[cat-lover]

(Original post by Zedd)
When are you planning on applying?

I've found it difficult but it's not impossible. You need to consider writing letters to local GPs (ideally you should address it to the practice manager) and get in contact with your local hospital's volunteer coordinator.

I think that universities (at least the ones I am interested in) realise how difficult it can be for some candidates to get shadowing and volunteering experience so if you don't have a huge amount then it's not a big problem. All it will mean for me is that I have to make the most of what I do get.

Thank you.

I'm applying this September. Unfortunately the hospitals here (that I've contacted) don't have a volunteer coordinator. The ones I've contacted aren't interested in volunteers. They look at me like I'm saying things that are taboo when I ask if I can volunteer. A majority of the GP's I've contacted don't even know what shadowing is and what I'm trying to ask. The ones that do know what it is tell me they can't allow it because their patients won't like it. What probably frustrates me most is the fact that most places tell me it just isn't allowed because I'm not a doctor or a nurse. From what I can see, volunteering at a hospital, work experience and shadowing are things clinics and hospitals here don't care much for. I guess my only option is to keep contacting hospitals and GPs till I run out of places.

[Hippokrates]

(Original post by Neurology.)
Thanks you for the great advice. I guess my main worry is my lack of confidence when speaking to people, which is odd since I want to be a doctor. I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to carry a conservation with someone who is ill and scared etc

I just read your sig, Good Luck!

Thank you You too I assume you're applying this year? I was scared at first to be honest but just go with the flow most of the time patients are just happy to have someone to chat to whatever you say.

[Zedd]

(Original post by cat-lover)
Thank you.

I'm applying this September. Unfortunately the hospitals here (that I've contacted) don't have a volunteer coordinator. The ones I've contacted aren't interested in volunteers. They look at me like I'm saying things that are taboo when I ask if I can volunteer. A majority of the GP's I've contacted don't even know what shadowing is and what I'm trying to ask. The ones that do know what it is tell me they can't allow it because their patients won't like it. What probably frustrates me most is the fact that most places tell me it just isn't allowed because I'm not a doctor or a nurse. From what I can see, volunteering at a hospital, work experience and shadowing are things clinics and hospitals here don't care much for. I guess my only option is to keep contacting hospitals and GPs till I run out of places.

Unfortunately it looks like that's what you're going to have to do. Are you still at high-school? It might be worth asking your careers advisor to arrange work experience with a hospital as I understand that is the normal route into it for young folk.

[cat-lover]

(Original post by Zedd)
Unfortunately it looks like that's what you're going to have to do. Are you still at high-school? It might be worth asking your careers advisor to arrange work experience with a hospital as I understand that is the normal route into it for young folk.

Yup, going to Year 13 next year . We don't have a careers advisor. I could talk to my teachers, but it's highly unlikely they'll arrange anything for me. They told us in PSHE that work experience/shadowing is not up to them and we should arrange it independently. I doubt they'd be able to do much for me anyway seeing as though the problem is the fact that doctors are telling me their patients mind or that their medical directors don't allow shadowing. :/

Thanks though. I'll definitely ask one of my teachers. Maybe the hospitals/clinics will take them more seriously.

[arcl]

But yes, it's all very nice for you - have a read of the today's paper to get a few icebreakers or talking points. There probably will be one or two on AAU anyway, if the patient doesn't already have one.

Don't worry too much about the clinical side of things, everyone will have a preliminary diagnosis and a team they're under on AAU, with at least a basic plan in place, the nurses and/or HCAs in that area will know.

And generally, to be honest, if in doubt or any problems, one of the nurses/HCAs/AHP for the area will probably know the answer, point the questions in their direction (tbh, they may even give you a quick heads up before to go say hello to anyone).

[acer0951]

I just walked out of my boots work experience because I was doing absolutely nothing for the whole day and one of the staff members was horrible plus I spent an hour doing a cover for a security guard who went on long breaks thats probably illegal... But I did it because I want to do
Dentistry at kings and they like interaction experience! But I'm wondering whether I'm going to regret it! Please help!


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[naiadania]

Hi, I wonder if anyone here has applied directly to a hospital department for work experience?

