Resources
What actually makes a placement go smoothly
Six things that reliably shorten a placement, based on where they usually get stuck. Practical, specific, and free.
Start with these five documents
Nearly every placement needs the same core set. Having them ready turns paperwork from a three-week stage into a three-day one.
Typical core documents
Document 1: Background check
The most common bottleneck. Turnaround is outside anyone's control, so start it first.
Document 2: Immunisation records
Full history including titers where your site requires them, not just a summary card.
Document 3: Current CPR certification
Check the expiry against your rotation end date, not against today.
Document 4: Liability insurance evidence
Either your own policy or your programme's, whichever your site accepts.
Document 5: Clinical objectives
Your course's stated objectives — these decide whether a site is appropriate.
This is the set that comes up most often, not a complete list. Your school, your clinical site, and your specialty may each require more — your exact checklist is generated once a placement is matched.
Six things worth knowing before you start
Each of these corresponds to a stage where placements actually stall.
Start earlier than you think you need to
Between matching, mutual acceptance, paperwork, school approval, and site onboarding, a placement realistically takes weeks rather than days.
Why it mattersBackground checks and immunisation records are the usual bottleneck, and neither can be rushed. A rotation starting in under a month means an urgency surcharge and a tighter paperwork window.
Get your documents together before you search
Almost every placement needs the same core set.
Why it mattersImmunisation records, a background check, current CPR certification, liability insurance evidence, and your programme's clinical objectives. Having them ready turns paperwork from a three-week stage into a three-day one.
Read your programme's placement policy first
Programmes differ sharply.
Why it mattersSome place students centrally and forbid outside arrangements, some allow self-sourced preceptors with approval, and some require specific paperwork or site agreements. Knowing which applies before you spend money is the single most useful thing you can do.
Understand what school approval actually checks
Reviewers confirm that the preceptor's credentials match what your programme accepts, that the site suits your course objectives, and that the required agreements are in place.
Why it mattersMost revision requests are about missing documentation rather than the placement itself.
Be honest about your travel radius
The radius you set is the radius we match against.
Why it mattersSetting it wide to see more options and then declining everything beyond 20 minutes wastes your time and a preceptor's. A slightly longer commute is often the difference between placed and unplaced.
Know what happens if it falls through
Placements do fail — a preceptor's circumstances change, a school denies a site, a practice closes.
Why it mattersKnow before you start which situations are refundable and which are not. Ours are published on the pricing page rather than decided case by case.
What we are not
Not clinical or academic advice
We coordinate placements. Your faculty decides what satisfies your programme, and your preceptor supervises your practice. Where this guidance conflicts with your programme’s handbook, your handbook wins.
For how placements work on this platform specifically, see how it works, or what it costs.
Common questions
How far ahead should I start looking?
As a rule of thumb, one to two academic terms ahead for primary care and longer for acute care, neonatal, or paediatric rotations, which depend on sites with specific acuity and heavier onboarding.
What documents will I definitely need?
Immunisation records, a background check, current CPR certification, liability insurance evidence, and your programme's clinical objectives, plus whatever your specific site requires. Your exact checklist is generated once a placement is matched.
Do you offer clinical or academic advice?
No. We coordinate placements. Questions about whether a rotation meets your programme's requirements belong to your faculty, and clinical questions belong to your preceptor.
What is the single most common reason a placement stalls?
Missing documentation, by a wide margin — usually a background check that was started late or an immunisation record that is incomplete rather than absent. That is why the checklist above is worth doing before you search rather than after you match.
Put it into practice
Describe your rotation and see where you actually stand for your dates and area.