"Work experience in a caring environment"

Hey. Im waiting for my AS results on thurs like no doubt hundreds on here are and am hoping that they are good enough to pursue a medical career. Ive been reading the prospectuses and they all say that work experience is required in a caring environment. I have been helping out at a care home for about a year now aswell as undertaking work experience in a pharmacy, helping with delivering and dispensing. Im just wondering if this is enough. I think that it should be what you get out of it rather the amount of work experience you do but i would like to hear other people's thoughts.

thursdays nearly here!!!! ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply 1

sum1_86

It is what u get out of it rather than how much you do - and the fact that you have been working in the care home for a year is great - shows a lot of committment. this thread is about 'caring environment' but have you worked in say a hospital/GP just to get a feel for that. neways personally that seems enough for me..when i applied i had volunteered at a care home for the elderly, and worked with a childrens charity (for children with autism and learning difficulties)...not as much as sum other ppl but it was more long term plus i gained more personal satisfaction from it (not just another thing for the personal statement)..and it helped me to understand the skills needed to be 'a good doctor' and develop them further.

Reply 2

michaela_banana

9

Working in a care home is exactly what loads of the universities quoted as a prime example of "a caring environment" (manchester were especially enthusiastic). I volunteer at my local hospital on an orthopaedic trauma ward (which some of the time is like a care home) and a haemodialysis unit, both of which involve caring in practical terms (fetching and carrying) and some patients just want a chat, as i'm sure you know.

I found though that getting some shadowing experience really helped, if for nothing else than the caring work doesn't really tell you what being a doctor is all about, so just to be sure if was what i wanted to do i stalked a gp for a week (it is what i want to do).

But either way, if you can articulate in the ps well enough how much you learnt then the uni can't not see it as highly valuble and important to you personally, not just you "ticking the box".