Year 1 frequently asked questions
| What should I expect of my tutor? |
You were given a personal tutor (PT) on joining the medical school. You should always remember that the PTs are all volunteers. They get nothing more out of doing the job than the pleasure of getting to know their tutees and being of help to students in times of difficulties. The PT is your first line of approach if you are in trouble in any way and need help. To facilitate this you are expected to see your personal tutor at least once a term in the first two years, as a matter of course, to discuss how you are faring at the medical school and, if necessary, to help out. It is important that you are pro-active in organising these meetings with your tutor (don't just wait to be contacted by them). You are also expected to see your personal tutor if you fail any exam, not so much to help with the academic side of this (you will be told of academic tutors elsewhere) but rather to investigate whether there are personal problems that might have been, at least partly, responsible for the failure and attempt to put them to rights. |
The PT should also be available in the event that you fail an exam twice and are likely to be asked to leave the school and if you decide to make an appeal against such a decision. |
It is hoped that your PT:tutee meetings will be frequent enough that you become familiar with the PT and feel easily able to confide in him/her. If you feel that s/he is not doing the job properly, or you do not get on, it is possible to change to a new one by contacting the relevant Senior Tutor. |
| What are my responsibilities with respect to my personal tutor? |
| The first thing to remember is that the personal tutors (PTs) are all volunteers. They get nothing for doing the job except the pleasure of getting to know some of our students and helping them out in times of difficulty. If you treat yours badly s/he may not volunteer again and that will be a sad loss to the School. |
| So your prime responsibility is for you to contact your personal tutor to arrange regular meetings and to respond to any communication from your PT in a timely manner. If s/he requests a meeting then be sure to turn up. If this is impossible, apologise and explain before the meeting and try to arrange another. Just as we expect the PTs to see their tutees once a term in the first two years, equally we expect the tutees to turn up. The reasons are obvious – if you need a reference you should get it from your PT but s/he cannot write one if you have never met. Then again you may need your PT to talk for you if you have failed exams and are asked to withdraw – how can s/he do that if you have never met? This is pointed particularly at the first year students. We hope that that message has already struck home for the students later in the course. |
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| What is the significance of the Criminal Records Bureau check? |
| The Disclosure service offers organisations a means of checking the background of anyone to ensure that they do not have a history that would make them unsuitable to work in a healthcare environment. A Disclosure will provide details of a person’s criminal record including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held by the Police National Computer (PNC), details from lists held by the Department of Health (DH) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) of those considered unsuitable to work with children or vulnerable adults, and information held by local police forces. |
The medical school is legally obliged to perform a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check using this service on all of our students. Students entering the course are required to complete an enhanced CRB disclosure and students in subsequent years of the course are required to self declare – specifically before they enter Year 5 of the course. |
In the event of a positive outcome from the Disclosure check, the information will be passed to the Faculty of Medicine, Student Progress Group (undergraduate) which has the duty to consider what action to be taken, if any. In reaching their decision they will consider any or all of the following: |
- whether the criminal record or other matter revealed is relevant to the programme on offer (including any secondments or placements); |
- the seriousness, frequency and pattern of any offences; |
- whether the offences involve violence or threats of violence; |
- whether the circumstances surrounding the offences were unique; |
-whether the student’s circumstances have now changed; and
- what evidence the student produces to support the view that s/he is unlikely to offend again.
