Have I Done Enough?

Original post by qwerty0301

I'm currently on my summer holiday and I start sixth form from September. I wanna apply to medicine so I was wondering if I've done a satisfactory amount of work exp/ volunteer work. Here's what I've done/ am doing at the moment:

1 week at Royal London Hospital- shadowing
1 week at a hospital in India when I went on holiday- Shadowing
Doing voluntary work at a charity shop atm

I could also be doing some more work exp at a GP later on. Do you think this is okay or should I be doing more stuff?

If i'm honest, no.
Medical schools like to see a comittment to a careing role. So that would be something like working in a hospital as a volunteer for a year or so, or a care home. you should try to arrange this QUICK so at least you can put it on your personal statement.

I don't see how you managed to arranged two work shadow placements (are are of the hardest to obtain), yet you didn't do any work in a caring environment, which is the more imporant one!

Reply 3

qwerty0301

OP

Original post by Freyr

If i'm honest, no.
Medical schools like to see a comittment to a careing role. So that would be something like working in a hospital as a volunteer for a year or so, or a care home. you should try to arrange this QUICK so at least you can put it on your personal statement.

I don't see how you managed to arranged two work shadow placements (are are of the hardest to obtain), yet you didn't do any work in a caring environment, which is the more imporant one!

Oh trust me, I've tried soooooo much to apply for a work placement at a care home but I've been rejected from all of them cuz I'm 16 and they all said I have to be 18 due to some insurance reasons

Reply 4

Helenia

20

Original post by qwerty0301

Oh trust me, I've tried soooooo much to apply for a work placement at a care home but I've been rejected from all of them cuz I'm 16 and they all said I have to be 18 due to some insurance reasons

There are loads of other volunteering ideas - hospital volunteering, hospices, groups for disabled people, youth groups (Brownies/Cubs etc) all of which are more "caring" than standing in a shop.

Reply 5

Original post by UniAdmissions

Hi qwerty0301

The thing to remember when it comes to work experience is it is more about what you gain from the experience than where and what it was. Universities know that not everyone has access to the same opportunities when it comes to work experience.

What they are looking for is for you to have the ability to reflect on your experience in a mature way. Having the ability to communicate what skills you have learnt and what insights you have gained is the most important thing.

It is a good idea to bear this in mind if you do manage to secure some more work experience. You could have a read of this blog which will give you some ideas of things to consider while you are there.

Do let me know if you have any questions... always happy to help.

UniAdmissions

Original post by Freyr

If i'm honest, no.
Medical schools like to see a comittment to a careing role. So that would be something like working in a hospital as a volunteer for a year or so, or a care home. you should try to arrange this QUICK so at least you can put it on your personal statement.

I don't see how you managed to arranged two work shadow placements (are are of the hardest to obtain), yet you didn't do any work in a caring environment, which is the more imporant one!

Sorry to hijack the thread but would working as a HCA in a care home for at least a year be good enough for graduate medicine?

Reply 6

It should be "adequate". But if you are able to secure some work shadowing experience it would be better. But you fulfil minimum requirements

Reply 7

Original post by Freyr

It should be "adequate". But if you are able to secure some work shadowing experience it would be better. But you fulfil minimum requirements

Thanks, I'm going to do it in my gap year out because I don't really see how I'd be able to do it whilst I'm finishing off my degree

Reply 8

So you've currently finished your 2nd yeat at university? If so you could still potentially find a voluntary position somehwere, jsut a few hours per week isn't much at all, and that owuld be sufficient, that way you can apply in your final year, rather than graduating and then getting a HCA job and applying the folowing year...

Reply 9

Original post by Freyr

So you've currently finished your 2nd yeat at university? If so you could still potentially find a voluntary position somehwere, jsut a few hours per week isn't much at all, and that owuld be sufficient, that way you can apply in your final year, rather than graduating and then getting a HCA job and applying the following year...

Not at the mo, I'm on a gap year or two sorting out my a-levels. I'm thinking of going back in second year next year though. Then I'd have to do the BMAT/ GAMSAT/ UKCAT in my final year wouldn't I?

Reply 10

Yes, well depending on the exam. If you wanted to apply during your final year:
it has a different test date, but roughly speaking, you do ukcat the summer before your final year, and gamsat/bmat roughly just before you start your final year year/a little after (depending when you start back).

so if I have it right. you finished your first year, and are now taking time out of university to redo your a levels? I'm not sure what your a levels are, but if you choose your med schools wisely, you shouldn't need to do this should you?

