Elective work/observing in a hospital as a medical student

I would say you would be better off asking in the current medical students section but I would also say that you’ll have time enough for this in clinical years. Enjoy your free time, don’t give any more l
of it to the hospital than you need to. Remember to have a life that’s just yours.

Hi everyone,

I'm an incoming second year medical student in London and I've been thinking about this for a while, but I haven't acted out on it as soon as I should have. I want to observe/shadow/work in a hospital during my second year of medical school but I don't know where to get started. I've seen some other medical students (primarily on LinkedIn haha) go to hospitals to observe things like surgeries, ward rounds and clinics and I'd love to do the same in order to immerse myself in a healthcare environment.

Does anyone have experience in reaching out to hospitals and enquiring about work/shadowing opportunities? I want to gain as much experience as possible during my studies. I would love to hear from you and how you arranged your experience - I appreciate any advice/contacts/knowledge about this! Thanks so much

If you're already a medical student you're better off emailing consultants involved in clinical attachments to see if anyone can accommodate you.

Contact details should be available via your medical school or relevant societies e.g. surgical society, etc.

I would echo the advice to enjoy your free time though and not bite off more than you can chew.