I'm thinking of doing that as it might be available a lot quicker (possibly now in the summer) than if I applied through a volunteer coordinator or practice manager, but I'm not sure if that's true, or how easy it'll be to get in

[acer0951]

(Original post by naiadania)
Hi, I wonder if anyone here has applied directly to a hospital department for work experience?

I'm thinking of doing that as it might be available a lot quicker (possibly now in the summer) than if I applied through a volunteer coordinator or practice manager, but I'm not sure if that's true, or how easy it'll be to get in

Hi! I applied to my local hospital which is St.Georges Hospital in tooting. I called about 2 weeks ago at the volunteer co ordinater number on the website. I then left a message and got a reply the next day telling me j can help out on mean times on the 23rd of August! You can email or contact the hospital directly as well and they can lead on to someone related to volunteering. But I have noticed that mainly the hospitals associated with medical schools are better. But you need to apply fast because I think I just got lucky plus I got rejects from loads of other hospitals! Good luck and tell me how it goes!


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[naiadania]

(Original post by acer0951)
Hi! I applied to my local hospital which is St.Georges Hospital in tooting. I called about 2 weeks ago at the volunteer co ordinater number on the website. I then left a message and got a reply the next day telling me j can help out on mean times on the 23rd of August! You can email or contact the hospital directly as well and they can lead on to someone related to volunteering. But I have noticed that mainly the hospitals associated with medical schools are better. But you need to apply fast because I think I just got lucky plus I got rejects from loads of other hospitals! Good luck and tell me how it goes!


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Hey friend thanks for the advice, I called your hospital but decided against leaving a message because I'm not local and I'm under 18. Yeah I've called loads of volunteer coordinators already but mostly they start recruiting in October or later on, so now I'm contacting the individual departments in the hospital. I'm glad to hear about your positive experience though, hopefully I get lucky too.

[Zedd]

(Original post by naiadania)
Hey friend thanks for the advice, I called your hospital but decided against leaving a message because I'm not local and I'm under 18. Yeah I've called loads of volunteer coordinators already but mostly they start recruiting in October or later on, so now I'm contacting the individual departments in the hospital. I'm glad to hear about your positive experience though, hopefully I get lucky too.

I know that up here there are 'learning and development coordinators' that can arrange work experience/shadowing in local hospitals so perhaps see if you can find that person at your local NHS organisation.

With that said, I've requested both work experience and volunteering and it's been fairly impossible to get anywhere with either. The work experience won't happen until September at the earliest because the hospital I've asked apparently runs an organised school leaver experience week and can't fit me in now. The volunteering won't happen until late September at the earliest because of the CRB check and the fact that the volunteer coordinator is off on holiday until the second week of August.

It's going to be an interesting September-October to say the least :/

[naiadania]

(Original post by Zedd)
It's going to be an interesting September-October to say the least :/

Well you might not even be doing the work experience in Sept/October immediately after you apply because I applied last November and got two days in April.

That's why this summer I'm calling the individual hospital departments (eg. orthopaedic surgery, intensive care etc) instead of the volunteer coordinators, hopefully I could get something within the summer instead of having to wait six months...

[Lawlet]

Beils: Did you stay for a week? Because I live quite close to one of the centre, therefore I was looking to go there once a week rather than staying for a week

[Zedd]

(Original post by naiadania)
Well you might not even be doing the work experience in Sept/October immediately after you apply because I applied last November and got two days in April.

That's why this summer I'm calling the individual hospital departments (eg. orthopaedic surgery, intensive care etc) instead of the volunteer coordinators, hopefully I could get something within the summer instead of having to wait six months...

As they know that I'm applying this October they've said that they would try to accommodate me in September/October if I can't find anything else. I wouldn't be waiting until after my application as that would kind of defeat the purpose...

[Neurology.]

(Original post by Hippokrates)
Thank you You too I assume you're applying this year? I was scared at first to be honest but just go with the flow most of the time patients are just happy to have someone to chat to whatever you say.

Oh no problem, and thank you! To be honest I'm probably going take a Gap Year due my GCSES etc + to get more of that 'sacred' work experience. Best of luck for your application though.


