RITES OF PASSAGE 2021 COHORT

Rites of Passage is kindly supported by: Barts and The London Alumni Association (BATLAA),

Medical Protection Society and Barts and The London, QMUL Annual Fund.

Rites of Passage 2021 is kindly supported by:

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RITES OF PASSAGE 2021 COHORT GUIDE FOR GRADUANDS AND

FAMILIES

BARTSLONDON.COM




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Hello all,

Thank you for your patience with our team this year as we work to make Rites of Passage go ahead despite the obstacles. Given how unusual this version of Rites of Passage is going to be we have put together this guide for yourselves and your families which will hopefully answer some key questions and allow you all to still celebrate together. As you know, Rites of Passage is usually based in St Paul’s Cathedral. For this year, due to capacity limits, the St Paul’s element will occur over 2 sittings – the first sitting (Session A) for medical graduates and the second sitting (Session B) for dental graduates. It is expected that the St Paul’s element will happen under any circumstance unless the government or the Church of England reverses its current Covid guidance. According to the roadmap and government, this is extremely unlikely. Guests however will not be allowed into St Paul’s for Session A at this stage, even with easing on July 19th due to Church of England and St Paul’s restrictions. Since the dental cohort is significantly smaller than the medics we are able to facilitate up to 2 guests being allowed into St Paul’s Cathedral per graduand in Session B. Understandably, this news will be upsetting to some medics because this is not an option for Session A. This decision has taken into account the impact of a small cohort on atmosphere and the fact dental students are in the later timeslot. We understand how important this ceremony is for families and loved ones and have therefore organised for the ceremony to be livestreamed. This livestream videography service will allow for an unlimited number of guests to join in the celebration happening in St Paul's from their own homes on an internet enabled device and show support to our graduates. We are also hoping to offer a streaming venue for up to 2 guests per graduand to come watch the livestream in person on the day. This would offer a cinema style service near St Paul’s for the livestream to be enjoyed in.

About Rites of Passage Every Medical and Dental graduate will be invited to Rites of Passage, held at St Paul’s Cathedral. This is the official BLSA farewell for these students, where students read out the Declaration of Geneva (a modern-day Hippocratic Oath) and celebrate both their academic and extracurricular achievements from their 4, 5, 6 or even 7 years at Medical and Dental School. Students also have the awards they have achieved during their time at BL recited and receive a certificate.

As well as medical and dental graduates, loved ones, academic staff, Deans and educators are invited to attend - although this year guests will currently only be able to access certain parts of the day.




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Rites of Passage is different and separate to Graduation, which is organised by the QM Graduation team and involves graduates receiving their diplomas at The People’s Palace in Mile End. Although Graduation usually happens on the same day as Rites of Passage, the 2021 graduations have been postponed by QMUL to 2022 but a virtual event has been organised for in the meantime for this summer (More information here).

Timings Due to very limited capacity inside St. Paul’s cathedral we have had to split the cohort into two sittings. Session A is for medical graduands and Session B for dental graduands. This year, we have had to make the difficult decision to not allow guests into St Paul’s for Session A. However, in order to account for this we are livestreaming the ceremony.

5:15pm Graduands from session 1 make their way over to St. Paul’s 6:15pm Session 1 begins 8:00pm Graduands from Session 2 make their way over to St Paul’s 8:30pm Session 1 ends & Session 2 guests start entering St Paul’s 9:00pm Session 2 begins 11:10pm Session 2 ends

Ticket and attendance types Graduate tickets (£30 cost per graduate thanks to subsidy by Barts and The London, QMUL Annual Fund):

Tickets for graduates are now sold out with sales having closed earlier this year. To make the most of the limited capacity, students will be sat in their government recognised bubble. Bubbles have been based on the data given by graduands when they bought their tickets and these can now no longer be changed. Note that, just because you are in a bubble, this does not guarantee you will be sitting together as we are limited by seating arrangements within the cathedral.

