First and foremost this is a scientific project and writing requires to be in that style. For structure there is a structure of background - methods - results and discussion / conclusions. Try to be objective about what is already known and give references, think about what your results or data are saying and how this should be fairly interpreted in the context of what is already known on the topic. It may be that you can only pilot an idea and conclude more work along these lines are necessary.
In content and style it should be possible for anyone to repeat your project exactly from the information in your methods and it should be clear what you did, and what you found to someone who is a peer or doctor not familiar with the topic or area. It is likely that your marker/s will not be from the specialised area you are talking about so abbreviations and techniques whether lab based or survey need to be explained.
To help you ensure you can submit your report by the deadlines stated below we would advise the following timeline in undertaking your project. It is expected that the Report will be written during the 8 weeks of the block. Sections can be written as the work progresses. As it may not be possible to print copies until back in Aberdeen, the deadline for submitting reports is a few days after the end of the block but you must not leave the entire write up until then.
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Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3 |
Week 4 |
Week 5 |
Week 6 |
Week 7 |
Week 8 |
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travel and Hospital familiarisation |
Main data collection period |
Analysis of data |
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Draft data collection form - test |
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Other clinical experience as appropriate |
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travel |
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Complete literature search |
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Write-up literature review and methods |
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Write-up results and discussion |
Complete report (conclusion and summary) |
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As for references the university plagiarism information is found at this link and as reports are put through turnitin you can avoid getting a high score and creating problems by following this advice.
There is no set rule for how long a project should be and this will depend on how much data you have to report. Usually we see about 30-50 pages with figures and references and examples of questionnaires etc can appear as appendices at the end.
The University is now encouraging anonymous marking with the intention of avoiding bias and we need to follow this recommendation. However, the elective report is a very personal experience and nice to keep and if you want to include photographs of yourself and local team or what you got up to this is up to your choice and will not be a problem. However, please put your ID number on the front page rather than your name. If your name is included the report will still be marked and you will still need to submit a signed plagiarism cover sheet.
Performing a project is an essential part of the elective and something you have to do at some stage as a medical student. Refer to the elective handbook and website and be aware that the definition of a project is wide and includes clinical audit, case series and review and qualitative research. We can give advise if you are uncertain, but it should be possible to plan an elective that is what you want and be imaginative. A clinical observation/attachment is not enough but when you engage in addressing a particular question and studying an aspect of medicine investigating a topic then you are getting into the right territory to design a project.