*Closed* - Work Experience and Voluntary Work [Part 1 of 2]

Original post by DibbyDabby

For one general hospitals I got a form from my school's careers advisor to send to the hospital and then they emailed me.

For another hospital I went to the hospital open day and whilst there met the work experience coordinator.

And for the third hospital I got shadowing at I basically emailed every address on their website until one replied and gave me to someone who could organise a placement.

I also tried calling all the gp surgeries in my area but none of them were willing to take work experience students but at that point I felt I had enough experience to talk about.

I found it quite difficult to organise getting into hospitals, and was lucky that I started early . The first placement was the quickest to arrange and that took about six months from sending the form to my shadowing starting.

I would definitely recommend also volunteering as places such as care homes are always looking for help. I found it is much easier to get into and long term volunteering is going to teach you more valuable skills to following around a doctor for a couple of days ( in my opinion)

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My school has given us a form to fill in for work experience at a local hospital but I havent recieved a reply yet :/

I have also started making letters to some hospitals near my school (they are mostly mental hospitals/ treating dementia etc...) IS THAT OKAY?

Also in the letter I ask for voluntary experience, or should I change it to "work experience"?

I also mentioned that I'm available during weekends afterschool (around 4.00) for a few hours. Is that okay?

Reply 8302

Original post by shohaib712

My school has given us a form to fill in for work experience at a local hospital but I havent recieved a reply yet :/

I have also started making letters to some hospitals near my school (they are mostly mental hospitals/ treating dementia etc...) IS THAT OKAY?

Also in the letter I ask for voluntary experience, or should I change it to "work experience"?

I also mentioned that I'm available during weekends afterschool (around 4.00) for a few hours. Is that okay?

Do you have any contact details for the hospital? It might be worth writing a nice email to check that they received it.

I definitely think it is worth seeing the mental health side of medicine and one which a lot of people don't even think about getting work experience in. I did a week in mental health and talked loads about on my personal statement. None of the other medicine applicants at my school had done shadowing outside of physical health so hopefully talking about my experience will make me stand out .

I did my work experience during school holidays rather than as a regular thing after school mostly because that's what the hospitals preferred but my volunteering was weekly so I thinks it's good to have some variety buy go for whatever works for you :smile:

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Reply 8303

Thanks for help!!!!!
I'll go to my career advisor and ask if he has sent it in yet.

Should I ask for work experienxe or voluntary experience in my personal statement?

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Reply 8304

gdickenson

6

Hey I was wondering if anyone could help - I need to fill in a supporting statement about 'why would you like to be considered for work experience at the NNUH' (my nearest hospital). It is for a non-medical observation placement where you shadow and listen to talks, ask questions, do some skill stuff etc.
In the supporting statement do I need to say about how I have good communication skills, am committed etc with examples of how or do I just need to say how learning in a hospital would help me in my aspirations to be a doctor.
I'm really confused please help as they only give you a small box (plus extra sheet if you need) and my friend only wrote 3 sentences but I have written in draft like 250 words about my skills.
Thanks x

Reply 8305

Lol they aren't asking for an essay. Just say why you want to work there, why not any other hospital and what you could gain from the experience. Simple.

(That's like 3 sentences lol. - probably a bit more)

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Reply 8306

You could at least say thanks ahole b*itch

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Reply 8307

gdickenson

6

ha i'm sorry only just read the reply. Thanks though x

Reply 8308

starstudent7

Hi everyone :smile:

I am in year 12 and thinking of applying for medicine so I have managed to find 1 week placement at a care home? I was wondering if one week is enough for unis or if I need more. Your help will be appreciated by a rep. :smile:

Thank you so much :u:

Reply 8309

DamnDaniel2

Original post by starstudent7

Hi everyone :smile:

I am in year 12 and thinking of applying for medicine so I have managed to find 1 week placement at a care home? I was wondering if one week is enough for unis or if I need more. Your help will be appreciated by a rep. :smile:

Thank you so much :u:

1 week is enough shadowing a doctor/surgeon but not a care home. Remember you're up against people who have been volunteering at a hospital for many months and 1 week at a care home isn't too interesting tbh!

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Reply 8310

flyingpanda

13

Original post by starstudent7

Hi everyone :smile:

I am in year 12 and thinking of applying for medicine so I have managed to find 1 week placement at a care home? I was wondering if one week is enough for unis or if I need more. Your help will be appreciated by a rep. :smile:

Thank you so much :u:

Well it's not like it's a strict requirement to have x many of hours.