Graduand tickets cost £60 each, but this cost was subsidised by the QMUL Annual Fund so that the real cost was £30 per graduate ticket. We are grateful for the support of alumni through Barts and The London, QMUL Annual Fund which has meant the ‘real cost’ to graduands is £30.

Graduate tickets include: • Scroll giving and reading of the Declaration of Geneva at St Paul’s Cathedral with half of

the cohort (no guests allowed, except in Session B, but guests can watch via livestream for both sessions).

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/graduation/

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/making-a-support-bubble-with-another-household




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• A 2021 Programme booklet • Digital copy of photography inside St. Paul’s Cathedral including as you walk across the

stage and a profile picture of you with your scroll. There will be an additional cost to have

these printed. More information is available below.

Other costs per graduate to consider: • Gowning and hat hire (obligatory) - at least £37 for gown hire, more information below. • Photography with guests in a photography studio style setting (optional) - Starts at £25,

please see below for clarification of options. You can still purchase this by emailing [email protected].

• Physical photographs of inside St. Paul’s Cathedral including as you walk across the

stage and a profile picture with your scroll. More information is available below.

Livestreaming tickets (£10 each):

There will also be unlimited livestream tickets available for £10 each. These will allow those with an internet connection to watch the indoor St Paul’s element of the ceremony from wherever they are via an internet connected device. As a reminder, the Rites of Passage ceremony will run in 2 sessions: Session A (approx 6-8:30pm) for medical graduates and Session B (approx 8;30-11:15pm although we hope to end earlier) for dental graduates. Your streaming ticket will allow access to either or both sessions and you can dip in and out of the ceremony as you please. One livestream ticket must be purchased per device your guests intend to watch from.

There are unlimited livestream tickets available but all must be purchased before 12pm on

July 19th. To purchase your ticket, you must log into the website with your student account

or create a guest account. Tickets are available to purchase

here: https://www.qmsu.org/ents/event/14686/.

Screening ticket (£15 each):

As previously mentioned, we are still looking for a venue in which up to 2 guests per graduand

can watch the livestream from. This will help your loved ones to spend the day with you, walk

you to the cathedral and then watch the ceremony with ease without having to rush home or to

a venue with poor internet to watch the livestream from.

Unfortunately, due to capacity restrictions and venue availability, this process is not yet

complete but we are in negotiations with a venue and will have an update very soon. If we do

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.qmsu.org/account/register/guest/

https://www.qmsu.org/ents/event/14686/




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find a venue for up to 2 guests per graduand to sit in to watch the livestream, we will release

tickets for this separately and if your guests already bought a livestream ticket there will be an

option for them to upgrade their existing ticket (note the upgrade will be limited to 2 per

graduate). Therefore, do continue to buy livestream tickets for now if you can.

If you have not purchased a livestream ticket and then purchase a screening ticket (if these

become available) then the livestream, via the screen in the venue, will be included for those

with a screening ticket only. However, if you have other guests who want to watch but do not

have a screening ticket, they will need a separate livestream ticket.

Each screening ticket will include:

• 1 entry for guests to an indoor venue where the livestream will be screened on a large

screen in a theatre style setup

• Access to a bar for drinks and refreshments to be purchased

Screening tickets, if offered, will go on sale week beginning 12th July.

St Paul’s Guest tickets (£30 per guest) – Session B only:

Since the dental cohort is significantly smaller than the medics we are able to facilitate up to 2

guests being allowed into St Paul’s Cathedral per graduand in Session B only. There are

enough guest tickets for all students to bring up to 2 guests. You must provide details of

each guest who is attending, including full name, email and phone number, for track and trace

reasons.

You must not buy more than 2 tickets per graduand or use another students' tickets for

your own guests. Instead, we will assess ticket sales and open up the link to more guests per

student on a first come first served basis depending on how many seats are still available once

everyone has had a chance to buy tickets in this original round. For those unable to attend in

person, livestream tickets are available to purchase here (note this is the livestream link, not

the guest ticket link).

