This page aims to provide advice for Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) students hoping to undertake paid employment whilst at Oxford, as well as general advice for partners also seeking employment. Specific information is provided for the position of Junior Dean and medical professionals hoping to work in the UK.
Disclaimer: Please note that the information provided on this page is based on the personal experience and opinions of the OUANZ committee who are students studying at the University of Oxford, and is not reflective of official policies of the University of Oxford. Though we have done our best, we do not guarantee that information provided is factually correct and you should clarify and confirm information with departmental and college staff as appropriate.
Paid Employment whilst studying
Working to support full-time study at Oxford is challenging: the University of Oxford discourages paid work of more than 20 hours per week for students (and some courses, such as the BCL, prohibit it entirely). It is not uncommon for graduate students to seek additional income through part-time or casual employment throughout term, but it is rare for undergraduate students at Oxford to be engaged in employment during term-time. It is more common for students to undertake paid work during the term breaks, which on a taught course masters can be up to 28 weeks throughout the year and is not restricted. More information about working whilst studying can be found here.
Many ANZ students will attend the University of Oxford on a Tier 4 Sponsored Student Visa. Government restrictions are in place to limit the amount of work that students on a Tier 4 Visa can undertake during term time, and is up to a maximum of 20 hours per week. Colleges and university departments are usually very strict about enforcing these rules.
It should be noted that wages in the UK are likely to be lower than what you may have previously expected in Australia or New Zealand. That said, many students do work part-time as tutors, lecturers, or consultants to supplement their income and find this a rewarding benefit of being a student. There are different ways in which jobs will be advertised: some tutoring jobs are “passed down” to junior DPhil students within a department or filled through word of mouth, whereas other jobs are advertised internally through email within a college. Larger roles are often advertised online on the college website and in the Oxford Gazette.
In particular, many DPhil students often seek lectureships or tutor undergraduate students. This is most commonly arranged through senior academic that you know at Oxford: either at your own college, or at the college or your supervisor or another academic in your department. It can be fruitful to be proactive about asking your supervisor (or other senior members in the department) whether there are any employment opportunities that may become available during your time at Oxford.
Being a Junior Dean
Many ANZ students hold Junior Dean roles at colleges across Oxford. Junior Dean’s are unique to Oxford and are principally responsible for the welfare and discipline of students, which depending on the college may include both undergraduate and graduate students. There are between 1-5 Junior Deans at each college who are graduate students that are rostered to be on-call overnight to enforce college rules, assist the Porters with ensuring the safety of students and respond to emergencies. The role is similar to the “Residential Dean” or “Residential Assistant” roles at university colleges in Australia and a Junior Dean will almost invariably live in college throughout the year. The Junior Dean is a conduit between the student and staff body at college and are usually afforded generous remuneration which can include: free (or discounted) accommodation in college, college meals, SCR membership and a modest stipend. Whilst this may sound lucrative, the decision to take on a Junior Dean role should not be made lightly: it can often be quite disruptive when taking into account the need to answer phone calls overnight and supervising the close of the college bar and shutting down BOPs (“big open parties”); as well as engaging in meetings at college, offering pastoral support to students and occasionally accompanying students to hospital overnight. Some colleges have sub-wardens/deans that undertake a role similar to the Junior Dean but at off-site accommodation.
The college will guide you in obtaining a DBS Check (Disclosure and Barring Service) which is ordered through the college. Students who work as a Junior Dean will also need to obtain a National Insurance Number and this can take weeks (or months) to organise so it is advisable that students do this as soon as possible. Historically it has been difficult for students on a Tier 4 Visa to secure a Junior Dean position because of the 20 hour per week work limit. Whilst all colleges view this differently, this no longer seems to be an issue recognising that whilst a Junior Dean will likely be on call for more than 20 hours throughout the week, it is unlikely that there will be more than 20 hours of work undertaken. Regardless, Junior Deans are encouraged to log the number of actual work hours that are undertaken whilst in the role.
