Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or done?
Discussion for A-Level students and for those choosing their A-Level subjects.
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dIt's not how much you do; it's what you get from it. That's what I was always told at the open days, and in your personal statement and interviews you need to be able to communicate that you really got a feel for what the job was like when you did your work experience. I only did 5 days overall - 2 days in A and E and 3 days in a GP surgery. I've got an unconditional, and I know a lot of people who did loads more than me and didn't get in. It's all about being able to reflect on your experiences (:
More to the point, volunteering at your local care home is always a good plan. I did that for a bit. As long as you have a bit in a hospital/GP surgery and are able to talk about it you should be fine
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or d(Original post by Future_Dr)
If your a current medical student, then how many voluntary work should be sufficient? Which sort? for How long? Thank you.
exactly what the person above has said, I know people who have had 2 months worth of hosp experience and 5 years of volunteering but because they were effectively listing it off, it backfired. So its about quality, and what you gained.
congrats! which uni is your uncon for? and did you gap year? I'm considering a gap year before applying next year(Original post by JackG1)
It's not how much you do; it's what you get from it. That's what I was always told at the open days, and in your personal statement and interviews you need to be able to communicate that you really got a feel for what the job was like when you did your work experience. I only did 5 days overall - 2 days in A and E and 3 days in a GP surgery. I've got an unconditional, and I know a lot of people who did loads more than me and didn't get in. It's all about being able to reflect on your experiences (:
More to the point, volunteering at your local care home is always a good plan. I did that for a bit. As long as you have a bit in a hospital/GP surgery and are able to talk about it you should be fine
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dHow easy was it for you to get the work experience
Our GP surgery has said no to my daughter citing "confidentiality" is it easier to get into a hospital e.g. A&E or did you simply know someone that you could talk to -
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dFind a GP from an ethnic minority background (S. Asian in particular), they tend to be more willing to allow students to do work shadowing.(Original post by TenOfThem)
How easy was it for you to get the work experience
Our GP surgery has said no to my daughter citing "confidentiality" is it easier to get into a hospital e.g. A&E or did you simply know someone that you could talk to (Well it's what I have noticed)
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dThanks(Original post by sony-pony)
Find a GP from an ethnic minority background (S. Asian in particular), they tend to be more willing to allow students to do work shadowing. (Well it's what I have noticed)
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dTry a GP further away, who doesn't treat you or your family.(Original post by TenOfThem)
How easy was it for you to get the work experience
Our GP surgery has said no to my daughter citing "confidentiality" is it easier to get into a hospital e.g. A&E or did you simply know someone that you could talk to -
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dGood thinking ... less likely to be seeing people she knows ... I will suggest that(Original post by Pandabär)
Try a GP further away, who doesn't treat you or your family. -
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dI did about 9 months once a week in the A&E department of a big hospital, with no other medical work experience, and I've got three offers(Original post by Future_Dr)
If your a current medical student, then how many voluntary work should be sufficient? Which sort? for How long? Thank you. As previous posters have said, it's the quality and what you get out of it (specifically how you write about it in your PS) that matter, not the quantity.
Hope this helps
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dI'd definitely say its the quality of the work experience and what you learn from it. When I was doing my short stint in A&E, one of the consultants said to me "You're not doing the work experience to learn medicine, that's why your going to medical school". You want to be doing things where you can learn how things are run, as well as things like "communication skills" and getting a fair idea of what your life is actually going to be when you (hopefully) become a doctor
Last edited by Jamal B; 17-03-2012 at 15:30. Reason: Don't want to sound too cynical... -
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dA lot of people do do this it seems, and it would give you an insight into how the practice works, but not what the doctor does. So yeah its a bit useful, but probably not enough.
EDIT: Oh, and for my volunteering - the first time I applied I had been volunteering at my hospital once a week for about a year, and was just starting some volunteering with Age UK. Second time round, I'd stopped doing the hospital volunteering, had been doing Age UK for about a year, and had done a week and a half on holiday with Sense. However, what I actually wrote about was mostly Sense, and a small mention of Age UK and hospital volunteering (literally, about a sentence each)Last edited by twelve; 17-03-2012 at 15:31. -
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dTry asking a GP surgery that is a bit further away, so the people that come in aren't people you might know.(Original post by TenOfThem)
How easy was it for you to get the work experience
Our GP surgery has said no to my daughter citing "confidentiality" is it easier to get into a hospital e.g. A&E or did you simply know someone that you could talk to -
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Re: Prospective Medical Students: What kind of voluntary work have you commenced or dDundee(Original post by AishaTara)
congrats! which uni is your uncon for? and did you gap year? I'm considering a gap year before applying next year
