Would a science placement year count as experience for grad entry medicine

Hi,

I currently study pharmacology and am on a placement year in a clinical/medical laboratory, we mainly make stem cell transplants for patients with blood cancer.

I know it's not a caring role, but do you think Universities would count this as experience?

And what do people think to all biology related placements? Would you class all of them as experience?

I didn't do GEM, but I would have thought it would definitely count as experience but wouldn't be useful as a replacement for actual experience working with vulnerable people?

I volunteered at a hospital in physiotherapy with stroke victims for 8 months but had to give it up for placement, and 6 weeks shadowing at a physio clinic before that. I just don't think these 2 things alone are enough for grad entry.

I think my argument would be with placement I'm saving lives, and I experience the other side of things from a scientist perspective, but I think med students are the best to ask for this
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Thanks for your help

I volunteered at a hospital in physiotherapy with stroke victims for 8 months but had to give it up for placement, and 6 weeks shadowing at a physio clinic before that. I just don't think these 2 things alone are enough for grad entry.

I think my argument would be with placement I'm saving lives, and I experience the other side of things from a scientist perspective, but I think med students are the best to ask for this
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Thanks for your help

the purpose of experience when applying for medicine is to show that you understand the role of a doctor. So what have you learnt from being in a laboratory about that, I'd say very little as you're asking this question. Of course if your aim is to stay in academic medicine then lab work has some relevance.

The amount of time you spend caring for others is only relevant in showing commitment to medicine. You've done long enough.

Although knowing the role of a doctor is crucial, I wouldn't say it is the sole purpose of work experience.

You should also be able to illustrate your understanding of the healthcare system as a whole; the multidisciplinary teams, issues surrounding the NHS etc.
One of the important aspects is knowledge of other roles in healthcare, such as nurses and pharmacists but also clinical scientists.

Laboratory work, particularly with a clinical focus, could be quite relevant and not only to academic medicine as it would evidence some of the qualities required; teamwork, broader understanding of the NHS system.

I would certainly mention it but only if you reflect on it appropriately and have other, more caring roles, you can draw from as well.

The role of a doctor includes working as part of a team and knowing when to use other NHS resources, if the OP truly understood the role they wouldn't need that spelt out. You have a point about possibly getting a broader understanding of the system but they need to focus on what they have seen and learnt about doctors. The voluntary work is more useful but they should be using their contacts in the hospital to get a few days shadowing a doctor.

The role of a doctor includes working as part of a team and knowing when to use other NHS resources, if the OP truly understood the role they wouldn't need that spelt out. You have a point about possibly getting a broader understanding of the system but they need to focus on what they have seen and learnt about doctors. The voluntary work is more useful but they should be using their contacts in the hospital to get a few days shadowing a doctor.

I asked the question because I have searched everywhere and there isn't an answer online for this, so I though med students/grads would be best to ask, and it gives other people wondering an answer.

You can relate the lab work to being similar to a doctor in that if I were to make a mistake etc then lives are at risk, its been quite helpful having people ask questions like this, prepares me for interview should I get any

And I kind of agree I'm missing something in experience, for me it currently looks like:
6 weeks at Physio clinic
8 months volunteering with stroke victims in hospital (hopefully can pick up again September, but not guaranteed)
1 year lab placement

To me it looks like something is missing to compete for grad entry medicine, but quite a few people think it is ok. Shadowing is the obvious choice, but is so much easier said than done

Regardless of the OP's understanding of the role, your post could easily be misconstrued to mean that understanding the role of a doctor is the only aspect you need to take away from work experience.

Understanding teamwork etc is no substitute for being able to illustrate your ability to work in a team. Hence the experience in a clinical lab would be very useful and I certainly wouldn't discount it quite so quickly.

When you are looking at thousands of applicants for medical school the first thing you want to know is that they survive the course so that the considerable investment in training them is not wasted. If they don't understand what they are letting themselves in for they may not survive the course or choose to continue as a doctor. It's a long, hard training and working as part of a team doesn't always make up a big part of the training.

The role of a doctor is set out here http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice/duties_of_a_doctor.asp and the OP should be going through what they have done and looking to see how they can relate it to the guidance.
However when the interviewer asks, as many will, describe an occasion when you saw a doctor do ... or demonstrate .... lab work generally isn't going to be much use.

OP you are based in a hospital. If you can't find a doctor prepared to let you follow them it would make me, if I was interviewing you, seriously doubt your ability to make a good doctor. Students with no contacts manage it so it would suggest lack of initiative and determination.

Personal Statement
Warwick's 5 requirements that were scored on PSs previously.

"Warwick seeks motivated students who possess the ability, willingness and commitment to academic and personal growth"
(you obviously needed to convey this in your PS implicitly)

1. Your motivation for studying medicine at this stage in your career.
2. Your experience of and capability for team work.
3. Your activities, interests and life outside of work or university.
4. An understanding of medicine and what it means to be a doctor.
5. Hands-on personal care (not of a relative).

The stroke victims placement sounds like an amazing experience with a lot to talk about. Just because you weren't traipsing after a doctor... .you must have seen them at work there?

Ye stoke victims work was great, really rewarding afterwards, I only really saw Doctors when I was bringing patients to a separate room where we'd work with them, the reason I've not really had chance to sort the shadowing is because of clashes with my course and when I finished 2nd year I immediately began my placement, if I'm able to go back there I would, I did meet a few 5th year med students right at the end of their course who were getting experience as well as there course required it.

And yeah on placement I worked with medical confidentiality with patient history and how strict the criteria is for blood transplants/transfusions.

When I read the medical applicants thread, all the successful ones seem to have that extra bit of experience than I do. At the physio clinic I was there from start to finish in the day so I saw all aspects of the job such as following up on patients each week to see how treatment is going. Whether that is an appropriate substitute for shadowing a doctor I really can't say until I've experienced both though.

So you're maintaining that only clinical experience is relevant and should be included in a PS?

Here is a quote from WMS' PS guide from previous years. This is no longer available from WMS, as the PS will not form as large a part of selection, though some digging resulted in forum posts quoting this.



You are assuming that every medical applicant and student has clinical shadowing. This is not the case. Though you should certainly try your utmost to get it, it's not always achievable and medical schools appreciate this. I have heard this from several admissions tutors themselves.
Finally, I would be very surprised if you were asked to describe a scenario with a doctor when the purpose of an interview is to evidence your ability and qualities; not what you saw.