However, work experience is really a chance to show your passion and commitment to pursue medicine, and how it's a decision you've really thought out and tried to learn more about.

But some medical schools do really want evidence, of this. I know Keele make you fill out a Roles and Responsibilities form that asks you about any work experience and charity work you've undertaken, so regularly going to a place would be beneficial to show that long-term commitment.

The most important aspect of work experience is being able to reflect on what you learned, more than the amount of hours. If you can really think introspectively about your work experience and talk about it, then that's what medical schools want.

Reply 8311

flyingpanda

13

Original post by DibbyDabby

For one general hospitals I got a form from my school's careers advisor to send to the hospital and then they emailed me.

For another hospital I went to the hospital open day and whilst there met the work experience coordinator.

And for the third hospital I got shadowing at I basically emailed every address on their website until one replied and gave me to someone who could organise a placement.

I also tried calling all the gp surgeries in my area but none of them were willing to take work experience students but at that point I felt I had enough experience to talk about.

I found it quite difficult to organise getting into hospitals, and was lucky that I started early . The first placement was the quickest to arrange and that took about six months from sending the form to my shadowing starting.

I would definitely recommend also volunteering as places such as care homes are always looking for help. I found it is much easier to get into and long term volunteering is going to teach you more valuable skills to following around a doctor for a couple of days ( in my opinion)

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Aha, what you've done is really good. Unfortunately for my area, there was a 10 month waiting list for hospital work experience, so I didn't really focus on applying there.

And ringing up so many care homes in the area only resulting in get the reply "we don't take any volunteers under 18," which was frustrating.

I ended up just having to do some long term work experience in a pharmacy, and a small charity thing in school, where we organised fun days at care homes.

Reply 8312

Original post by flyingpanda

Aha, what you've done is really good. Unfortunately for my area, there was a 10 month waiting list for hospital work experience, so I didn't really focus on applying there.

And ringing up so many care homes in the area only resulting in get the reply "we don't take any volunteers under 18," which was frustrating.

I ended up just having to do some long term work experience in a pharmacy, and a small charity thing in school, where we organised fun days at care homes.

Yeah it can be so difficult to organise placements!

Have you applied this year ?

Reply 8313

username2312801

Hi,
I've done work experience for 1 week at boots pharmacy and i've done charity work. i'm looking for volunteering at a home care in christmas and hopefully i will be doing work experience at a hospital next year. I'm planning to study medicine in the future. Do you think this is fine or do i need more ? Also is there any websites that tell you that a certain home care does work experience/ volunteering ?
Thanks x

Reply 8314

flyingpanda

13

Original post by DibbyDabby

Yeah it can be so difficult to organise placements!

Have you applied this year ?

Yep.

My teacher told me not to apply as well, cause he thought I wouldn't get my personal statement ready in time (like 2 months before the deadline.) But I thought, why not just go for it and use that as experience if I need to reapply next year.

Reply 8315

Original post by nisha.sri

Hi,
I've done work experience for 1 week at boots pharmacy and i've done charity work. i'm looking for volunteering at a home care in christmas and hopefully i will be doing work experience at a hospital next year. I'm planning to study medicine in the future. Do you think this is fine or do i need more ? Also is there any websites that tell you that a certain home care does work experience/ volunteering ?
Thanks x

I think that a pharmacy , care home and a hospital will be plenty of work experience as it's more about what you learnt than how much you did.

I found most care homes near me didn't have websites. The place I volunteered at was listed on the council's website with a telephone number.

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Reply 8316

Original post by flyingpanda

Yep.

My teacher told me not to apply as well, cause he thought I wouldn't get my personal statement ready in time (like 2 months before the deadline.) But I thought, why not just go for it and use that as experience if I need to reapply next year.

Yeah definitely and I've noticed so many places don't even look at personal statements !

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Reply 8317

username2312801

Original post by DibbyDabby

I think that a pharmacy , care home and a hospital will be plenty of work experience as it's more about what you learnt than how much you did.

I found most care homes near me didn't have websites. The place I volunteered at was listed on the council's website with a telephone number.

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Ah thanks I will check my council out

Reply 8318

starstudent7

Original post by DibbyDabby

I think that a pharmacy , care home and a hospital will be plenty of work experience as it's more about what you learnt than how much you did.

I found most care homes near me didn't have websites. The place I volunteered at was listed on the council's website with a telephone number.

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Heya how long did you volunteer at a care home for? I am currently doing one week placement but doing you think I need more? I was thinking of doing weekends from then on? Your help would be appreciated. Thank you :smile:

Reply 8319