Hi, I am applying to study medicine for 2024 in the UK but I am now panicking as I'm not sure if I will have the sufficient work experience/volunteering that medical schools expect. Just to give you some context this is what I'm expecting to have on my application come October:
Minimum of 2 A* and 2 A predicted grades (studying maths, physics, chemistry and biology A Level).
UCAT score of at least 2800, hopefully closer to 3000 or better.
9 A* and 1 A in GCSEs.
1 week of shadowing GP, a day with an orthopedic surgeon, 2 days in a medical research lab.
Worked as a full time RNLI lifeguard this summer with special RNLI casualty care qualification.
Other extracurricular activities, for example, rowing to a pretty high level.
However, after doing more reading into medicine applications, I'm worried that I haven't done any sort of volunteering and that it's now too late to commit to a long-term role before I send my UCAS application. The reason that I haven't done so is that I believed that my role as an RNLI lifeguard would be just as valuable despite the fact it is a paid placement. I thought that the universities would value the fact that I have actually rescued and treated real casualties, administering medication and dealing with medical emergencies. I feel I can take a lot from this job into a future career in medicine and it has only strengthened my desire to become a doctor.
Most sites I have read from suggest that you should have a long term volunteering role and this is what has made me panic. It will be extremely difficult to balance volunteering considering the fact that I already work 40-48 hours a week, rowing 9 times a week and trying to prep for the UCAT. I feel that if I was to take anything more on that it would begin to negatively affect my UCAT score and quite possibly my mental health too. Perhaps I could organise a weekly volunteering role in a care home when I start back at school as I will no longer be working and the UCAT will be over but I would only have completed about six weeks by the time I send off my application.
I would greatly appreciate it if someone more experienced than me would let me know their opinions and whether they think what I currently have would be enough to get me offers (providing my interviews and A Levels go well). At the moment I feel so overwhelmed and I am not sure what to do as I really do not want to have to take a gap year.