Please note that the guest ticket will give access to the cathedral for Session B

only. Guests must have a ticket and two negative rapid lateral flow tests (LFTs), one taken

3-6 days ahead of the event and the second 36 hours ahead of the event end time (i.e. no

earlier than 11:15am on Sunday 18th). Any guests walking up to the cathedral but not entering

should also have negative LFTs. See what guests attending photography/gowning should do in

terms of LFTs below. Home test kits are valid but you must register your result on the

https://www.qmsu.org/ents/event/14686/

https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests




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government website so that you can show your test result when requested. You, and anyone

else inside the cathedral, will also need to wear a face covering throughout the ceremony,

unless you are exempt.

The link to buy your guest ticket (for session B only) has been emailed to you (only if you

are sitting in Session B). Get in touch if there are any issues. The deadline for

purchasing tickets for guests is 11am Tuesday 12th July. Tickets will not be purchasable on

the door so you must pre-order.

Gowning and Photography Graduands will have booked gowning and photography slots when they purchased tickets for the ceremony. If you want to purchase or change your photography, email [email protected]. To help with social distancing and reduce traffic flow on the day you were asked to select a slot over the weekend before the event or on the day for gowning and photography. Please note that your gowning timeslot is also be your timeslot for photography. Gowning and photography for your cohort will take place in The Shield Cafe @ Charterhouse Square on:

• Saturday 17th July - 10am-5pm, • Sunday 18th July - 10am-5pm, • Monday 19th July - 10am-4pm.

You will have selected a more precise timeslot for gowning and, if applicable, photography when you purchased your graduate ticket. If you cannot remember this, check your email confirmation. We will also send a reminder of timeslots in due course.

Gowning (at least £37 each):

Gowning is the process of fitting graduates into their graduation gown and hat. It is obligatory for all graduates and costs £37 for hire. This cost will cover your gowning for the day of the celebration. For those collecting their gowns the Saturday or Sunday before the day of the ceremony, the £37 also covers hire for those days. Therefore, early collection does not come at any additional cost and is strongly encouraged in order to allow you to ensure you are prepared, and to give yourselves more time to celebrate on the day. There is also the option to purchase, rather than hire, your gown for £182; or extended hire for a few additional days at an additional £25.

You must ensure you are gowned and fully dressed as you arrive to the cathedral for your

session. Gowning finishes shortly after 4pm on July 19th so make sure you are not late.





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Gowning return will happen on the day following your session inside St Paul’s. You will exit St

Paul’s via the South Transept and then make your way to the crypt, via an entrance on the

northern side of the cathedral, where you will drop off your gown. You must do this as soon as

you exit the cathedral or you risk being charged extra for late return. The only exception to this

is of we manage to get a large group photo on the steps. In which case, you will need to return

the gown as soon as that photo is finished.

Photography (optional - starts at £25):

If you choose to purchase photography sessions, the photograph(s) that you book when buying your ticket will be taken at the time you pick up your gown and can be taken with up to 5 loved ones. You cannot bring more people and switch them around. These photos will be taken in the same location as gowning and will involve photos being taken in a studio style setting with graduates and limited number of guests. You will have booked these photography sessions, at a cost, when buying tickets but you can email [email protected] before Thursday 15th July if still interested. Anyone attending gowning/photography must have a negative LFT up to 24hours before the gowning/photography session. For those having gowning/photography on July 17th or 18th, this is in addition to the 2 negative LFTs needed to enter or walk up to the cathedral on July 19th (see LFT information below). Please note, these are not the photos taken in St Paul’s which are taken separately (see below).

We will also have a photographer in St Paul’s who will be able to take a picture of you in the venue but this will unfortunately be without guests. These St Paul’s photos will be available to download for free on the photographer’s website after the event and details of how to access these will be shared closer to the time, as well as after the event. You will also be able to purchase printed versions of the St Paul’s pictures for a small fee.

