Is a job in the NHS an ok substitute for work experience?

Ward based work/actually working with patients in the NHS trumps shadowing.

Unless you're just filing stuff, in which case no it does not beat it.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 2

OP

Original post by Zorg

Ward based work/actually working with patients in the NHS trumps shadowing.

Yes but i don't do much. I'm just a domestic assistant and i do like tea rounds, banter with the patients, help them with their dinner and stuff. It's good and i like it cos it give me a chance to observe and experience the hospital environment but there's never any doctors around and if there are they are super busy.
Wb you? How much work ex did you do?

Reply 3

Original post by tinababy

Yes but i don't do much. I'm just a domestic assistant and i do like tea rounds, banter with the patients, help them with their dinner and stuff. It's good and i like it cos it give me a chance to observe and experience the hospital environment but there's never any doctors around and if there are they are super busy.
Wb you? How much work ex did you do?

10 months HCA work, 1 week GP and 2 days respiratory specialist.

The HCA was the one I spoke about most at interview. I just get on with my own work and occasionally speak to doctors. Very rarely do I actually get to help/watch them do things.
Trust me experience is more important than shadowing, once you have a few weeks shadowing you're sorted.

Reply 4

OP

Original post by Zorg

10 months HCA work, 1 week GP and 2 days respiratory specialist.

The HCA was the one I spoke about most at interview. I just get on with my own work and occasionally speak to doctors. Very rarely do I actually get to help/watch them do things.
Trust me experience is more important than shadowing, once you have a few weeks shadowing you're sorted.

Yeah that's pretty much the same for me. Rarely do i speak to medical staff. Did the interviewers like that sort of stuff the most, were they quite impressed by it? More so than shadowing?

Reply 5

Original post by tinababy

Yeah that's pretty much the same for me. Rarely do i speak to medical staff. Did the interviewers like that sort of stuff the most, were they quite impressed by it? More so than shadowing?

Most medical schools will tell you they prefer actual experience in giving care/guidance/support more than shadowing.
I know loads of people who have got in without any shadowing but have work/care experience to draw on.

Reply 6

Etomidate

15

I think it's part of the package.

A job like that will set you up in regards to speaking with patients, showing that you're not afraid to get your hands dirty, knowledge of how a hospital works, knowing how much it sucks to be an inpatient.

Work experience, however, tells you about the job as a doctor, their responsibilities, how they work with other members of the team. It tells you whether or not you actually want to be a doctor.

They both have different purposes and ideally you need both experiences.

Reply 7

OP

Original post by Zorg

Most medical schools will tell you they prefer actual experience in giving care/guidance/support more than shadowing.
I know loads of people who have got in without any shadowing but have work/care experience to draw on.

That's ok then :smile:

so do you think my 2 weeks in the hospital and my job should be enough? I have also been volunteering at a local care care home for three years but im not sure how relevant good that is. I'll get some more during the summer hols if you think it's not enough.

Reply 8

Original post by tinababy

That's ok then :smile:

so do you think my 2 weeks in the hospital and my job should be enough? I have also been volunteering at a local care care home for three years but im not sure how relevant good that is. I'll get some more during the summer hols if you think it's not enough.

Care home and hospital sounds best. Yeah, but keep trying to find more experience. Just don't let it get in the way of the rest of your application.

I can understand your not knowing what is enough, but not knowing which you learnt more from makes me wonder if you've reflected well on your experiences.
Doesn't matter if you've spent decades in the NHS if you don't actually understand it and can't articulate that.

Sit down and write what you've learnt from each job and relate that to medicine, I will assure you you should have far more written down from the care home and the ward than your shadowing.

Reply 9

Ezme39

19

Original post by tinababy

That's ok then :smile:

so do you think my 2 weeks in the hospital and my job should be enough? I have also been volunteering at a local care care home for three years but im not sure how relevant good that is. I'll get some more during the summer hols if you think it's not enough.

It's the hospital environment that matters, and what you've learnt from it, not necessarily direct contact with doctors :smile:

The care home experience is perfect. They basically look for- long term volunteering with vulnerable people, a hospital insight, and diverse communication skills/ teamwork. Your experiences already cover these, so you're on track :biggrin:

Reply 10

OP

Original post by Etomidate

I think it's part of the package.

