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Alex L
The most obvious advice ever :p:

Yet somehow the question is repeatedly asked....


Exactly :p:

They all seem to think the only way to get experience is either through your school, or through a special scheme being offered.
Degausser
Exactly :p:

They all seem to think the only way to get experience is either through your school, or through a special scheme being offered.


A scheme for specials? Well, not very PC but I'll go with that :p:
Alex L
A scheme for specials? Well, not very PC but I'll go with that :p:



Its all about widening access these days :yep:






:p:
Alex L
The most obvious advice ever :p:


I was only trying to help.... :sad:
jonnyofengland
I was only trying to help.... :sad:


I know, just made me chuckle that sadly there was a need for it :p:
Any northerners try http://www.pphcare.co.uk/ for HCA jobs they arent after experiance and are really helpfull, rang this morning and have an interview on friday
Hey, I was just wandering for anyone that did work experience in a GP surgery:

Did you actually go in with a doctor and sit with them whilst they were with patients/shadow any doctors?

I currently have work experience in a GP surgery but I'm not allowed to go into the consulting rooms with the doctors. I mostly check patients in, do perscriptions, check medical records etc (which is quite interesting). I also talk to the doctors quite a bit, they're all really nice.
But I wanted some shadowing work- does anyone know if I'm actually allowed to do this?
bob9001
Hey, I was just wandering for anyone that did work experience in a GP surgery:

Did you actually go in with a doctor and sit with them whilst they were with patients/shadow any doctors?

I currently have work experience in a GP surgery but I'm not allowed to go into the consulting rooms with the doctors. I mostly check patients in, do perscriptions, check medical records etc (which is quite interesting). I also talk to the doctors quite a bit, they're all really nice.
But I wanted some shadowing work- does anyone know if I'm actually allowed to do this?


Hey I spent a week shadowing the practice nurse and a week siting in on consultations, may be try ringing around some other practices and see if they will allow you to sit in consultations,

You could also try looking for some hospital work experiance as they seemed alot more willing to let me shadown the doctors than the GP.

This is from when i applied last year mind.
Toiletpaper8
Why are you doing a Nuffield (Science) Bursary if you're going to go into medicine?

I'm not saying it's not a good thing to do - but I'd take the work experience instead :p:

My Nuffield Bursary will be with a doctor who does a lot of research and is more into the academic side of medicine, so it is kind of related to what I want to do! I think it'll be a good opportunity to see another side of medicine :yes:
hey guys,

I recently applied for domestic work at a care home <--- does this still count as work experiance?

also i was wondering can u shadow a dentist etc?
chuck111
hey guys,

I recently applied for domestic work at a care home <--- does this still count as work experiance?

also i was wondering can u shadow a dentist etc?



Care home thing is good.

About the dentist. You could do it for a week and say "it wasn't for me" kind of thing. But it's risky. As long as you do get some medical work experience you can, but I wouldn't if you weren't able to get any with a doctor.
I've applied to several volunteering places through www.do-it.org.uk. Also, my friend advised me Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham!She says they let you in the operating theatre, which sounds incredible!
AutVinceriAutMori
I've applied to several volunteering places through www.do-it.org.uk. Also, my friend advised me Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham!She says they let you in the operating theatre, which sounds incredible!


Id check on this as i was always told you had to be 18 to be allowed into operating theatre even if the consultant was willing to take you at a younger age
brokenangel
Id check on this as i was always told you had to be 18 to be allowed into operating theatre even if the consultant was willing to take you at a younger age

I am past 18!!! But it does sound a bit unbelievable.Heartlands said they wouldnt even let us to shadow doctors, its strictly meeting& greeting or help feeding, not that I mind
Hmmm, not sure about that, may be regional policy I guess, as I was allowed in when I was 16
AutVinceriAutMori
I am past 18!!! But it does sound a bit unbelievable.Heartlands said they wouldnt even let us to shadow doctors, its strictly meeting& greeting or help feeding, not that I mind


sorry thought you were a normal year 12 applicant, it does sound believable then i was offered it until they found out i was 17 at the time. Ive never known any hospital refuse to allow us to shadow doctors in my experiance it always that they have to many applicants this year and to try again next year.

Has anyone else been told to have their head of sixth form contact the GP then they will consider you and the told well they cant take you when you inform them that your not at school.
I want to do shadowing! I went to my GP, she told me to ask reception people and they said NO.Now I want to ask my mum's hand specialist doctor, tomorrow
hey guys can you please read through this letter draft I have for requesting work experience. Is it any good and how can i improve please be critical.
Also should I keep the stuff about trying for other volunteering in or does this stuff make it too long.

(my address on right)

(Their address)


Dear Doctor,
I am writing to you regarding a temporary work experience placement at (hospital name) in the Cardiology department.

I am fifteen years old and attend (school name). At present, I am doing 11 GCSEs and one AS level. My predicted grades for all these GCSEs are A*s. Within school hours, I am a member of the school council and this helps me to exercise my communication skills and build on my teamwork skills. Outside of school time, I volunteer at my local charity shop where I am able to serve customers and contribute to the charity. I would like to be a doctor in the future because it would allow me to work in a team and contribute to saving people’s lives which is very important to me.

I am dedicated to furthering my knowledge about medicine in order to fully confirm being a doctor as my future career. I am very enthusiastic about medicine and have already been trying to broaden my knowledge about it. I am particularly interested in medical ethics and read around this subject. I am eager to gain experience working with people who have disabilities and have been attending training sessions which will prepare me to help autistic children at my local church hall. I have also applied to work with WRVS as part of their ‘Greeting and Guiding’ scheme in (hospital name). However I believe the best experience for me would be actual work experience in a hospital because I would at first-hand see the work of leading clinicians and I would gain real insight into about the challenges involved in this incredible vocation.

I would like my work experience to be in the Cardiology department particularly because the heart is a major organ and many of the diseases and conditions of the heart can be life-threatening. However the work is not only challenging because of the importance of the heart but also because of the variety of different diseases related to the heart, resulting in great variety in the type of work a cardiologist might do. I feel that this variety in work and also the importance of the work means that shadowing the work of a cardiologist would be most beneficial.

I understand what a demanding job being a cardiologist is and therefore would be very flexible about the dates for the work experience. I also hope my letter has shown how dedicated and enthusiastic I am about Medicine as my career choice. I am grateful that you took time to read this letter and would appreciate it if you could allow me to gain work experience in your department. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,
(my name)

thanks for reading the letter guys please give me tips on how to improve it
Candyflosses
hey guys can you please read through this letter draft I have for requesting work experience. Is it any good and how can i improve please be critical.
Also should I keep the stuff about trying for other volunteering in or does this stuff make it too long.

~Letter~


thanks for reading the letter guys please give me tips on how to improve it


I don't know about other people, but I didn't even properly read the whole thing, instead I skimmed through it, so a lot of its impact was no doubt lost. For me it just seemed waaaay too long. For my WE requests/applications I sent in a brief letter stated what I would like and why. Nothing more, nothing less.

I'd wait and see what others have to say though, I may well be the exception, but I can't help but feel that it is far too long for people to bother with it :dontknow:

Sorry if that sounded harsh, just can't think of a better way to phrase what I'm trying to say atm :redface:
I agree with Alex, they really aren't going to be interested in your skills or other experiences (except maybe if you've been through aseptic techniques in surgery), just what you want to do, why, who you are, and other similar things.

Any more is just overkill.