Outside the cathedral: Graduands, guests and loved ones (including those not entering the venue) are welcome to

walk up to the cathedral together throughout the day to take photographs on the steps and

outside the venue. However, anyone walking up to the cathedral and/or taking

photographs outside should have 2 negative LFTs, including one that’s taken no earlier than

36 hours before the end time of the ceremony (see full LFT information below). We also ask that

you remain sensible and follow social distancing as much as possible. Please limit any mixing

between groups and unnecessary contacts and ensure you wear a face covering when queuing

to enter the venue. If rules do not ease on July 19th, remember that the rule of 30 will apply

outside and you will not be allowed to mix between groups of 30.


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Remember, even with restrictions easing, the pandemic is not over yet and you are all

representatives of Barts and The London, BLSA and the medical/dental professions so it is

important we all remain respectful, sensible and avoid unnecessary mixing.

We recommend that those entering the cathedral arrive at the steps about 30-45 minutes before

their ceremony start time. If you are late, we cannot guarantee you entry and will not be able to

offer a refund.

In St Paul’s (graduands and pre-purchased guest tickets for session B only) Only graduands with Session A tickets, appropriate LFT (more information on LFTs below) and a face covering will be allowed in St Paul’s for Session A. For Session B, graduands with a Session B ticket as well as guests with a guest ticket (£30 each) will be allowed into the cathedral so long as they have appropriate LFT (more information below) and a face covering. Entry will be via the Western steps (main entrance) of the cathedral. The ceremony inside St Paul’s itself will look a little different to previous years. To allow for social distancing graduands will be seated around the whole cathedral. Seating will be socially distanced. Only those within the same household or within an officially recognised support bubble will be allowed to not socially distance from each other. Seats will be pre-allocated based on household and bubble information graduands provided us and must not be switched due to the order of the rollcall. The ceremony itself will be made up of the reading of the Declaration of Geneva, speeches from students and faculty as well as all of you walking across the dais to receive your certificates. We will have a photographer there to capture the event who has worked at all the Rites of Passage ceremonies in St Pauls. Details of where to find these photos after the ceremony will be sent out at a later date. During the ceremony, there will be a roll call of all graduands in your session. At some point during this section, graduands will be called up to the dais where they will cross the stage as their name and some of their awards are called out. They will also bow to a staff member and receive their Rites of Passage certificate (note, this is not their degree certificate). Graduands may remove their face covering whilst crossing the stage but must then put it back on. They will then take an individual photo with their scroll (they can again remove their face covering for this part but must then put it back on) and then follow a specific route back to their original seat. There will be student volunteers from BLSA at the event who will be able to guide graduands through, and we are aiming to send a video of what the route around the cathedral might be to help alleviate any anxiety. Guests (applicable for session B only), once seated, will remain seated throughout the ceremony. Seats for guests will not be pre-allocated and instead will be first come first served although guests will not be able to sit in seats dedicated to staff, graduands or VIPs.




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All individuals entering the cathedral will need to go through security. When queuing to enter the cathedral, please wear your face covering and maintain social distancing. We recommend for anyone entering the cathedral:

• Remember your face covering, this is compulsory

• Remember to do your LFT tests beforehand (see more details below), this is compulsory. Ensure you have registered this on the government website and have proof of negative result (on the NHS app or via text).

• Arrive at least 30minutes before your ceremony start time. If you are late, we cannot guarantee entry and refunds will not be offered.

• To bring a water bottle each

• Ensure you are well fed if possible before the ceremony

• Avoid brining any bags or luggage to ensure faster and smoother checks at security

• The dress code is formal. No trainers, jeans, shorts or sport attire for anyone inside the venue. Please find photographs from previous years here for guidance.

