Student feedback on professional experience placements.

Abstract

As part of the Professional Experience Programme in the School of Health Information Management (HIM), at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, students undertake a block of professional experience in the intersemester recess. Students were invited to provide feedback to the School on their experience via a post-placement tutorial discussion with the Professional Experience Coordinator. In addition, written feedback was obtained from HIM II and HIM III students via a questionnaire. The aim of the questionnaire was to obtain student perceptions of the value of the placements as a learning experience, the role of the supervisor, the best aspects of the placement, and ways in which the placement could have been better. The results indicate that over 78% of respondents felt that the placement was an excellent or useful learning experience. No student felt the experience to be fair or poor. Student feedback provides the School with valuable information which can be used for planning and organising future placements. By aiming to continually improve the quality of professional experience we aim to improve the quality of our graduates as beginning practitioners.