Work Experience - How To?

Hi, since starting college I've been seriously considering becoming a doctor, and know without work experience I probably won't even be considered. On top of that, I personally want the experience to ensure this is something I want to commit myself to.

So, given my limited knowledge, can anyone advise me on what work experience would be best, and how to go about getting it? I was thinking of volunteering at nursing and old peoples homes, simply phoning up and asking to help out once every say sunday for a few months, but preferably I'd want something more direct, like at a hospital or shadowing of some sort. How would I go about getting this?

Cheers!

Reply 1

cookiedoughmonster

Apart from ringing nursing homes and hospitals, you could see if your school has any contacts, any ex-pupils who have gone into careers in medecine or if any of your friends have parents who you could shadow. I know that universities also like you to have voluntary work for medecine, so if you could get a weekend job helping in a charity shop or something like that.

Reply 2

~ Purple Rose ~

PS Reviewer

Most hospitals have a voluntary department, so try and get in touch with them - look on the NHS website for details. Contacting nursing homes etc is a good idea, maybe send a copy of your CV to them and then if you don't hear anything, follow it up with a phone call a couple of weeks later.
www.do-it.org is a good resource for volunteers, if you put in where you are it will tell you the things you can do in your area.
Also, check out www.vitalise.org.uk - I've volunteered for them before, and gives you good experience of care work.

Reply 3

kinglrb

Well, I got a contact list and I wrote a set of dates I can do work experience. Then I phoned up every GP, hospital, hospice, carehome in the area. I will be starting a saturday job at an hospice and I've been sorting out work experience with a private hospital who are currently running checks on me. As for NHS hospitals you might just want to write in because that is what they always tell you to do. You might want to go in and ask at a GP personally I think it helps when your dressing smart etc. You could use some contacts but I find them highly unreliable. My dad, uncle, cousins and my dad's friends are all doctors and they've all said they'll do something but none of them have sorted anything out for me. Plus it might be a better experience with someone you don't know.

Reply 4

allieRAWR!

Managed to get some, my college has connections with a hospital here in Manchester and every year get some experience going.

Soooooooo, this May I'll be shadowing a doctor at a hospital! I'm sooooooooo happy, I was stressing so much!

I called some hospitals up before I found out about this, and I'm still going to get my name down on the waiting lists when they open up. And, like everyone says, diversity in experience is a bonus, so I'll be calling up care homes, hospices and GPs.

But yeh, thanks alot to everyone that replied, it really did help.

Reply 5

exit.music

Send lots of letters!

Write a list of all the health-related places in you area - e.g Hospitals, GP Surgeries, Care Homes, Hospices, and anywhere else you can think that practice medicine, or any type of caring role.

Then, write very polite letters to all of them requesting work experience, remember to explain you are interested in medicine in the letter. You probably won't get replies from many, but just one reply of an offer is great.
If this fails, go in person to these places and ask about work experience roles. Many PCTs actually have departments for the organisation of work experience now, so ask to speak to them.

You will also need to get long term caring/voluntary/charity experience. Ask for a voluntary position in a local hospice or care home, or even hospital. Join an organisation like St John Ambulance or the Red Cross and contribute that way. You could even work in a charity shop for a few hours a week - it shows you are both charitable and dedicated.

Keep sending those letters and you are bound to get something!

Work Experience - How To?

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