Biomedical degree for HCA jobs

Reply 20

No Future

17

Original post by Wangers

No point advertising this at work - some people have a skewed reverse attitude problem.

Well, I quite agree - haha, that's for another post.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 21

winter_mute

9

Original post by Wangers

No point advertising this at work - some people have a skewed reverse attitude problem.

Agreed. I have to be honest, I've seen a fair few nurses with a weird inferiority complex.

However I won't be working with any of the nurses that interviewed me. Out of the 3-4 GEP applicants/students here I think all of them mentioned medicine courses afaik with no problem.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 22

No Future

17

Original post by winter_mute

Nope, the ones who interviewed me were very supportive. They do realise I'll be buggering off the minute the course starts, but they also know I'll be taking the job seriously and working as hard as anyone who wants to make a career out of a HCA.

All you need to do is show you're professional and not just treating as work experience! :smile:

Presenting a worst cast scenario is usually better preparation for interviews, but since the OP is not a med applicant, this is now irrelevant.

HCAs are not professionals in any sense. They have no professional training or qualifications. Let's not dress it up here.

If you were a nurse, would you prefer to hire someone who was likely to work with you for the long term or someone who's going to uni to train to become a doctor?

Reply 23

No Future

17

Original post by niceday

Because a lot medical applicants have HCA jobs in their gap year.

The OP could have stated this in the OP so I would know not to waste my time giving them advice that does not apply to them.

Reply 24

niceday

Original post by No Future

The OP could have stated this in the OP so I would know not to waste my time giving them advice that does not apply to them.

Now now ...

Reply 25

No Future

17

Original post by niceday

Now now ...

Being purely pragmatic.

Reply 26

Dekota-XS

OP

2

Original post by No Future

So why are you posting on the medicine forum?

Because I saw a thread about HCA in this forum a couple of weeks ago, is it the right forum?

Reply 27

Dekota-XS

OP

2

Original post by No Future

Being purely pragmatic.

Ok so going for a HCA job isn't a good option because I won't be applying to medicine?

What I want to do is care for the elderly for a very long term, probably all my life. I have been doing voluntarily but the day centre I was working at thus far has lost its funding and has been closed down, so I've moved onto another day centre where I've been working for a few months now voluntarily and the work requires me to prepare tea/coffee in the morning, lay out dinner tables, help the elderly in and out of the minibus to get in the centre, wash dishes, assist the client to the loo. And this is all voluntary work. I was simply asking if this type of experience will favour me if I apply for a HCA post and if I need anything else aswell as if my degree would come in useful at all. I'm sorry for offending anyone.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 28

shaz111

12

Bsc is that all? Your under qualified, try again with a Phd

Reply 29

LaRoar

1

Original post by Dekota-XS

Ok so going for a HCA job isn't a good option because I won't be applying to medicine?

What I want to do is care for the elderly for a very long term, probably all my life. I have been doing voluntarily but the day centre I was working at thus far has lost its funding and has been closed down, so I've moved onto another day centre where I've been working for a few months now voluntarily and the work requires me to prepare tea/coffee in the morning, lay out dinner tables, help the elderly in and out of the minibus to get in the centre, wash dishes, assist the client to the loo. And this is all voluntary work. I was simply asking if this type of experience will favour me if I apply for a HCA post and if I need anything else aswell as if my degree would come in useful at all. I'm sorry for offending anyone.

Yep, that sort of experience sounds pretty good for HCA-ing :smile:

. I've been a full time HCA on a very intense ward for about 8 months now, if there's anything you'd like to ask, shoot away.

With regards to the degree, for my applications I skimmed over it as much as possible (without omitting it, obviously). They asked me if I was intending to study medicine in all the interviews I had but I just answered very non-comittally.

Since I told everyone I was applying for medicine, all the nurses and HCAs (including the ward sister who interviewed me) has been nothing but supportive and positive, which I was quite surprised by. That's not really relevant to you though, but eh.

Reply 30

Dekota-XS

OP

2

Original post by LaRoar

Yep, that sort of experience sounds pretty good for HCA-ing :smile:

. I've been a full time HCA on a very intense ward for about 8 months now, if there's anything you'd like to ask, shoot away.

With regards to the degree, for my applications I skimmed over it as much as possible (without omitting it, obviously). They asked me if I was intending to study medicine in all the interviews I had but I just answered very non-comittally.

Since I told everyone I was applying for medicine, all the nurses and HCAs (including the ward sister who interviewed me) has been nothing but supportive and positive, which I was quite surprised by. That's not really relevant to you though, but eh.

