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Programs, placements and internships
Gain industry and clinical experience with leaders in healthcare
We offer a range of programs designed to support prospective and current students and help optimise their learning experiences and hands-on skills in medicine and health.
Clinical placements and internships
Placements and internships give students the opportunity to contribute to an organisation and make connections with healthcare professionals in your field. Develop your knowledge and skills in practical contexts and create a pathway for your future career.
Research elective placements
The Sydney Dental School has opportunities for prospective students who are currently enrolled in a relevant degree in dentistry, within Australia or overseas, to undertake a research-based elective.
Download the research-based elective application form (pdf, 59KB) for further details. Applications should be submitted at least four months prior to the commencement of the elective directly.
For further information email Dr Robyn Watson (robyn.watson@sydney.edu.au).
Embedded placements
Health sciences students complete a number of work placements as part of their course requirements. This allows them to gain professional skills relevant to their discipline, gain exposure to interprofessional learning, and to develop clinical reasoning and work readiness skills.
Placements are arranged by negotiation between staff of the respective academic unit acting as Clinical Educator Coordinators and the staff of the individual placement setting.
For more information about placement opportunities, please visit our placements page.
Indigenous community placements
We offer an Indigenous community placement program available as an elective for senior undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students. This is a four-week community fieldwork project, in which students work with a non-profit community service organisation in Aboriginal health, disability or community services.
Elective term opportunities
The Sydney Medical School offers elective placements for any final year Doctor of Medicine student across Australia for a minimum of three weeks and a maximum of 12 weeks.
For more information on fees and how to apply, contact participating clinical schools:
- Central Clinical School
- Concord Clinical School
- Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School
- Nepean Clinical School
- Northern Clinical School
- Westmead Clinical School
Rural placements
Rural placements in medicine allow students to see and experience a range of clinical problems that aren't present in metropolitan settings. Students can attend a placement for up to one year of their medical degree at one of the following rural clinical schools:
- School of Rural Health (Dubbo/Orange)
- The Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health
- The University Centre for Rural Health
Scholarships are available for rural medicine students through the NSW Rural Doctors Network and the Rural Australia Medical Undergraduate Scholarship (RAMUS).
Internships
Following successful completion of the Doctor of Medicine (MD), graduates complete a 12-month internship program primarily in major public teaching hospitals. On successful completion of this internship, junior doctors are eligible to receive full registration with the State Medical Board or Council.
Internships are provided and managed by state health departments:
- Health Education and Training Institute
- Commonwealth Medical internships (Department of Health)
The pre-registration courses at Sydney Nursing School require students to complete more than 860 clinical hours during your degree. Clinical placement sites include private and public hospitals, mental health services, community health centres and schools.
Rural and remote placements
Nursing students are also expected to undertake some clinical placements in rural or remote areas including, Broken Hill, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo and Aboriginal Medical Services.
NSW Air Ambulance placements
A unique opportunity to fly with the NSW Air Ambulance (fixed wing) based at the Sydney Domestic airport. The team at NSW Air Ambulance flies across the state dealing with a mixture of patient transport, emergency and paediatric cases.
Justice Health placements
Sydney Nursing School has secured a number of placements at a range of locations such as Long Bay Hospital, Grafton and Emu Plains. Students have the opportunity to deal with a large patient base from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.
Pharmacy placements will familiarise students with their future professional roles to appreciate the working environment and to develop their own professional skills and behaviours.
Placements
Students undertake a fieldwork placement in community pharmacy early in their degree to give them an immediate insight into the profession.
Both undergraduate and postgraduate students complete several two-week block placements across their degree to consolidate learning and experience different workplaces.
Internships
To become a registered pharmacist graduates need to complete 1824 hours of supervised practical training with the Pharmacy Board of Australia.
High achieving Master of Public Health and Master of Global Health students can undertake a six-week placement. Placements can be undertaken in organisations such as NSW Department of Health Public Health Units or Health Promotion Units, government supported agencies such as the Sax Institute and Family Planning NSW, and non-government organisations such as NSW Cancer Council or advocacy groups.
Support programs
The Accelerate Communication Excellence (ACE) program is an online platform designed to develop the professional communication competence of first-year students ahead of their first clinical placement. This program is open to all first-year Sydney School of Health Sciences undergraduate and graduate entry master's students.
Watch a video to find out how ACE has helped our students ahead of their first clinical placement.
The Gadigal Program assists students with entry into university and offers academic and social support from admission through to graduation – including pastoral care, advocacy support, mentors and tutorial assistance.
This program is offered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school leavers or mature-age applicants who are over 21 years.
The Sydney Nursing School offers the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse program to students enrolled in any nursing degree. The program provides a supportive environment where students are encouraged to help one another reach a common goal – to complete their degrees and become eligible to apply for registration as nurses.
Email the program team members to find out more:
- Tonia Crawford (tonia.crawford@sydney.edu.au)
- Fung Kuen (Tebbin) Koo (fung.koo@sydney.edu.au)
The Sydney School of Health Sciences is committed to giving our graduates the best possible start in the employment market through systematically providing leadership development opportunities for all undergraduate and graduate entry master's students.
We do this through integrated Leadership Development programs, which help develop future industry leaders to improve health outcomes in Australia and around the world.
Belong@FHS
Belong@FHS is the Sydney School of Health Sciences peer-mentoring program for undergraduate students. It combines advice sessions and social events to make sure that all our students get the most out of their degrees. First year students get the support of senior students and senior students develop leadership skills and can be mentored by alumni.
Contact: belong.fhs@sydney.edu.au.
Sydney Health Leaders
The Sydney Health Leaders Program supports the development of future leaders, by providing opportunities for students who become involved in activities of the school and wider university to gain recognition of their involvement.
Contact: fhs.sydneyhealthleaders@sydney.edu.au.
Leadership Mentoring Program
The Leadership Mentoring Program gives students in their final year of study who have leadership aspirations and potential the opportunity to receive mentoring from leaders in the private or public sector.
Contact: fhs.mentoring@sydney.edu.au
Alumni mentoring program
The Health Sciences Mentoring Program connects final year domestic and international students with experienced alumni working in allied health with Australia and abroad, who can provide students with the knowledge, tools and support to prepare for the workforce.
Contact: alumni.healthsciences@sydney.edu.au
The Sydney Pharmacy School offers an intern training program to Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice students. The program involves face-to-face seminars, online discussions and workplace projects.
The structured program aims to ensure students are prepared for their internship and meet the necessary requirements to attain general registration as a pharmacist.
Wingara Mura – Bunga Barrabugu translates to "a thinking path – to make tomorrow" in the Cadigal language and has programs that are offered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students.
The summer program allows year 10, 11 and 12 students to stay on-campus and meet current University students who also took part in the program. The program will equip you with useful skills to help you during your final years at school and allow you to explore your career and study options.
The winter program is by invitation only and is a week-long intensive workshop that helps year 12 students prepare for their end of school exams.
Offered for the first time in 2019, the Sydney Pharmacy Leaders Program aims to develop students as influential global citizens and leaders. The program is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate coursework pharmacy students. It will complement, but be separate from, the training they receive from their degree.
All students in the program will complete leadership training through an online unit of study, two seminars and a course. Students can also choose from a broad range of activities – from attending conferences and participating in research projects to volunteering in our community, visiting schools or representing their peers on student or school committees.
Find out more: pharmacy.bpharm@sydney.edu.au