an expiry of five years.

There are four types of screening offered by the DHS; Aged-Care Sector, Working With Children Check (WWCC), Vulnerable Person employment, and Disability Services employment. Refer to the pre-placement compliance checklist to determine which screenings you require.

Formerly known as Department of Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI) clearances, DHS clearances are state-based clearances used that are used to determine suitability for employment within specific care sectors in South Australia.

Note: Working With Children Checks issued prior to 1 July 2019 are known as Child-Related Employment Screenings.

Obtaining DHS clearances

WIL team will initiate your application with DHS.
Await application email – It may take 5 – 10 business days to receive an email from the DHS Screening Unit. Be advised that the email may be sent to your junk/clutter folder.
Activate and complete application – Once the activation email is received, follow the links to log into the DHS Screening portal and complete the application. Students are responsible for paying the application fee.
Complete ID Verification – There are three options for completing the ID verification:
- Verify online – Recommended for students with Australian ID documents.
- Requesting organisation – Recommended for students that cannot complete online verification. Students selecting this option will need to bring 100 points of ID (eg student ID and passport) to the CMPH college office, FMC level 5 or the CNHS college office in Sturt N101.
- Print and seek verification – Not recommended. Students selecting this option must have their ID verified by a Justice of the Peace and post the application to DHS.

Existing clearances can be renewed up to 6 months prior to expiry. It is recommended that clearances are renewed early to ensure there is no lapse in compliance.

View more information on the DHS website.

What is the difference between DHS clearances and the Police Check?

The Police Check is a printout of all disclosable criminal convictions as recorded by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC). DHS clearances involve additional probity checks and continuous monitoring. Both are required.

Preparing for placement

Uniform

You must be professionally attired and easily identified. Students can purchase a shirt and vest or jacket (optional) from Corporate Image; dark coloured pants (black or navy) can be of the student’s choice. For information about financial assistance for uniform purchase please contact FUSA.

Hand hygiene and other standards, including the ‘Bare Below the Elbow' guidelines, which reduce the risk of transmission of infections in hospitals are critical. You need to:

Clearly display your student ID card at all times.
- If lanyards are permitted by the placement venue, lanyards must comply with occupational health and safety requirements of that venue.
Wear hair secured above the shoulders; secured away from your face; ponytails should not hang below or touch shoulders, hair should be firmly secured with plain bands and clips. Beards should be neatly trimmed or fixed as close as possible to the skin with clips.
Remove bracelets, wristwatches, dangling earrings, necklaces and rings (ONLY exceptions - simple unadorned religious bands e.g. plain wedding ring or Kara bracelet which must be secured (taped) as high up the arm as possible). Bands/bracelets containing stones are not permitted.
Remove all nail polish (including clear).
Remove acrylic fingernails and nails should be trimmed and clean.
Wear a freshly laundered uniform, and clean shoes each day.
Shower and attend to personal hygiene before attending the laboratory or placement.