Thanks for again for your help.

(Original post by arcl)
But yes, it's all very nice for you - have a read of the today's paper to get a few icebreakers or talking points. There probably will be one or two on AAU anyway, if the patient doesn't already have one.

Don't worry too much about the clinical side of things, everyone will have a preliminary diagnosis and a team they're under on AAU, with at least a basic plan in place, the nurses and/or HCAs in that area will know.

And generally, to be honest, if in doubt or any problems, one of the nurses/HCAs/AHP for the area will probably know the answer, point the questions in their direction (tbh, they may even give you a quick heads up before to go say hello to anyone).

.

Thanks, you put mind more at ease. Thanks for the newspaper tip

[arcl]

(Original post by Neurology.)
Thanks, you put mind more at ease. Thanks for the newspaper tip

If you sit about and twiddle your thumbs, you're going to get ignored.

If you actively say hello and introduce yourself to people (esp. staff), you're more likely to get stuff/something done. I'm sure the nurse looking after someone would even introduce you to a patient if you asked (or ask you to make a pot of tea or something akin to that) - no icebreaker needed.

Basically, don't ask, don't get. This applies to everyone, especially students (medical, nursing, work experience etc.), we tend to like you more if you interact with us.

[Rupa Patel]

I have been volunteering at a hospital for about 3 weeks now. I am in the radiology department and my role is to basically guide patients to the changing rooms and tell them what they have to take off for their X-Ray. I want to make the most out of this but I'm not sure what questions I should be asking. I get to be with the radiographers so I can ask them questions as well.

So any advice on what sort of conversations I should be having with patients and questions I should be asking them and the radiographers?

Thanks

[ViceVersa]

(Original post by Rupa Patel)
I have been volunteering at a hospital for about 3 weeks now. I am in the radiology department and my role is to basically guide patients to the changing rooms and tell them what they have to take off for their X-Ray. I want to make the most out of this but I'm not sure what questions I should be asking. I get to be with the radiographers so I can ask them questions as well.

So any advice on what sort of conversations I should be having with patients and questions I should be asking them and the radiographers?

Thanks

Ask teamwork type questions, how they co-ordinate their team, how they put their patients into all that they do, how radiography links in with other departments, ask the patients how they're spoken to, ask about their food and you can use this to reflect in interview or PS by saying you learnt how important nutrition is for the patient. You can ask the radiographers what challenges they tend to face and how they deal with that.

[Wolfy^]

Hello everyone!

I've recently finally managed to get a hospital placement somewhere nearby. I went and talked with the volunteering co-ordinator and she offered me 3 days/week for the entire month of August. While that is absolutely brilliant, she said I will not be ward based and that I will be working in medical records and doing other random duties, and maybe just maybe she will manage to get me a more clinical oriented bit.

I was just wondering, is this normal? If I only get to work in medical records and nothing more clinical, will it still count as work experience?

Thanks

[Zedd]

(Original post by Wolfy^)
Hello everyone!

I've recently finally managed to get a hospital placement somewhere nearby. I went and talked with the volunteering co-ordinator and she offered me 3 days/week for the entire month of August. While that is absolutely brilliant, she said I will not be ward based and that I will be working in medical records and doing other random duties, and maybe just maybe she will manage to get me a more clinical oriented bit.

I was just wondering, is this normal? If I only get to work in medical records and nothing more clinical, will it still count as work experience?

Thanks

It neither sounds like work experience (shadowing and talking to doctors) nor does it sound like typical volunteering (often requires commitment over 6 months and provides patient contact). I hope that she does get you some contact with doctors at the least.

[Rupa Patel]

(Original post by ViceVersa)
Ask teamwork type questions, how they co-ordinate their team, how they put their patients into all that they do, how radiography links in with other departments, ask the patients how they're spoken to, ask about their food and you can use this to reflect in interview or PS by saying you learnt how important nutrition is for the patient. You can ask the radiographers what challenges they tend to face and how they deal with that.

Thanks for the reply. The patients are just patients that have been referred from their GP's not patients from wards, so I cant really ask them about their food.