When the ceremony inside St Paul’s is over, you will be guided out via the South Transept and graduates will need to go to the crypt, via an entrance on the Northern side of the cathedral, to immediately return their gown. There will also be a graduates board to sign in the crypt. Please ensure you continue moving throughout this process and do not accumulate in groups or mix with other graduates who may be entering the venue at this time.

COVID safety (incl. Face Coverings and Lateral Flow tests) The safety of our guests and staff remains a priority and the event can only go ahead if safe to do so. Please ensure you follow the below guidance and any guidance on the day to keep yourselves and our team safe. If you are symptomatic, positive or should be isolating, you must not attend the event. This is not only for legal reasons but to protect our attendees, many of whom need to start their jobs as clinicians the next day.

Face coverings:

We ask that all those entering the cathedral wear a face covering at all times, unless exempt. Graduands will however be able to remove their face covering as they walk across the dias to receive their certificate. They will need to then put their face covering back on but will be able to remove them again for their individual scroll photographs before having to put them back on again.

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Please note that visors do not count as substitutes for face coverings and face coverings must fit well and cover your mouth and nose.

Rapid Lateral Flow Tests:

Graduands, guests entering the cathedral and guests accompanying graduands to the cathedral will need two negative rapid lateral flow tests (LFTs), one taken 3-4 days ahead of the event and the second 36 hours ahead of the event end time (i.e. no earlier than 11:15am on Sunday 18th). Home test kits are valid but you must register your result on the government website so that you can show your test result when requested. Please also note that any guests accompanying you to the venue or, where applicable, entering the venue must also have 2 negative LFTs each at the same timeslots. If your gowning and/or photography is on July 17th or 18th, anyone attending should do an additional LFT test within 24hours of this session, in addition to the 2 tests outlined above.

Tests can be organised for free here. See our FAQ section for more information. If there will be an issue to do this for yourselves or your guests please get in touch.

Make a Donation: The Covid-19 restrictions mean that BLSA are only able to sell approximately 10% of the

normal ticket numbers. In addition to this, both the events will cost more than previous years to

accommodate enhanced cleaning routines and the livestreaming that we are introducing for

those unable to attend due to number restrictions.

We have been approached by a few individuals who have asked how they can help support this

event. If you would like to support the event, you can give a donation via this link. We thank you

in advance for any support you can provide as this will help ensure that the event is a success

for our Class of 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions: • Are there enough spaces for all graduates?

We have now closed ticket sales and have been able to seat all those who bought a ticket. If you have not been receiving recent email communication about Rites of Passage this means you do not have a ticket so will not be able to attend as we have now run out of space in the cathedral.



https://www.qmsu.org/event/14687/

https://www.qmsu.org/event/14687/




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• Why is the capacity so reduced considering the government roadmap? Although the government plans to ease limits on gatherings on July 19th, St Paul’s is also limited by Church of England rules which are unlikely to change as fast. Furthermore, Rites of Passage needs to be organised and planned in advance so rule changes on July 19th gives us very limited time to make any meaningful changes. If guidance changes enough for more capacity within the venue, we have plans to adjust our capacity accordingly and allow some guests into the venue but this is unlikely to be possible.

• Where/when is gowning and photography? Both gowning and Photography are located in The Shield, Dawson Hall, Charterhouse Square. These are happening Saturday 17th, Sunday 18th and Monday 19th. You will have selected your exact timeslot, which is for both gowning and photography, when purchasing your graduand ticket. Please make sure you attend this timeslot. Any issues, please email [email protected].

• Can I change my gowning/photography slot? Please email [email protected] before Thursday 15th to do this.

• How many guests can I have at my studio photography session? If you purchased a studio style photography session at Charterhouse Square, you can bring up to 5 guests (not including the graduand) for your session.

• Will we have a large photo in front of St Paul’s as was the case in other years? If restrictions ease on July 19th as is currently planned, we hope this will indeed be possible but we are still looking at logistics for this.

• Is there parking? No.

• Can I switch session? No, unfortunately you can no longer switch Rites of Passage sessions (i.e. A or B).

