Mature Student with child - needs advise on clinical placements

Hello everyone, i want to apply to either Diagnostic Radiography or Optometry starting Sept 2011 and really need some advise on the clinical placement situation. I am a single mum and my family live abroad so no one around to help out with childcare. Most universities have a creche but they all close at 5.30 - not helpful if you are working shifts/nights/wkends! Does anyone have experience of how to organise placements near to creche or how do you cope? It seems only BCU would be helpful for Diagnostic Radiography, as they said placements are 9 - 5 Mon - Fri.

Any mature students in my situation doing Optometry or Diagnostic Radiography??

All helpful advise gratefully received! :smile:

Reply 1

alancane

For Radiography, as far as I am aware, first year is pretty much 9-5 and then 2nd or 3rd year there tends to be some shift work.
Have you called the Universities to discuss your situation and if there is anything they can do?
You might also want to contact the society of radiographers and ask for their help/thoughts and if there is anything that can be done.

Good luck.

Reply 2

allypal123

Hi

I'm also a mature SP, about to start OT course next week, so a little different but there are still placements. Although these are 9-5 I found out only last week that some lectures will run til 6. My child is school age and I have a bit of a commute in too so it was looking unmanageable.

I found it really helpful to speak with the course leads/lecturers rather than the admin staff. Admin tended to just give me the same old "its a full time course, you must have fail-proof childcare" every time I spoke with them, and it was hard explaining the differences between just juggling afterschool club or needing afterschool club plus something else, without feeling like I was not committed to the course. The course leads were able to give me the info I needed and seemed to have a more realistic/sympathetic view of things - so my advise would be speak to course lead if possible and explain your situation. Ofcourse, al Unis and courses are different

Good luck with it!

Reply 3

puddlejumper

2

You would do better getting a child minder who will work around your shifts rather than a creche which will expect you to be more regular in your attendance.

Perhaps you could find another student on your course and arrange for the childminder to look after both sets of children at your house or your friends house and split the cost between you?

Reply 4

Otter71

How old is the child? If they're over 8 years old the rules are more flexible and you might be able to organise something with a friend? But since you mention hospital creches I'm assuming pre-school such that sharing child care is something you'd just hope no one got wind of (Ofsted don't like it if they do unless you both register as childminders). If you can do it, I'd find the most flexible childminder you can, but this can be more luck than judgement and subject to their not finding a better offer... Or wait 'til the child is older. I thought mine was watertight for nursing but it ceased to be far sooner than I'd thought...

Reply 5

louise_1229

7

puddlejumper

You would do better getting a child minder who will work around your shifts rather than a creche which will expect you to be more regular in your attendance.

Perhaps you could find another student on your course and arrange for the childminder to look after both sets of children at your house or your friends house and split the cost between you?

exactly what i was going to say

Mature Student with child - needs advise on clinical placements

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