2014 Medicine Re-Applicants

x

been told Cardiff are sending no more offers so I'm joining here
applied to Leeds, Sheff, Liverpool and Cardiff. Interviews at Liverpool and Cardiff, but they were both rubbish.
disappointed, but I never even expected 2 interviews so yuno. hoping for better next year (and a better UKCAT!)

5 vacancies total! How many vacancies are in your area? I've signed up for notification of vacancies for the last month or so and have only received three notifications since for HCA posts. I just assumed that was the 'normal' number of vacancies available aha. I'm in Dorset, can't exactly say that it's 'desolate', there are plenty of hospitals around!

x

Looks like I'm going to be reapplying, 4 rejections from Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham and Exeter.

Does anyone have any advice about how to improve your personal statement? I'm going to try and get some voluntary work/work experience over the summer after I finish my exams but I'll be doing most stuff after I have sent off my reapplication. So should I write about what I am planning to do on my gap year? Otherwise I can't see my PS being majorly different except maybe rewording and things I've done in the summer.

Also anyone from South Wales got any tips on options for work experience/volunteering, it seems there are so few opportunities here, I've tried a couple of nursing/care homes but they aren't willing to take me on because they don't want to take the time to do all the checks etc


Posted from TSR Mobile

The main thing I'd emphasise for the PS is reflection upon what you have learnt whilst volunteering / shadowing / being in a leadership role.
Re-reading my PS from last year, I realised I had essentially just listed what I'd done. I had a lot of things in there, but didn't really state what I'd learnt or why my experiences made me suitable for Medicine.
When it came to re-writing it, that's what I focussed on. I didn't actually have much more to put in - just a few gap year plans - but the new structure meant it read much smoother and I feel it was an awful lot better than last year's.

As for care homes, if you're on a gap year, why just volunteer? Perhaps look for some paid work; I spent seven months working full-time in a nursing home. I've left now as I'm going travelling but they've said the door is always open if I need work during the holidays, and it certainly makes you look at things a bit differently.

Thanks for the advice! Will definitely be looking for work, how did you find the job, on NHS careers?


Posted from TSR Mobile

Looks like I'm going to be reapplying, 4 rejections from Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham and Exeter.

Does anyone have any advice about how to improve your personal statement? I'm going to try and get some voluntary work/work experience over the summer after I finish my exams but I'll be doing most stuff after I have sent off my reapplication. So should I write about what I am planning to do on my gap year? Otherwise I can't see my PS being majorly different except maybe rewording and things I've done in the summer.

Also anyone from South Wales got any tips on options for work experience/volunteering, it seems there are so few opportunities here, I've tried a couple of nursing/care homes but they aren't willing to take me on because they don't want to take the time to do all the checks etc


Posted from TSR Mobile

does anyone know which uni's don't accept reapplicants/dont accept reapplicants who have been rejected post interview?
can't seem to find the info anywhere.

Sorry to hear that - where any of them post-interview?

Did you try giving it to the P.S. help service on TSR? They were am-ay-zing with mine.

As above individual said, go for some paid work! If you start applying now, you may have something sorted for summer, even if it's not in the NHS, you can stick with it until something better comes along.

You can talk a lot about what your planning on doing in the gap year if your stuck for ideas?


Best to check with the individual unis websites? Don't know where you would find a comprehensive list from

does anyone know which uni's don't accept reapplicants/dont accept reapplicants who have been rejected post interview?
can't seem to find the info anywhere.

Where did you guys find vaccincies for HCA jobs? I've looked at the nottinghamshire site but can't seem to find HCA or jobs of that type being advertised.

You have to keep looking Richy, In my area Doncaster i was looking all year round and there was no vacancies then suddenly there was like 5 in march out of no where, some were for internal applicants only though I still not got a HCA job yet but the vacancies were up!

Ok where specifically are you looking, on your trusts website? or private job finders.

Birmingham and Cardiff were post interview.

I didn't know of the PS help service when I applied, but I will make sure I use it this time around, it seems that it's a help

I have found a volunteer opportunity it's description is
"Volunteers are needed to introduce a variety of activities to older people living in a residential unit, eg sheltered housing and nursing homes. The activities are designed either to maintain fitness levels eg armchair exercises or stimulate the mind eg organising a quiz."
Do you think that would be worth while to do? Because it involves working with elderly in a care environment

Posted from TSR Mobile

Sounds good! Apply and see what happens! I know you mentioned how difficult you were finding it to find jobs / opportunities in your area, so what I would do is, volunteer / take up as many options as i could find / fit in while I wait for something like paid employment opportunity to come. Also, if any posts do come up 'requiring experience in care for at least x months' you could tick that box!

And the bonus bit of throwing it into your personal statement before your app is sent off.

YO HOMIES

I was suddenly acutely aware of this "there are no hca posts in my area" issue - and was wondering if, you had looked at the NHS jobs website, and rather than putting in any key terms, just put in your location, and any salaries up to 20k. This will show all the entry level jobs in your area.

Not many of them will be HCA's but I found loads of other stuff. Over about 2 weeks, I've applied for everything, phlebotomist, therapy assistant, A&E receptionist, Bank Ward Service Officer, Medical Lab Assistant - these are all good jobs, with about the same pay as a HCA, that will give a different view of the NHS.

The other thing is, when your searching for a healthcare assistant, your automatically neglecting loads of other things.

E.G.

Auxiliary Nurse, Clinical Support Worker, Ward Assistant, HCA are all very similar things!


IMO stuff like therapy assistant is something I'd rather do then HCA - (more patient involvement, less bed pan changing!). Get going guys!

Hey! I saw you on the Keele thread. They rejected me too I got 4 rejections so now I am taking a gap year. Have you had offers? Is this your first time applying?

And is it important to have specifically a healthcare related job or can it be anything as long as your working with people? Well thats what I have heard.

YO HOMIES

I was suddenly acutely aware of this "there are no hca posts in my area" issue - and was wondering if, you had looked at the NHS jobs website, and rather than putting in any key terms, just put in your location, and any salaries up to 20k. This will show all the entry level jobs in your area.

Not many of them will be HCA's but I found loads of other stuff. Over about 2 weeks, I've applied for everything, phlebotomist, therapy assistant, A&E receptionist, Bank Ward Service Officer, Medical Lab Assistant - these are all good jobs, with about the same pay as a HCA, that will give a different view of the NHS.

The other thing is, when your searching for a healthcare assistant, your automatically neglecting loads of other things.

E.G.

Auxiliary Nurse, Clinical Support Worker, Ward Assistant, HCA are all very similar things!


IMO stuff like therapy assistant is something I'd rather do then HCA - (more patient involvement, less bed pan changing!). Get going guys!