Travel

Equipment and travel for placement

Your placement provider will typically provide you (at no cost) with protective garments for hygiene and infection control for use during the student placement.

Metropolitan placements refer to placements allocated within the ASGC1 area, which includes Geelong. Students sometimes opt for rural placements (if available) to reduce travel time. However, certain courses may require you to undertake both metropolitan and rural placements.

Placements are allocated as close as possible to your term address. In most cases, a 90-minute one-way travel time to the placement site is the maximum expected, considering travel by car or public transport. Exceptions apply only in extraordinary circumstances. The travel time is calculated from your term address (you are responsible for ensuring your address is accurate in The University of Melbourne’s internal systems). Estimates are based on average times from Google Maps, and placement providers strive to minimise travel time.

Special Circumstances:

  • Students with unique situations should communicate these explicitly to the Placement Academic staff at the beginning of each year.
  • If a student’s travel time exceeds the guidelines, they should first contact the Academic placement staff to rule out any system errors.
  • If no error exists and the student is already allocated to a placement, they can request a change in placement location through a special consideration process. Due to administrative complexities and equity considerations, this is typically the sole method for changing placements.

At times, your placement provider may reasonably require you to travel during the student placement in order to perform allocated tasks (for example, client home visits). In the event that this is required, travel arrangements will generally be made by the placement provider at no cost to you. In some cases however, you may be required to arrange travel at your own cost. You should contact your course coordinator if you believe such a request is unreasonable or not possible based on your personal circumstances.

Note that the above information does not apply to students enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine. For information on the process for allocation to clinical school regions and primary clinical schools in the Doctor of Medicine refer to: Clinical-School-Region-and-Site-Allocation-Procedure.pdf

Note: Just like employees, ordinary travel to or from your workplace/placement location is at your own cost.

Driving for placement

Many students will be required to drive either to attend their placement or as part of their placement duties. It's your responsibility to ensure you drive safely at all times, particularly if there are others with you in the vehicle. See VicRoads' Safe Driving Tips for more information.

Licencing

To drive in Victoria, you must hold an appropriate driver licence. If you are not licenced to drive in Victoria, notify your Placement Coordinator.  You can use your interstate or New Zealand driver licence for your first six months of living in Victoria.  After six months, you will need to get a Victorian licence.

International students on a temporary visa are permitted to drive in Victoria with an overseas driver licence for up to six months only. After six months has elapsed since your arrival in Victoria, you are unable to drive unless you have converted your overseas licence to a Victorian driver licence. For more information on overseas licences, visit the VicRoads website.

Using your own vehicle

If you are using your own vehicle to travel to, from, or as part of your placement, you must ensure it is appropriately registered and roadworthy at all times. You should also take out insurance to cover you in the event of an incident.

Some providers may require students to use their own vehicles to attend client or community visits. In these cases, you must check with your car insurer that your policy covers occasional business use, particularly if you are travelling between clients while on placement.

Should an accident occur while travelling for placement, you may be able to make a claim under the University's personal accident insurance for any injury you sustain, but no insurance is provided for your vehicle or any other vehicle involved in the incident. The University does not accept liability for incidents arising from the use of private vehicles.

Rural driving

Many students have limited experience driving outside of metropolitan centres and most student driving incidents occur in rural areas. When you're travelling for a regional or rural placement, there are additional hazards you need to be prepared for. These include:

  • Fatigue and distraction when travelling longer distances
  • Unmarked, unsealed or poorly maintained roads
  • Fog, ice, dust and heavy winds
  • Windy roads and fallen branches
  • Freight and agricultural vehicles
  • Livestock and wildlife, including cows, sheep, kangaroos and wombats.