[RoadWarrior]

(Original post by allieRAWR!)
Hi, another quick question. It looks like I've managed to get too many placements then I can fill before I applying and I need some help picking and choosing. This is where I stand:

-I go back to college on the 8th of September, giving me 4 full weeks until I start.

- After sending letters to consultants asking to shadow them, I've managed to get a total of four yes' to date, with two -a Consultant in Emergency and Intensive care Medicine and a Physician - being for "around a week" within this holiday period. Some forms need to be filled in before I take the placement and the lady that handles them is away until the 18th, so I expect no placements until the 25th (a max of 2 week placements then before college).

-One of the other consultants I saw today and he let me sit in one of his clinics. He seemed keen on me and is trying to manage a placement (likely to be a day) shadowing a GP as well as a return visit to the hospital under another consultant - looking at ECGs and that kind of stuff.

- I contacted a lady who deals with GP placements and she said she'll try her best to get me a placement within this holiday. IF I get one, it would be a week towards the end doing admin work, nothing practical (i.e. shadowing)

- I've been contacting pharmacies for work there and I might be able to get one for the whole of next week but, less ideally, (but most probable) post the week of the 18th.

Thinking worst case scenario, that they all fall on the last two weeks, what do you think would be the most useful and strongest (when it comes to PS) way of organizing my time? I'm not sure whether to fill the two weeks with two consultants - given they are in different specialties, that might be useful. But, I think a diverse amount of W.E. would be good, and from the pharmacy I expect to see a more social approach to patients then at a surgery/hospital, which I think I could draw on in my PS. I think the GP placement would show I've done my homework and understand an important healthcare structure, but, i'll be doing admin work and, given one of the consultants is organizing me a more eventful day with a GP, don't know if it's worth sacrificing a valuable week. I also think a good idea would be to condense the two hospital week placements into one, but, would this dilute the experience, given they're from two different specialties, so I might miss valuable things??

Sorry for the long post, cheers!

erm firstly - well done, you've got lots of work experience, and when you can choose which ones you want, you know you've done well!

I think the pharmacy stuff is less important than the other stuff, but I'm not really in any position to comment, so I'll leave it to others to help you. Sorry, I don't want to give any wrong advice!

Could you possibly ask some of them to do work experience at another time - possible half-term holidays or something?

[Hogwarts]

Hi everyone I'm new here.I live in Bulgaria, but in the summer I come here for about two months.Since I've decided that I want to apply for medicine when I gratuate from highschool, I need to have some WE.Now I'm 16, but next summer I'll be 17, so I think there will be no problem.I heart someone that he's watched operations and cool things like that, and my question is Is anyone in the hospital will allow me first to shadow a doctor(since maybe i'm too young for WE)I heart that you must be in highschool, but...)and these stuff with the watching of the operations, is it for the older students, who are shadowing, or just they just let him to watch.And one last question do I need to have some medical knowledge to have this WE, or it's just seing what it's like to be a doctor, will I like it, and these kind of things.Thanks

[angelmxxx]

hi Hogwarts - you don't need any medical knowledge to shadow a doctor (well maybe basic gcse biology) but nothing special! If you're not in england until July it could be quite hard to organise though, I suggest you start to look up doctors and write to them now, so try and organise it before you go back to bulgaria

Also, you probably need some long term caring experience - can you volunteer in a nursing home or hospice or school for disabled children or anything in bulgaria? Also, any work experience you get shadowing doctors in a hopsital/gp in bulgaria will count as well, so maybe try and get some there because it'll probably be easier for you?

are you doing Alevels btw?

[Isometrix]

when doing work experience in a caring environment...does it count if you help out at an inner city school? or do they want something more like a hospice, nursing home, disability institution..?

[angelmxxx]

(Original post by Isometrix)
when doing work experience in a caring environment...does it count if you help out at an inner city school? or do they want something more like a hospice, nursing home, disability institution..?

