The Programme takes place during the long vacation often referred to as the Third Trimester in UHAS for (8) weeks for all students and sixteen (16) weeks for SONAM Sandwich students. Students are posted to health facilities, institutions/industries and communities in the country for a hands-on experience of the nation's health delivery system.
• It’s compulsory for all undergraduate students.
• Vocational Training Period forms part of the academic year.
• All students select facilities of their choice that meet the objectives of that level subject to the School VT Coordinator's approval referred to as - Guided self-placement.
• 4 credits for each phase of the Programme.
• Undergraduate students of the University must earn credits for the Programme, which qualifies them to progress to the next level.
• Monitoring and Evaluation take place and students are assessed for 20%.
• Students are supervised by trained Preceptors who sign and stamp their Log books.
• Provide feedback (submit logbooks, VT Manuals & assessment reports one week after they report to school for marking and grading).
The Programme is structured as follows (for 4-year degree programmes):
1. Year 1 - Observatory phase: to expose students to the health facility, institution/industry, community and the various activities that are undertaken daily. That is, to get students acquainted with the operations of a health facility, institution/industry, community
2. Students are supervised by trained Preceptors who sign and stamp their Log books.
3. Year 2 – Experiential phase: having been exposed in year one, students get directly involved in the operations of the facilities. They start using equipment and appreciate their roles in the health service delivery system. At this level, students will be expected to conceptualise research ideas.
4. Year 3 – Application phase: With the experience gathered in the previous years, students are given more room to practice the skills and experiences acquired over the period. Students may be expected to collect related field data for their dissertation at this stage. That eventually takes them to graduation in the fourth year and ready for the job market.
Note: The phases may differ depending on the student's Programme. The Programme extends beyond the three phases for programmes such as Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MB CHB) and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D).