Reply 11

Original post by Freyr

Yes, well depending on the exam. If you wanted to apply during your final year:
it has a different test date, but roughly speaking, you do ukcat the summer before your final year, and gamsat/bmat roughly just before you start your final year year/a little after (depending when you start back).

so if I have it right. you finished your first year, and are now taking time out of university to redo your a levels? I'm not sure what your a levels are, but if you choose your med schools wisely, you shouldn't need to do this should you?

Yes that's right but I doubt I would be competitive to Cambridge GEM with BCC at a-levels. I'm also doing maths in my years out not just for cambridge but for my undergrad degree aswell.

Reply 12

I see... You could be competitive if you applied to universities that did not look at A level grades, but this is the route you've chosen. Although I got straight A's (A levels sat before introdution of A*), I didn't have A levels chemistry, and becasue I didn't want to sit the GAMSAT, it did restric my options quite a bit! Luckily I applied well and still got in, so i'm sure you can do it! Good luck

Reply 13

Original post by Freyr

I see... You could be competitive if you applied to universities that did not look at A level grades, but this is the route you've chosen. Although I got straight A's (A levels sat before introdution of A*), I didn't have A levels chemistry, and becasue I didn't want to sit the GAMSAT, it did restric my options quite a bit! Luckily I applied well and still got in, so i'm sure you can do it! Good luck

I will consider universities that don't look at a-levels, thank you for your advice :smile:

I do really want to go to Cambridge though to make my mum proud. I know you probably think it's quite a convoluted route to go down; and it is, but resitting my biology and my chemistry and doing maths isn't wasted because it might get me into a higher tier university and I need maths to be good at medicinal chemistry anyway. Also if medicine doesn't work out I'll need good a-levels to get me onto a good graduate scheme in any case.

Were you a Graduate medic then? What was your first degree in?

Reply 14

Don't bother do anythign to make anyone proud. Don't choose cambridge jsut because of its reputation. Do you know what the course is like at cambridge at all? does it suit your learning style?
No matter which med schoo lyou go to in the uk, you all graduate at level footing. so it DOES NOT matter where you study in that sense. You know how difficult it is to get into med school, they all are roughly equal in difficulty to get in, but some are better for people to apply to due to their strengths etc. When choosing a medical school, first you lok at which universities look more favourably on you (good GCSE/A Levels, or high ukcat score etc.) then if you have more than 4 school left, choose the ones you enjoy the sound of the teahing styles or the town etc.

As i'm aware, you odn't need to have good alevels o get onto a gradute scheme. When I graduated I got a job offers at Ernst & Young, Grant thornton and GSK. I don't think they looked at my a levels, they just wanted me to get a 2.1.

I know you have already decided to undertake this route... But I HIGHLY suggest you do some reading around. Because I feel as though your currently knowledge is either insufficient or it is... not exactly incorrect, but misguided

Reply 15

Original post by Freyr

Don't bother do anythign to make anyone proud. Don't choose cambridge jsut because of its reputation. Do you know what the course is like at cambridge at all? does it suit your learning style?
No matter which med schoo lyou go to in the uk, you all graduate at level footing. so it DOES NOT matter where you study in that sense. You know how difficult it is to get into med school, they all are roughly equal in difficulty to get in, but some are better for people to apply to due to their strengths etc. When choosing a medical school, first you lok at which universities look more favourably on you (good GCSE/A Levels, or high ukcat score etc.) then if you have more than 4 school left, choose the ones you enjoy the sound of the teahing styles or the town etc.

As i'm aware, you odn't need to have good alevels o get onto a gradute scheme. When I graduated I got a job offers at Ernst & Young, Grant thornton and GSK. I don't think they looked at my a levels, they just wanted me to get a 2.1.

I know you have already decided to undertake this route... But I HIGHLY suggest you do some reading around. Because I feel as though your currently knowledge is either insufficient or it is... not exactly incorrect, but misguided

Yeah but it's Cambridge, surely? That's reason enough alone to aspire to get into there. Why would you choose a med school because of the town? How is that any better than choosing a med school based on the reputation of the university? At least if the university you choose has a good reputation it stays with you.

Well, you are maybe a little misinformed, a lot of good graduate schemes ask for at least 320 ucas points at a-level, which I don't have. You got all A's and probably went to a RG, I didn't.