Where it is considered that the record: (a) poses a real threat to the safety or property of staff, students, visitors, patients in the Trusts with whom we work and those coming into contact with the student during their studies; or (b) would be contrary to the law or to the requirements of any relevant professional or other regulatory body, the case may be forwarded to a Fitness to Practise Panel within the College. The outcome could lead to the student being required to withdraw from the course. |
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| Should I accept a police caution? |
| During the course of your professional career you will repeatedly be required to undergo an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure. Police cautions or convictions are disclosed by this process and a recommendation to accept a caution following an offence should never be accepted without legal advice from a legal source cognisant of the implications of such a caution for a doctor. |
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| What does it mean to be Fit to Practise? |
| 'Students must note that conduct of a nature which would be inappropriate in a member of some professions could require additional disciplinary action. In particular students of the Faculty of Medicine must note that conduct which would be improper in the case of a member of the medical profession could constitute a disciplinary offence which will be considered under these procedures. Additionally, students whose course of study leads to provisional registration as doctors and whose conduct falls to be considered under these procedures may also fall to be considered under the College’s Procedure for the Assessment of Fitness to Practise Medicine.' - Imperial's Fitness to Practise policy |
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| I have a disability, who do I talk to about getting assistance? |
| Disabilities Officer |
the relevant senior tutor |
Mrs Mary Bown |
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020 7594 8935 |
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| Nadia Aref-Adib |
Nadia Aref-Adib is the Library's Disability Liaison Officer at South Kensington and is responsible for providing services to students with disabilities across the campuses. The libraries offer a range of services to students with disabilities such as longer book loans, assistive technology and book fetching services. |
| Tel: 020 7594 8820 |
More information |
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| I have difficulty contacting my personal tutor, what do I do? |
| If you have any difficulties contacting your personal tutor (PT) or if you discover that your PT has left the medical school you should contact feo.welfare@imperial.ac.uk or the relevant senior tutor. |
| If you have concerns about the support you are receiving from your PT or you are unhappy with the tutor to whom you have been allocated you should discuss the matter with the relevant senior tutor. |
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| How do I raise concern? [Word] |
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| I have been ill/had serious family troubles/had serious problems and the exams are coming, what should I do? |
| Where students have achieved a borderline fail in an exam, the examiners may consider mitigating circumstances. Students who consider there are personal circumstances beyond their control (e.g. illness, family troubles etc) which may affect their preparation for and/or performance in the examination and who wish the examiners to be aware of the circumstances, must communicate these to the Faculty Education Office via email to feo.mitcircs, using the form [Word]. Applications must be sent from your Imperial account only, i.e. submissions made by hotmail will not be accepted. Any such applications must be supported by the student’s personal tutor or the relevant senior tutor, and be accompanied by relevant medical certificates. Students should ensure that any such submissions are received as soon as possible. It is strongly suggested that any student wishing to take advantage of this system should discuss their submission with their personal tutor or the relevant senior tutor before making the submission. |
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I have been asked to withdraw from the course, can I appeal? |
All students required to withdraw have the right of appeal through the Academic Registrar to an Appeal Committee of the College Senate. The right of appeal relates only to the withdrawal decision and not to the results of any examination or academic assessment on which the decision may be based. What is involved in mounting an appeal? |
| NB The students mounting an appeal are unlikely to be successful unless they can prove that they have been unfairly treated or that they have mitigating circumstances not previously revealed. They can still ask for advice and assistance from appropriate members of the College, e.g. the ICSM Students’ Union, personal tutor, the relevant senior tutor etc. At the appeal hearing itself the student has the right to be accompanied by one other person, usually a member of the ICSM Students’ Union or a personal tutor. The role of the accompanying person should be to assist the student present the facts of the case not to present opinion. |
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| I have serious financial problems, where can I get help? |
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The Government provides Higher Education institutions with the Access to Learning Fund (ALF) to provide discretionary financial help for both full and part time undergraduate and postgraduate students. The College uses ALF to assist students who need additional support, whether because they have higher than expected costs, or unexpected difficulties. Priority is typically given to mature students, students from low-income families, students with dependents (especially lone parents), disabled students, care leavers, final year students, and part-time students.
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The College hardship fund helps European and overseas students who are experiencing financial hardship.
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There is a School hardship fund. It is not very large and cannot compete with the two mentioned above. It has, however, one great advantage which is the speed with which it can be mobilised. Its main use therefore is for emergency funding of students who need a relatively small sum in a hurry. Anyone in this situation should contact the Head of Pastoral Care who administers this fund.
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There is an additional hardship fund for which the benefactor has stipulated how the money should be utilised. The conditions are: "For contribution towards funding a student who has had to leave his/her country for political reasons and now find themselves in financial hardship". Furthermore, the donor wishes to emphasise the altruistic nature of the gifts awarded to successful applicants and hopes that they will contribute similarly in the future to the funding of someone else in a hardship situation. The senior tutors will be happy to discuss potential applications with any student.
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| NB All four of these funds are only to assist students with serious financial difficulties or students with disabilities. Therefore, there is a searching investigation of the student’s financial situation before any funding is made. They should not be approached flippantly. If you are uncertain as to whether it is worth your approaching the Funds you should discuss it first with the relevant senior tutor. |
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| I need legal advice, where can I go to get it cheaply? |
The College Union Adviser, (ext: 48067 or email: advice@imperial.ac.uk) is the obvious first line of approach. Much advice is available there and it is free. Where the questions need more detailed consideration he has access to legal groups who offer free advice, in the first instance, to students with legal problems. Of course, the old chestnut of the Citizen’s Advice Bureau still works well. The nearest ones are: |
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| I have visa problems, where can I get advice? |
| The International Office in Room 164, Level 1 Sherfield Building, (020 759 48040) will give advice on all aspects of immigration and visas (Opening hours: 10 am to 5 pm) - Further information |
How will the new points based system affect me? |
If you are a visa holder you will be required to follow the new system introduced by the Home Office - Further information |
| I need to talk to someone about my problem, who can I approach? |
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| These are all medical school employees- if you want to talk to someone outside the medical school you can try the contacts below: |
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