2014 Medicine Re-Applicants

Do medical schools penalize you for not leaving a gap between each paragraph?

Reply 1984

Original post by raveen789

Do medical schools penalize you for not leaving a gap between each paragraph?

No it just looks more presentable if you do :smile:

I did last year but I had to sacrifice some of my experiences. I'm gonna indent this time

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Reply 1985

Original post by raveen789

Yeah it annoying. First time was in sixth form, school told me not to apply to medicine. Then i got the grades and took a gap yea which was a flop :rolleyes:

most likely due to low UKCAT. Then redid the UKCAT this summer and thought YES! and now im trying again :colondollar:

May I ask how you did on the UKCAT last year? :tongue:

Reply 1986

Becca-Sarah

Original post by raveen789

Do medical schools penalize you for not leaving a gap between each paragraph?

They won't penalise you as such, but consider the perspective of the admissions tutor reading up to say 2000 statements over the space of a few weeks. They have two near identical statements, but one has lines between paragraphs, another is a block of text. The one that's easier to read is going to be seen every so slightly more favourably.

If you can't leave spaces, it's not going to be a deal breaker, but if you can do so then you should.

Reply 1987

Original post by Dr.Ugs

May I ask how you did on the UKCAT last year? :tongue:

620

and thanks!

Reply 1988

Original post by Becca-Sarah

Just can include so much more! :frown:

Reply 1989

Original post by raveen789

620

and thanks!

Well done on the improvement :smile:

Reply 1990

Original post by Dr.Ugs

Well done on the improvement :smile:

Thanks again :tongue:

when is your UKCAT?

Reply 1991

ameelia22

Original post by manupalace

Firstly, a massive massive thank you for replying to my post and taking the time to go into detail particularly as you have been-there-done-it yourself :jumphug:

1. All except 1 of the other HCA's are above 30, most over 40 and have been in the job for a very long time. They too do "all cares" on their own and so by not doing it, I am worried I look incompetent or crap. I know I'm never really going to be as good as them what will all the years of experience they have on me but I don't want to appear lazy or reluctant :s-smilie:

This Nurse is very very well known for being lazy. All the other staff really really dislike her and take to bitching about her at every opportunity in an extremely unprofessional way. I'll have to admit that I have let rip about her on more than 1 occasion to other HCA's and whilst they are all sympathetic, there is little I can do. The line manager is aware of how crap she is, but can't really find a good enough reason to fire her - if he could have, I imagine he would have done so already in the years she has been working there.

During that very shift, I asked for her help twice. She said she was too busy doing discharges or whatever, get the other HCA. Other HCA's have their own bays and workload which is just as heavy. The longer the staff nurse leaves it or dosses around or whatever the longer the ladies are left unwashed and I just don't feel that's fair on them so I end up trying to manage on my own.

As well as patient washes and basic care, it's the way some newly qualified's treat me like their bitch. I can be in the middle of doing something and she'll take whatevers in my hand out of my hand, replace it with the drug keys and literally ask me to "go fetch x drug,". WTF.
The ward is generally quite helpful to one another and the nurses and HCA's try to work together so if we see a nurse struggling we try to help them out as much as we can but sometimes it's not possible. We, HCA's aren't really meant to be taking blood pressures and observations, but we will do sometimes if a nurse is really behind or something but the point is, it's voluntary. And even then, it's only if we're not neglecting our other duties as a HCA. So when NQN tells me she wants me to do all of her observations, when the ward is super busy and buzzers are going off like there is no tomorrow I am like: wtf. Other HCA's are shocked and inform me she isn't really allowed to do that.

3. Fair enough, NHSP is definitely something I'd like to do. I move hospitals soon anyway, so hopefully it'll be better there...i'll try to stick it out for another 3 months but I will be looking at other jobs as soon as I start.

4. Your probably right, but again, other HCA's do it and so I assume that's me too. It hasn't been too often actually and from here on in, i'll be flat out refusing to do it on my own. I get a bit freaked when I roll the patient and their eyes open in the middle of the night anyway.

5. I've been there for 2 months so far, handed in my 4 weeks notice to move to another hospital, so I would have been here for 3 months, and will try to stick it out at new hospital for further 3. Agency work does sound way better!

Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it :thumbsup:

Reply 1992

manupalace

Original post by ameelia22

Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it :thumbsup:

No problem :smile:

1. Ah that puts a different spin on it then. Have you spoken to them about how they manage the workload. More experienced HCAs and nurses really helped me get to grips with the workload when I first started. They're also really helpful when it comes to identifying what you can and can't do on your own. For example I can't imagine many experienced HCAs doing all care on a 14 stone patient on their own (though unfortunately the number of very heavy all care patients is increasing as time goes on :frown:

). As I said, you only get one back and it can be very hard to fix when something goes wrong.

That seems like a really difficult situation with that nurse (I've worked with many like her), sounds like she's full of crappy excuses. Not sure what you can do in this situation apart from using the other HCAs, e.g. offering to help with one of their difficult washes if they help you with Mrs X. Totally get what you mean about it being unfair on the patients. How do the other HCAs deal with her? Do they just take it or do they have their own ways of getting her to help?

2. I get what you mean about newly qualifieds. I think they just get very excited now they are no longer someone's bitch (some nurses treat their student nurses like HCAs) and abuse the new power. I think there is also the scary prospect for them of being in charge of HCAs who have often been doing the job far longer than them and sometimes know more. They feel they need to show they're in charge and go overboard. Usually they get better over time and are more likely to listen to reason e.g. I have X washes to do and also Y and Z, so do you really need me to do that for you. I think you just need to be patient with them. However I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be getting drugs for them, its not what you are trained to do. Wouldn't be surprised if laws were being broken (but I assume/hope it just involves getting the box not putting tablets etc into a med pot).

Strange that HCAs don't do observations, its not common practice (though I assume this helps with your workload). If its going to impact on the jobs you are supposed to be doing, that they aren't helping with, refuse (unless they are clearly extremely behind, and/or there are sick patients requiring frequent obs which need to be prioritised) it shouldn't be something you are doing routinely if its not part of your role. However I suspect if you go elsewhere especially outside your trust you'll have to do this, in addition to your basic care tasks. I think rules like this hinder team work between nurses and HCAs. Things work much better (in my experience) when you share a common workload (though some people use it as a chance to take the piss).

3. Sounds good. Hopefully the new hospital will be better. However you're likely to encounter many lazy nurses in the future. Try to get signed up to NHSP as soon as you have the 6 months experience as the process can be slightly long. Have a look at hospitals they serve around your uni choices (if you don't feel its too early/presumptuous) if you haven't already and also figure out which other agencies would be useful to join (though if you join more than 1 tax can get a bit complicated)

4. Good idea, just be polite about it. I only had to do last offices twice and can't imagine doing it on my own. I'd be too freaked out, I even refused to be alone with them in the room when the nurse popped out to get something :lol:

but I wasn't the only one so people understood. During my first experience of it I learned that muscle twitches/spasms don't stop as soon as they die, which meant I had an experience I'll never forget :lol:

On a related note, I'm pretty sure a qualified nurse should always be involved in last offices, but this may have just been the case where I worked.

5. Sounds like a good plan. Also working in different places may be something useful to talk about at interview e.g. different patient populations/specialties and the effect on what you see/do. Agency/bank work can be more fun, and you create your own schedule (I always hated the rota, it would come out late and I couldn't plan anything). However it can be difficult to constantly be finding your feet in new places, which is another reason to try to stick it out where you are/where you are transferred to until you get better at handling the workload. Overall I definitely preferred NHSP work, the work was more varied, my schedule was better and the weekly pay was also nice :tongue:

Reply 1993

Original post by raveen789

Thanks again :tongue:

when is your UKCAT?

Friday

Reply 1994

SamEastie

Has anyone used the PS helper service? I just feel my career advisers at my old school are USELESS..
If anyone has, did you find it useful? It does look really good. I'm still apprehensive about posting it online, even though it does seem very safe..

Reply 1995

Original post by SamEastie

I posted my PS 6 days ago and haven't had a reply. :frown:

Reply 1996

SamEastie

Original post by Dr.Ugs

I posted my PS 6 days ago and haven't had a reply. :frown:

Ah.. There does seem to be a long waiting list.
I may not even get it back before the deadline then..

Reply 1997

Original post by SamEastie

Ah.. There does seem to be a long waiting list.
I may not even get it back before the deadline then..

Yeah I just checked it! It says 14 days! Do you know any other sort of service???

Reply 1998

SamEastie

Original post by Dr.Ugs

Yeah I just checked it! It says 14 days! Do you know any other sort of service???

Oh wow.. I've submitted mine anyway on the off chance I get it back aha
Nope unfortunately not! Wish I did! :frown:

Reply 1999