I will do some more research on specific medical schools nearer the time, for now I'm just concentrating on getting everything right for my undergraduate degree. I still have the money to save up for GEM anyway

Reply 16

Ok let me recapitulate. In the uk, as far as all all hospitals or anyone in the medical field is concerned. All the medical schools are equal, in fact, the application prrocess for foundtion programmes are even blind to prevent bias.

Yes I went to UCL before, yes its a good university, but that make absolutely no difference to my medical career nor will me studying at imperial compared to any other medical school make any difference to my career.

While university prestige can be important for other fields (if you wish to go into research, or a handful select picky employers), most just ask for a 2.1, that includes medical schools. In my class there are students that cam from various universities, some are top universities, yes but many are from low ranked universities, and they're thriving at med school.

Please correct your bias towards the so called "high tiered" universities. If you do in fact want to become a doctor for the right reasons, then you should maximise your chances of getting in. That said, I'm not saying you shouldn't have a preference for somewhere, but i'm saying that if your stengths don't match what they are looking for, don't bother apply.

After looking it up, this is what cambridge state in regards to A Level resits:
At Cambridge, students are regularly assessed by examination and there's no opportunity to resit any exams (with the exception of professional qualifying examinations in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine). Therefore, we would be concerned about an applicant who seldom seems to have 'good' days and is retaking large numbers of units, unless this number of retakes was justified by circumstances beyond the applicant’s control and explained in their UCAS reference

I hope you do have some circumstances that explained your original poor A Level results, otherwise i'm sorry to say that applying would be wasting a choice

Here is a link that give inforamtion about medical schools and their resit policy:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_Resit_Policies

I said choose for the town, because you will be living there a minimum of 4 years. Do you think lifestyle isn't a factor?

Reply 17

nexttime

22

There are lots of great reasons to want to go to Cambridge. The place, the college system, the teaching system, the many benefits being ****ing rich brings... but within medicine prestige of med school means very little. Its not like doing banking where you have to be at Oxbridge or you won't get the prestigious jobs (or whatever) - in fact initial job applications are blinded to med school. You can do it to "make your mum proud" if you want but given that you're spending 4 of your prime years in the place you end up, the course structure, and yes factors like the town, would seem more important to me than just getting a pat on the head. Your choice though.

Reply 18

Original post by Freyr

Ok let me recapitulate. In the uk, as far as all all hospitals or anyone in the medical field is concerned. All the medical schools are equal, in fact, the application prrocess for foundtion programmes are even blind to prevent bias.

Yes I went to UCL before, yes its a good university, but that make absolutely no difference to my medical career nor will me studying at imperial compared to any other medical school make any difference to my career.

While university prestige can be important for other fields (if you wish to go into research, or a handful select picky employers), most just ask for a 2.1, that includes medical schools. In my class there are students that cam from various universities, some are top universities, yes but many are from low ranked universities, and they're thriving at med school.

Please correct your bias towards the so called "high tiered" universities. If you do in fact want to become a doctor for the right reasons, then you should maximise your chances of getting in. That said, I'm not saying you shouldn't have a preference for somewhere, but i'm saying that if your stengths don't match what they are looking for, don't bother apply.

After looking it up, this is what cambridge state in regards to A Level resits:
At Cambridge, students are regularly assessed by examination and there's no opportunity to resit any exams (with the exception of professional qualifying examinations in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine). Therefore, we would be concerned about an applicant who seldom seems to have 'good' days and is retaking large numbers of units, unless this number of retakes was justified by circumstances beyond the applicant’s control and explained in their UCAS reference

I hope you do have some circumstances that explained your original poor A Level results, otherwise i'm sorry to say that applying would be wasting a choice

Here is a link that give inforamtion about medical schools and their resit policy:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medical_School_Resit_Policies

I said choose for the town, because you will be living there a minimum of 4 years. Do you think lifestyle isn't a factor?

Interesting, I wasn't aware of that fact. Thank you for enlightening me.

Alright, fair enough, I thought that your first degree had to be from a research intensive university to be more competitive tbh, that is what I got told by one of my chemistry lecturers in my first year.

I did have some circumstances but I thought the resit caveat only applied to those applying for undergraduate medicine anyway? I will email them just to confirm

I'm not saying that thinking about the surroundings and the place you live in is a bad thing, for example, I could never go to a London university because London is far too expensive for me personally. It's just that to me personally I can live just as well in a countryside type university as I can in a city environment. It doesn't make any difference to me. Most graduate entry medicine courses are done by universities in cities in any case so I don't have much choice anyway

Reply 19