These roles are highly competitive, however ANZ students often find success in securing a Junior Dean position. It is important to note that these roles are highly variable between colleges at Oxford. If you are interested in applying for a Junior Dean position, ensure that you check the Further Particulars for more information about the role and the expectations of college. Some colleges will offer accommodation throughout the year (whereas others will not) and at some colleges the Junior Dean is expected to remain on call over the summer period (whereas others are limited to term time). There are some colleges where discipline and welfare responsibilities are split between Junior Deans. If you are serious about considering a Junior Dean role, it is recommended that you contact a current (or a former) Junior Dean at the college who can help you understand the workload, culture and support provided. It can sometimes be helpful to speak to Junior Deans at other colleges who may have a sense of the role at the college you are interested in.
Securing a Junior Dean role is an effective way to minimise living costs and an opportunity to further engage with senior college officials and integrate into college. However, these roles are difficult to come by, and cannot be relied upon or built into a financial plan to reduce living costs. It is particularly uncommon for a student to be made Junior Dean of a college in their first year of study at Oxford, and most students are awarded Junior Dean roles once they have already been at Oxford for two or three years.
Some colleges will require the successful applicant to “migrate” to the prospective college, meaning that the student will move their academic affiliation and MCR membership to the college where they take up the role of Junior Dean. However, it is possible to apply to become the Junior Dean of another college (that is not your own) but still be a member of your existing college. This is an important consideration for some students who have funding tied to their college. Each college that is seeking a Junior Dean will either have a preference about college migration, which may influence your application, or no preference, and this should be discussed directly with the college.
Junior Dean roles become available throughout the year, and almost always commence at the start of one of the three academic terms. However across all of the Junior Dean positions at Oxford, there is usually a large turnover of positions at the start of Michaelmas Term each year. Applications to start in September (for the beginning of the academic year) are usually open between February-June each year, and the timeline will vary between colleges. These positions can be advertised internally to members of the college and are usually posted on the college website. Most colleges seeking a Junior Dean will advertise online with the Oxford Gazette (under “Colleges, Halls and Societies”) and it is worth regularly checking this site for positions as they are advertised throughout the year.
Partners at Oxford
Some partners who are not studying at Oxford may be interested in seeking employment. It is a requirement to have a National Insurance Number in order to work in the UK. It is best to apply for a NIN as soon as you arrive in Oxford as it can take a number of weeks (or months) to organise. Fortunately, most employers will allow you to commence employment if the process is underway.
Partner’s may be interested in working with a temp agency to find local work. Office Angels and the Temporary Staffing Service of Oxford have previously been helpful in securing employment. Signing up to the Newcomer’s Club mailing list is often a great way to find out about new job listings as they become available.
Working as a medical doctor in the UK
Some ANZ students and partners are medical doctors with general registration through AHPRA. Unfortunately, working as a doctor in the UK is not necessarily simple or straightforward and is regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC). There are a number of steps in the process of gaining medical registration and being able to work as a doctor in the UK. The rules for gaining registration are different, and normally more favourable, for Australian doctors who also hold a European or British passport. The following information should be used as a general guide for Australian medical doctors who hope to work in the UK with only an Australian passport [note that this information may change and please check the GMC website for the most up to date information].
Step 1: IELTS and English language
First of all, it is necessary to prove your English language skills and there are two main ways to achieve this. The IELTS exam is an internationally standardised English test used by people to gain employment and seek tertiary education opportunities. There are regular test dates throughout the year with test centres in most major cities across Australia and can be found online. It is important to note, that until you have received the results of your IELTS exam (which will be around 2 weeks after you take the test) and upload the results to verify your scores, you will not be able to book a date for PLAB 1. It will generally take around/at least one month between booking the IELTS test and being able to book the PLAB 1 online. Whilst having an understanding of the nature and structure of the test is helpful, it is generally not regarded as necessary to undertake any study for the IELTS as a native English speaker. A new “computer-delivered” IELTS test is now available in parts of Australia and may reduce the time to obtain results.
It is possible to prove your English language skills through obtaining a letter from your medical school confirming that your medical degree was taught in English (if you have not yet graduated) or from obtaining letters of reference from the clinical supervisor of each rotation that you have worked in the hospital. More information on meeting English language requirements can be found here. Once obtaining these letters of reference they are posted to the GMC in the UK for processing and verification, which can be a lengthy process, particularly if more information is required by GMC. It may be easier and quicker to prove English language competency through taking the IELTS exam and the result is valid for two years. Be sure not to lose your IELTS certificate, as it cannot be reproduced! Taking the IELTS will cost around $350 AUD.
