*Closed* - Work Experience and Voluntary Work [Part 1 of 2]

Hiya

I'm currently studying for a degree anatomy and veterinary anatomy - bear with me!

I have always persued the veterinary science career option, as being "the next best thing" to studying medicine. This is because I have a pretty messed up phobia of people vomiting - and this is all that has stopped me from wanting to become a doctor.

I'm currently undergoing treatment for this phobia, and with the price of veterinary postgrad fees, studying medicine as a postgrad student is much more realistic.

The thing is, I have no medical work experience what so ever. All my work experience has revolved around vet surgeries, farming and the like. I've done all the surgical aspects, patient/client relations etc. but all from a veterinary point of view. I'm still unable to do medical work experience, as I'm not "cured" yet - far from it, it may take the best part of next year, depending on which treatment I go for.

I don't mind being honest on my application, and talking about the above factors, and the fact that I turned down a conditional offer to study veterinary science, and instead chose my current degree as it could lead to either, depending on my state of mind in 2 years time.

The thing is, by the time I'm going to be able to do relevent work experience, I'm going to be well into my 2nd, maybe even 3rd year of my degree, and time will be tight.

How is this likely to affect my application?

Reply 949

Degausser

10

Slightly off topic, but i didnt see anyone vomit whilst on my work experience, so maybe try getting some experience in places like outpatient clinics where theres less chance of vomiting occuring.

Reply 950

michaela_banana

9

Or general practice. Or better, try to get some experience with eg. support work for disabled kids. Long term volunteer work (or even paid) will get you much further than shadowing a consultant - it's all about demonstrable committment. Dealing with someone in their day to day lives (relief work for disabled kids is often offered to uni students, check out your careers office, or care home work) would mean you'd be pretty unlucky to see someone vomit, but still has medical applications.

Reply 951

Shockley

15

Hmmm...interesting. I also gave up my ambitions to get onto the graduate vet course, and have decided to persue Medicine instead, mostly because of my involvement with St Johns Ambulance and experience of my family's illnesses. You could say I finally realised what my priorities were..

As a starting point you should contact human resources at your local hospital, who will put you through to the work experience dept (which is what Im currently going through). Also, a brilliant site is doit.org, it comes up with loads of volunteering opportunities in your area, including helping old folk, kids, just about anything. Very worthwhile! Also, if you can give up one evening a week, I'd thoroughly recommend St Johns Ambulance because you can train up to a high level in first aid care and even become an emergency first responder, they will put you in for lots of training courses (depending on branch, I suppose). I suppose the only problem with being on duty with St Johns is that you are likely to come into contact with a vomiting person at some stage...oh well.

Reply 952

Degausser

Slightly off topic, but i didnt see anyone vomit whilst on my work experience, so maybe try getting some experience in places like outpatient clinics where theres less chance of vomiting occuring.

ha ha - the last time i went to the doctors, i had a routine blood pressure check that was so high they kept me in for 2 hours to monitor it, and wouldn't let me go until it had come down - that's how bad the anxiety of just being in a waiting room is, never mind with patients.

It's currently so bad, that I don't even attend lectures - I am currently teaching myself from my lecture notes that are posted on the internet and through text books.

Thanks for the advice on alternative ideas though - I'll look into it - what between studying full time and working full time! I don't like making my life easy....!

Reply 953

Amanda1801

I'm currently undergoing treatment for this phobia, and with the price of veterinary postgrad fees, studying medicine as a postgrad student is much more realistic.

£500 per exam? Thousands for revision courses? There's nothing realistic or affordable about PG.

Reply 954

Amanda1801

How is this likely to affect my application?

What's complicated about this? You don't feel like you can get enough work experience by three years time? So get enough by four or five or six years time and then apply - it's not a race.

Reply 955

Shockley

15

Renal

£500 per exam? Thousands for revision courses? There's nothing realistic or affordable about PG.

Especially with all this talk of tuition fees being hiked up even further, too.

Reply 956

Shockley

Especially with all this talk of tuition fees being hiked up even further, too.

I don't think the cost of research degrees or PGDips is going to go up all that much.

Reply 957

Renal

£500 per exam? Thousands for revision courses? There's nothing realistic or affordable about PG.

To study vet medicine PG this year its £17k a year...

Reply 958

Amanda1801

To study vet medicine PG this year its £17k a year...

Wot wot?

Vet med's a bachelors, like medicine...

Reply 959