[InvisibleFootprint]

Hi there,
I recommend you find a more suitable forum area to post, but here is a website advising on medicine:
http://www.medschoolsonline.co.uk/index.php?pageid=135

Hope it helps.
Thanks

[Bubble87]

Try and get some work as a healthcare assistant. It teaches you vital communication and people skills which the majority of doctors really don't have. There are 2 HCAs on my ward currently who are going into medicine, one has got on to graduate entry at Southampton for September and the other is doing 2 years work experience. Unis will value this type of experience more highly than simple shadowing days for example, although you should do this as well!

[iSoftie]

Hello TSR,

I've contacted around 5 surgeries around my area asking if they offer work experience, they all have space to do something like that but they said it is not possible due to Customer Confidentiality. I know this is an important thing but how comes I hear about other TSR users going to do work experience in GP surgeries? So I'm guessing this shouldn't be a problem? Because I'd like to see how a surgery works instead of a hospital as I have done work experience at a hospital already which was very beneficial

Or should I just do work experience in a hospital?

Thanks in Advance

The guy who negged me should die.

[purplefrog]

Why not go to a GP practice a little further away from your local area then? Unless you live in a rural area, there must be an abundance of GPs near you.

And yes, also keep searching for work experience in other places too such as hospitals, play schemes/nursing homes, hospices and the like.

[lils129]

try some private gp practices

[TooSexyForMyStethoscope]

(Original post by iSoftie)
Hello TSR,

I've contacted around 5 surgeries around my area asking if they offer work experience, they all have space to do something like that but they said it is not possible due to Customer Confidentiality. I know this is an important thing but how comes I hear about other TSR users going to do work experience in GP surgeries? So I'm guessing this shouldn't be a problem? Because I'd like to see how a surgery works instead of a hospital as I have done work experience at a hospital already which was very beneficial

Or should I just do work experience in a hospital?

Thanks in Advance

Unfortunately every GP surgery is its own business and therefore free to do what it wants. They certainly are not obliged to provide work experience.

I agree you should try further afield.

[TooSexyForMyStethoscope]

(Original post by lils129)
try some private gp practices

There are extremely few completely private GP practices in the UK....just as there are relatively few NHS run practices. Most GPs are self employed professionals who offer contracted NHS services and private work out of the same building.

[iSoftie]

So is the problem that I have to not be living locally?

[purplefrog]

(Original post by iSoftie)
So is the problem that I have to not be living locally?

Ideally, otherwise you would know people in the practice area. You might end up sitting in on their consultations, sorting their medical notes, booking in their appointments etc. and it just causes confidentiality breaches. Obviously further afield the same breaches exist, however you don't know the people there so it means absolutely nothing to you.

[Hippokrates]

I applied to 40 GP practices in one day and only got accepted for work experience at one. Just keep going with it and try and apply more than 5 miles away from where you live.

[Girl.]

Search for a teaching practice - one where medicine students often go for placements etc.
They will be more likely to take a work experience candidate on.

[mia_hilton]

I'm currently sitting my gcse's and will soon have 3 months of holiday - which is plenty of time for me to do some work experience! Does anyone know where i can do some medical-related work experience? (there are limited options as i am under 18)Any help would be greatly appreciated

[priya8D]

Hey we're both on the same boat! I'm looking into volunteering at a care home and possibly at a charity shop - they are always looking for volunteers! I've also 'tried' to contact my local hospital but my application is still 'processing'. Look some experience in a clinical setting (if you haven't already). I had a week's experience at a GP through school. Where did you have yours? From my research, lol, experience is quality over quantity (as per usual) so whatever you decide to do - try and do it long term. It will show how committed you are. Hope this helped a bit!

[zhang599]

(Original post by mia_hilton)
I'm currently sitting my gcse's and will soon have 3 months of holiday - which is plenty of time for me to do some work experience! Does anyone know where i can do some medical-related work experience? (there are limited options as i am under 18)Any help would be greatly appreciated

Yeah the first port of call is look towards your local hospital(s). Usually hospitals will have something about work experience on their website. I would organise any work experience ASAP as it can take a long time to organise Volunteering at a hospital is also good work experience especially if done long term, but like the work experience this can take a long time to organise. GP work experience is nice but not essential, any voluntary placement is relevant so anything's good
In the end the most important factor is how you write what you've learnt from you volunteering placements/work experience placements in your Personal Statement and in your interview

[Pandabär]

Ask a GP practice in an obscure location.

Seriously, the ones in London near me have been swamped by students in past years, so just don't take applications any more. I found one in a small town in the middle of nowhere who had never even been asked for work experience before, and they were more than happy to help me (if a little amused at having their first ever student).

It's certainly possible.

[Petro_99]

just thought id say- do something different!

i worked at a funeral home/radio station/ organised a Vcashpoint project/ taught children how to sing/organised sessions at college to help other applicants with medicine

then the obvious hospice/ hospital! thats standard! lol

good look to all!!

but start early- and take every opportunity you get!

btw- GP surgeiries arent necesssary- my hopsital placement was a week one in which i got shoved around the various departments for a few hours each!

[sunny_veggies]

(Original post by Alexandra's Box)

Oh and there is a site where I can request hospital shadowing - however, it asks for the name and contact details of the place sponsoring/supporting my request and I'm doing it alone. So what do I write? Just 'personal'?

Is this site just for your local area? How did you find it?
Thanks

[SaintSoldier]

(Original post by iSoftie)
So is the problem that I have to not be living locally?

(Original post by purplefrog)
Ideally, otherwise you would know people in the practice area. You might end up sitting in on their consultations, sorting their medical notes, booking in their appointments etc. and it just causes confidentiality breaches. Obviously further afield the same breaches exist, however you don't know the people there so it means absolutely nothing to you.

I've had personal experience with this; whilst I was doing my GP work experience I came across the medical records of a two girls who used to go to my school. Obviously I didn't look because that would be a breach of confidentiality and I had loads of notes to file away, but I'm just saying that it can happen.

In other words, don't get work experience with your GP, because they are likely to also be the GP of someone else that you know.

[the_clueless]

Ive got two weeks of work experience planned during the summer at my local hospital - which i'm really looking forward to, but i was just wondering how much work experience is enough? If i enjoy it, which i hope i do!- then I will probably try to rearrange some more but i dont want to be greedy

[tania<3]

That's more than what I had - I had a week and two days, but at the end of the day admissions don't care how much, its all about what you learnt. So yeah two weeks is fine quality over quantity.

I think you are better off with loads of voluntary work rather than loads of work experience though