Nottingham GEM (A101) Applicants 2015

Yeah that was the problem with my first email but have checked this time and it's not there so will just see on Monday and go from there I think

You're not alone I'm sure it's just that they are staggering their emails. Let's not get too upset!

If the interviews are over two weeks, it might turn out you guys are in the second week so have a later deadline

Anyone else a bit worried that their work experience doesn’t look very impressive?

I volunteer as a Red Cross first aider and also with the Alzheimer society. So the hours I do with the BRC vary week to week, so when estimating the hours per week for the questionnaire I have only put 3. Also with the Alzheimers society, I only do 2 hours a month at their singing for the Brain group, so again this looks pitiful when asked to estimate the average hours per week (0.5hr).

I have managed to get 3 days shadowing at a hospital and also have 3 months helping every Saturday with the Riding for the Disabled. I would say in total I have ~120 hours of volunteer/shadowing work.

It should be pointed out I work full time as an engineer which gives me other skills that will be applicable for becoming a doctor, however I can’t write about that. Do you think they take this into account, the fact that some of us volunteer while still studying or working full time in a non-health related role?

Have I missed something, why can't you put your role as an engineer down? I'd imagine it's useful if only to illustrate why you don't want to pursue that path and why you became attracted to medicine?

Fair point. Though if you've put the job down on UCAS it's only a small leap to assume you've had to fit the volunteering around other commitments.

Is first aid a good thing to go into, for experience?
I'm already a part time support worker (in home supported living), and volunteer in the hospital once a week for 3 hours.
Really hoping to get a few weeks shadowing in too - but not too sure what kind of thing I could help them with?
2/3 years to go till I apply though (planning in advance :P) - assuming Nott's is still doing GEM (don't see why not).

Look at clinical research assistant. Its a form of HCA but you get experience with doctors, surgeries, clinics and wards. Additionally you get clinical skills experience

Thanks!
Though isn't that a very difficult job to get hold of. Not sure there are any in Sheffield very often

They are usually around university based hospitals

Yeah, there's UoS med school... but I can imagine they are not something they will give to a 22-24 year old for a year?

If they are the positions I'm thinking of you need to illustrate a research interest and ideally experience of research. In my experience most of the research assistant posts go to PhD holders or MSc/MRes graduates.
Experience wise I'd expect it would be different, but the onus seems to be on caring experience rather than shadowing and I fear this would fall more closely to the latter.