A job like that will set you up in regards to speaking with patients, showing that you're not afraid to get your hands dirty, knowledge of how a hospital works, knowing how much it sucks to be an inpatient.

Work experience, however, tells you about the job as a doctor, their responsibilities, how they work with other members of the team. It tells you whether or not you actually want to be a doctor.

They both have different purposes and ideally you need both experiences.

See that's what i am wondering about. I have only spent a couple of days with an actual doctor cause i have zero connections in that sense and I've pretty much got my two weeks in the hospital thanks to my school. During my job they are so busy and obviously don't need nor care about the domestics. How did you go about finding work ex?

Reply 11

OP

Original post by Zorg

Care home and hospital sounds best. Yeah, but keep trying to find more experience. Just don't let it get in the way of the rest of your application.

I can understand your not knowing what is enough, but not knowing which you learnt more from makes me wonder if you've reflected well on your experiences.
Doesn't matter if you've spent decades in the NHS if you don't actually understand it and can't articulate that.

Sit down and write what you've learnt from each job and relate that to medicine, I will assure you you should have far more written down from the care home and the ward than your shadowing.

Oh yes i have definitely learnt the most from my work in the hospital and it often has given me so much to think about. I have seen a lot the past year from a side perspective. I have seen patients being neglected and mistreated, experienced staff bitchiness, and interacted with people who had only days left. I have learnt so much about hospital procedures and just simply having a job and the responsibilities that come with that.

I have to say however that it was quite difficult for me to see such ill patients especially since all i could do was give them a cup of tea even though i wanted to know so much more so that I could help and maybe make an actual difference in their lives. It was really hard hitting when you spent weeks getting to know these people and then had to clean their room and bin the remains of their existance after they passed away. It's really what made me realise more than ever that i want to be a doctor.

Oh well I'll try to get some more work ex anyway just in case. What is the best way to go about it? who do I contact?

Reply 12

OP

Original post by Ezme39

It's the hospital environment that matters, and what you've learnt from it, not necessarily direct contact with doctors :smile:

The care home experience is perfect. They basically look for- long term volunteering with vulnerable people, a hospital insight, and diverse communication skills/ teamwork. Your experiences already cover these, so you're on track :biggrin:

That's what I thought but I don't really know what the interviewers like the most. I thought about getting more work ex but it's just so hard to get some here especially the juicy stuff :wink:

I once nearly got into endoscopy to watch a whole list of procedures but the doctor came out all annoyed saying to the staff nurses that no student will go into this or any theater and i was sitting right beside him going red from embarrassment. I did however watch minor surgeries with the wittiest and hottest surgeon i have ever seen. I was in love with him after a minute...so was the FY1 though. It was amazing!...the procedures I mean :wink:

Reply 13

Etomidate

15

Original post by tinababy

See that's what i am wondering about. I have only spent a couple of days with an actual doctor cause i have zero connections in that sense and I've pretty much got my two weeks in the hospital thanks to my school. During my job they are so busy and obviously don't need nor care about the domestics. How did you go about finding work ex?

I just filled out the application form that is available at most trusts. You can find them on the respective trust's website, usually under volunteering, join us, or education.

By doing this I gained 7-14 day placements at four different hospitals.

Reply 14

Snake_Doctor

1

As an aside, now you have your foot in the door, ask the FY1 to ask the consultant or registrar if you can shadow them.

One of our HCA's really wants to do medicine, and they come in on days off to shadow the medical team, they keep a diary of their shadowing time and its exceptionally good personal-statement stuff) Find a nice FY1 and nice consultant and you'll be laughing!.

Reply 15

Chief Wiggum

20

Original post by tinababy

Yes but i don't do much. I'm just a domestic assistant and i do like tea rounds, banter with the patients, help them with their dinner and stuff. It's good and i like it cos it give me a chance to observe and experience the hospital environment but there's never any doctors around and if there are they are super busy.
Wb you? How much work ex did you do?

Could you not just ask a doctor in the hospital if you can follow them around for a few days that you aren't working?

Whilst what you're doing is useful for a medicine application, I can understand that you might want a bit more insight into the day-to-day job of a doctor.

Reply 16

OP