• Can I bring guests? Only graduands in Session B can bring guests in the cathedral. To do so, they must purchase tickets before the deadlines outlined above. Unfortunately no other guests will be allowed and we won’t allow anyone to enter on the day.

• Do I need a Vaccine/Covid Passport to attend this event? You will not need a vaccine passport and vaccine status will not exempt you from any rules or exempt you from testing. Remember, graduands, guests entering the cathedral and guests accompanying graduands to the cathedral and/or gowning/photography will need two negative rapid lateral flow tests (LFTs), one taken 3-4 days ahead of the






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event and the second 36 hours ahead of the event end time (i.e. no earlier than 11:15am on Sunday 18th). Home test kits are valid but you must register your result on the government website so that you can show your test result when requested. Please also note that any guests accompanying you to the venue or, where applicable, entering the venue must also have 2 negative LFTs each at the same timeslots. If your gowning and/or photography is on July 17th or 18th, anyone attending should do an additional LFT test within 24hours of this session, in addition to the 2 tests outlined above.

• What happens if I am having a PCR test ahead of the ceremony? If you are doing an PCR within 3 days of the ceremony, we will allow you to use your PCR instead of your first LFT test. However, you will still need a second negative LFT within 36 hours ahead of the event end time (i.e. no earlier than 11:15am on Sunday 18th). Both the PCR and LFT must be negative and registered on the government system (so you get a result via text) to allow entry into the event.

• What if I or a guest tests positive or has Covid Symptoms? Anyone who tests positive, even on LFT, must not attend the ceremony or gowning/photography and anyone in their household or bubble must self-isolate immediately and also not attend. You must follow instructions from Test and Trace and the government. If you test positive on LFT, this means you will need to take a follow up PCR and follow instructions from Test and Trace dependant on that PCR result. You and your household and bubble must also isolate immediately, get a PCR test (for the person with symptoms) and not attend any part of our ceremony if you have any of the following symptoms:

o a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back

(you do not need to measure your temperature)

o a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or

3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be

worse than usual)

o a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed

you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

It is vital that everyone adheres to these rules to keep all attendees safe. Breaking

these rules is not only extremely dangerous and selfish but also illegal. If you

cannot attend the ceremony due to having Covid symptoms or testing positive, we will

be able to offer you a space at next year’s ceremony and will try to process a refund for

your ticket. You must email [email protected] as soon as possible if this affects you.

• What if I am told to self-isolate by test and trace (e.g. via text or via the app)?






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If your isolation period ends before Rites of Passage, you can attend as normal but must provide proof your isolation period has ended and you must adhere to the testing rules above. Some exceptions can apply, for example if you were isolating because you had Covid-19. In which case, please email [email protected] for us to come up with a way to allow you to safely attend the event. If your isolation period includes the date of Rites of Passage (July 19th), you must not attend the ceremony and instead should email [email protected] as soon as possible to let us know you cannot attend. We will be able to offer you a space at next year’s ceremony and will try to process a refund for your ticket.

• Will face covering still be mandatory? Yes, all attendees must bring and wear their own face covering throughout the ceremony. The only exception, is when you walk across the stage to collect your certificate and when taking your individual scroll picture. However, you will need to put your mask back on once you have crossed the stage and taken your photo.

• I (including guests entering the cathedral) have access requirements. What should I do? Please email [email protected] as soon as possible.

• I am a medical graduate who originally bought Session B tickets, which session do I attend? If you are a medical graduate who bought Session B tickets, you have now been moved to Session A automatically (you do not need to email us for the switch to happen).

• I am a dental graduate who originally bought Session A tickets, which session do I attend? If you are a dental graduate who bought Session A tickets, you have now been moved to Session B automatically (you do not need to email us for the switch to happen).

Any questions? Please see our website for more information or email your VPs on [email protected].




https://www.bartslondon.com/grad2021-md

Documents

RITES OF PASSAGE 2021 COHORT