I can't thank you enough!! Given me some hope there :biggrin:

God bless you :redface:

Reply 31

amir shah

Original post by LaRoar

Yep, that sort of experience sounds pretty good for HCA-ing :smile:

. I've been a full time HCA on a very intense ward for about 8 months now, if there's anything you'd like to ask, shoot away.

With regards to the degree, for my applications I skimmed over it as much as possible (without omitting it, obviously). They asked me if I was intending to study medicine in all the interviews I had but I just answered very non-comittally.

Since I told everyone I was applying for medicine, all the nurses and HCAs (including the ward sister who interviewed me) has been nothing but supportive and positive, which I was quite surprised by. That's not really relevant to you though, but eh.

hello

i am going fto finish my degree (biomed bsc) this year - I was just wondering do you require lots of experience to work as a HCA, how did you get your job, if you don't mind me asking? :smile:

thx

i want to do medicine :redface:

Reply 32

firestar101

10

Original post by amir shah

hello

i am going fto finish my degree (biomed bsc) this year - I was just wondering do you require lots of experience to work as a HCA, how did you get your job, if you don't mind me asking? :smile:

thx

i want to do medicine :redface:

She was lucky to get HCA experience. If she lived in my area, I doubt it she would get anything.

It was likely to do with her location. In some areas, there are more HCA vacancies than others. In my area, there are none. Literally.

Reply 33

singaporegirl33

5

OP- I'm currently working as a HCA, and the only qualifications required for the role in the trust I work in are a GCSE pass in English and Maths. Personal qualities are perhaps more important, so make sure you emphasize your people skills, ability to work in a team and most of all being a caring, empathetic person. Your voluntary work will give you lots of opportunity to demonstrate these qualities. By all means declare your degree, you have worked hard for it, and it shouldn't hinder you. One of my fellow HCAs has a masters. Be prepared to explain why you are going for a HCA position. Most likely your interviewers will have sussed out you are using the job as a stepping stone on the basis of your credentials. In my case I started the HCA job the year before I applied, and when this stuff came up in interview I basically implied that I could commit for 2 years, then would hopefully be off to uni. You may want to think about what time frame you are going to give them, as clearly 6 months, perhaps even a year may make you seem not worth investing in from a ward sisters point of view. A final note, send out as many applications as you can, and tailor each one for the specific job (usually just tweaking a few sentences). But definitely go for it!! It is a fantastic experience! Good luck! PS I guess this depends where you are based, but a car is not required for a hospital based HCA role.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 34

LaRoar

1

Original post by firestar101

She was lucky to get HCA experience. If she lived in my area, I doubt it she would get anything.

It was likely to do with her location. In some areas, there are more HCA vacancies than others. In my area, there are none. Literally.

Or, you know, I just happened to be the best candidate for the job? :tongue:

A lot of people on TSR are quick to belittle HCAs but I love my job and happen to be very good at it :wink:

Original post by amir shah

hello

i am going fto finish my degree (biomed bsc) this year - I was just wondering do you require lots of experience to work as a HCA, how did you get your job, if you don't mind me asking? :smile:

thx

i want to do medicine :redface:

I had absolutely no experience in any kind of care when I got the job, but I think a lot if it is down to the impression you make on the interviewers. If they think you're going to be someone who's happy to get stuck in, gel with the people already on the ward and work really, really hard for little pay and no thanks then that's good enough, I reckon. Oh and you need to be able to read, write and do basic addition. :wink:

Best of luck! Oh and keep trying and don't get disheartened. A 19 hour a week post on my ward, in a tiny district general hospital in the middle of nowhere got 70+ applicants the other week, so don't take it personally if you dont get somewhere soon.

Reply 35

amir shah

Original post by LaRoar

Or, you know, I just happened to be the best candidate for the job? :tongue:

A lot of people on TSR are quick to belittle HCAs but I love my job and happen to be very good at it :wink:

I had absolutely no experience in any kind of care when I got the job, but I think a lot if it is down to the impression you make on the interviewers. If they think you're going to be someone who's happy to get stuck in, gel with the people already on the ward and work really, really hard for little pay and no thanks then that's good enough, I reckon. Oh and you need to be able to read, write and do basic addition. :wink:

Best of luck! Oh and keep trying and don't get disheartened. A 19 hour a week post on my ward, in a tiny district general hospital in the middle of nowhere got 70+ applicants the other week, so don't take it personally if you dont get somewhere soon.