I think that would be really good, because you're showing you can interact with people in a different situation to you, and you don't have any social prejudices... as long as you can take something out of it that you can use in your PS/interview, and that will help you confirm that you want to do medicine, it's all good

[jj11]

Just wondering, are the following worthwhile work experiences:

1)at a GP
2)at a primary school
3)at a hospital
4)at a disabled school
5)at a care home
6)in a supermarket

[jj11]

does someone have any other suggestions. Whic ones should I do for long termand those for short term

[RoadWarrior]

(Original post by jj11)
Just wondering, are the following worthwhile work experiences:

1)at a GP
2)at a primary school
3)at a hospital
4)at a disabled school
5)at a care home
6)in a supermarket

yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes

Long term ones could be at the care home or working with the disabled children. Anything you enjoy and are willing to spend time to do.

[jj11]

do u recommend long term for hospital

[RoadWarrior]

(Original post by jj11)
do u recommend long term for hospital

If you can get it, then yes, but if it is admin work, rather than clinical work, it may be boring.

You only have so much time for work experience when you go back to school. Don't sacrifice time from your schoolwork and leave some time to relax otherwise you'll just burn out

What part of London are you in?

[Hogwarts]

(Original post by angelmxxx)
are you doing Alevels btw?

Well in Bulgaria we don't have GCSEs or A levels.Nothing like that.We have only national exams which are Bulgarian and a subject that we must choose.And that's all.And for the university I must pass Ielts , because english isn't my first language...And what do you mean by searching doctors eve now.Isn't it very soon?I mean shadowing for the next summer,so maybe I must search doctors next summer when I get here, or not?Do you think that I must start searching doctors before getting in England next summer?

[angelmxxx]

(Original post by Hogwarts)
Well in Bulgaria we don't have GCSEs or A levels.Nothing like that.We have only national exams which are Bulgarian and a subject that we must choose.And that's all.And for the university I must pass Ielts , because english isn't my first language...And what do you mean by searching doctors eve now.Isn't it very soon?I mean shadowing for the next summer,so maybe I must search doctors next summer when I get here, or not?Do you think that I must start searching doctors before getting in England next summer?

Make sure you check with the medical schools that you want to apply to are completely happy with your qualifications/you're sure what grades etc. you need - some of them might need you to take a foundation year or apply for a 6year course

And no, if you arrive here in July with no contacts I think it will be very hard for you to find some work experience; I wrote to about 10 consultants in April and only recieved one offer (and she only had 1 week available in June), so write as early as possible! Also, CRB checks etc. can take a long time so you need to organise work experience it early to allow time for that.

Also, remember lots of doctors will be on holiday for part of the summer, so this could make it hard for you to get short-notice work experience. Anyway, there's nothing wrong with being enthusiastic and applying early (I applied for my summer 2007 work experience in April 2006!). Also, it might take you longer to explain your situation, and it'll take longer for them to send forms to you in Bulgaria and you to return them, so I'd definitely say write to some doctors as soon as possible.

Do you have any contacts, or are you just going to write to lots of doctors in the area where you'll be staying (do you have a house over here)? And remember that long-term experience is much, much more important than a week of shadowing a doctor, so try to get some long-term voluntary work in Bulgaria

[Hogwarts]

well actually i don't have any contact of Doctors in Egland, neither in Bulgaria.I thinkI'll just write to many doctors, and wait for the results.I actually study in highschool in bulgaria, but I come in england for the summer holiday.Our school year is from 15th of Sept, to 30th of June.So i thinkI have a lot of time to spend for the WE.
Do you actually go on an interview, before accepting you on WE in the hospital?Or they maybe just tell you what they decided?
And what actually can you do in a long-term voluntary I mean, can you for example help the nurses with something , rather than just sitting next to some doctor, and watching which question does he ask the patient?
Thanks for the answers

[angelmxxx]

(Original post by Hogwarts)
well actually i don't have any contact of Doctors in Egland, neither in Bulgaria.I thinkI'll just write to many doctors, and wait for the results.I actually study in highschool in bulgaria, but I come in england for the summer holiday.Our school year is from 15th of Sept, to 30th of June.So i thinkI have a lot of time to spend for the WE.
Do you actually go on an interview, before accepting you on WE in the hospital?Or they maybe just tell you what they decided?
And what actually can you do in a long-term voluntary I mean, can you for example help the nurses with something , rather than just sitting next to some doctor, and watching which question does he ask the patient?
Thanks for the answers

If you don't have any contacts (like I didn't), you'll definitely need to write to lots (and I mean lots!) early on, try writing to individual consultants (you can find their names/details on NHS hospital websites), and also asking the voluntary services manager/human resources manager at each hopsital + GP.