Step 2: PLAB 1
If you have already achieved a level of clinical training in Australia (eg. FRACP) you may be able to use this instead of sitting the PLAB exams. If you do not have a clinical qualification that is recognised by the GMC, you will be required to sit the PLAB. Only after you have proved your English language skills with GMC can you book the PLAB 1 online. There are four main test periods throughout the year and are usually in March, June, September and November. Please be aware that the test dates can sometimes book out months in advance and should be booked well ahead of time. PLAB 1 is usually taken in the UK, however can also be taken at international sites (the most accessible from Australia probably being Dubai). Depending on your level of clinical training, it is advisable to spend a number of months studying for the PLAB 1. It is a clinical based MCQ examination of 200 SBA (single best answer questions) and takes 3 hours, where you will be seated in a large hall in central London alongside hundreds of other candidates. There are a number of online resources available and BMJ OnExamination is recommended as an excellent resource to begin your preparation. Taking the PLAB 1 will cost around 230 GBP.
Step 3: PLAB 2
Only after you have passed PLAB 1 will you be able to book PLAB 2. Fortunately there are test dates regularly throughout the year and these clinical exams are held in Manchester. PLAB 2 is an 18-station OSCE (objective structured clinical exam) with a focus on English communication and clinical reasoning and is targeted at the level of a F2 doctor (RMO 2). The cost to take the PLAB 2 is 840 GBP. Pass rates for PLAB 1 and PLAB 2 tests are variable and previous rates can be found here.
Step 4: Documents
Once you have completed and passed both PLAB 1 and PLAB 2, you will be able to present and submit all of your documents to the GMC to gain registration. This includes being able to show a valid (within 2-years) proof of English language competence as well as the usual documentation that would be expected (eg. university transcript).
Step 5: Preparing to work and work contracts
At this point, you are now ready to consider working! Getting to this point has previously taken some Australian doctors up to 12 months and this should be taken into account when considering whether or not to sit the PLAB whilst at Oxford. Anecdotally, it is probably easier to seek a zero-hours or honorary contract at the hospital (local hospitals in Oxford are the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre) to facilitate opportunities to undertake casual locum work at local hospitals. An employment contract direct with the hospital is not required in order to complete GMC registration requirements, and may not be worthwhile (or possible) if you do not intend to work (regular) part-time hours or full-time. However without a hospital contract, a contract with an organisation who can act as your “designated body” (frequently a locum agency) is usually required and they become responsible for overseeing your ongoing professional development, reaccreditation and revalidation requirements needed to maintain registration after getting a license to practice “in an approved practice setting”. There are some locum agencies that will offer contracts with minimal hours, but this can be difficult to negotiate. There are many different locum agencies operating in the UK and some are more closely aligned with the NHS. Partners and students studying at Oxford have previously found it possible to obtain work at local hospitals in Oxford, but this may take a significant amount of paperwork and many months negotiating registration requirements.
Step 6: Revalidation
There is a requirement to meet reaccreditation standards with GMC each year. These requirements can vary significantly based on individual working situations (and be influenced by how much paid work the doctor has undertaken) but may be difficult to arrange and incur significant personal cost. It can be difficult to maintain registration without undertaking a minimum of 1 month of clinical work per year (which can include clinical trial work for those undertaking clinically based DPhil research) and it is recommended that doctors who intend to gain GMC registration seek an Honorary Contract in a clinical department if possible, which may help with maintaining registration. The process of revalidation requires demonstration of CPD, provision of learning goals, 360 degree feedback (from colleagues, allied health and patients) and statutory and mandatory training (which you will need to arrange during the year through your accrediting organisation). It is recommended to seek early advice on what will be required in any given year, as there can be long delays before being able to access required courses (such as ALS) through the NHS.
Additional information
Note: It is a requirement of gaining GMC registration that a medical doctor not only has general registration, but has also completed a minimum of 12 weeks work in both medicine and surgery. Unfortunately, as many Intern rotations in Australia are only 10 weeks, it is possible that an Australian doctor may need to proactively ensure that they meet the minimum requirements (and complete an extra 2 weeks in whichever specialty field is necessary) if this is not achieved through the Intern rotations they are allocated. Previously, Interns have been successful in negotiating to split a nights/relieving term to include both medicine and surgery and ensure they have 12 weeks of each (together with the core medical and surgical term). It is recommended that this is organised with hospital administration as early as possible.