A clinical placement is an activity that contributes to or counts towards clinical/professional education and training requirements for an accredited course. In other words, it is an essential requirement that is necessary for successful course completion (and therefore would exclude voluntary extra placements). Clinical placements:

• Occur in a clinical setting (i.e. generally outside the university educational setting, although may occur in university clinics).
• May include a variety of activities (e.g. rotations, observations, selective placements) across all or some years of a particular course, depending upon the accredited course requirements.
• Could potentially, in some cases, include a simulated component which meets the curriculum objectives of a clinical placement.