Some hopsitals/GPs need you to go for an interview, or do a telephone interview, some don't - it's all done on an individual basis and each hospital department/each doctor has different rules about whether they're allowed to let any work experience students shadow them, etc. There's loads and loads of paperwork which has to be filled in, so that's why it takes so long!

Long-term voluntary work is usually essential to your application (look at some uni's websites to see how much they value it!). This could mean:

- helping in a nursery/school for disabled children (giving them individual help in lessons, supervising them in the playground, possibly teaching some classes for short periods of time)
- helping in a nursing home (talking to the residents, reading them the news, helping give out drinks, etc)
- volunteering in a hospital (taking to patients on the wards, giving out food, reading to very ill patients, etc.)
- working in a pharmacy/GP's dispensary

You can't do anything major like taking blood or anything, for obvious reasons! But you can gain experience of what it's like being a junior member of staff, and also use the experience of talking to patients etc. to show that you're committed (and patient) enough and care enough to do a 5/6 year degree in medicine + then work with people for 40+ years!

[Hogwarts]

Is there any special form, or i don't know maybe some form that I must complete to apply for WE, or just I have to send letters to doctors which work in my area...I mean it's just a regular letter, just like that?

[angelmxxx]

(Original post by Hogwarts)
Is there any special form, or i don't know maybe some form that I must complete to apply for WE, or just I have to send letters to doctors which work in my area...I mean it's just a regular letter, just like that?

Just write a covering letter + send that with a CV to the human resources dept. of each hospital, and also to any specific doctors that you can find the names of.

Good luck!

[Hogwarts]

thaaaaaanks for your help.I really appreciate it very much.I want to ask you about your WE.When you sent a letter to apply in the hospital, did you sent it for volunteering for the next summer, or they just told you that they have a place for the next summer, because I'm afraid, that they'll say it's too early for application for the next summer...

PS:do you have some skype account or MSN
and again THAAAAANKS for the help

[Hyeree]

heh ended my 4 week summerjob at the hospital today.
and even though i didnt watch any operations, i think i learnt a lot.. not just about medicine but about people in general definitely worthwhile! ^^
now an interview at ronald mcdonald ... =D

[angelmxxx]

(Original post by Hogwarts)
thaaaaaanks for your help.I really appreciate it very much.I want to ask you about your WE.When you sent a letter to apply in the hospital, did you sent it for volunteering for the next summer, or they just told you that they have a place for the next summer, because I'm afraid, that they'll say it's too early for application for the next summer...

PS:do you have some skype account or MSN
and again THAAAAANKS for the help

glad i could be of some help!

well when i sent the letter for work exp at a hotel they said it was fine that I applied early, and when I applied to the hospitals in April this year for this summer, the few who replied said they were all full and were fully booked up until 2009 (except the one who had the spare week). They won't say it's too early (if they do they'll tell you to write back again in jan/feb probably, so you'll have reserved yourself a place on the list anyway!)

There's really nothing to lose by sending them early, imagine how annoying it'll be if you apply next year and they're all full

And yes, PM if you want a copy of the covering letter I sent or anything, and I'll give you my msn (should have got a new one by then)!

[Demon_AS]

Applied 2006 for 2007 entry.

Did 6 weeks of admin work in a medical centre.

Shadowed an orthopaedic consultant for a fortnight.

Has a family member that requires constant care.

All that plus a load of extra-curriculars like sports, music (play guitar), and a strong interest in reading books .