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Applying to medicine No work experience!!!

I have done 30 weeks volunteering at a hospital . 1 week at a pharmacy and 1 week at a hospice but I have not shadowed a doctor when I tried to apply all the places were already booked at all hospitals! Do I have a disadvantage I thought working at the hospital and hospice already gave me work experience but when I looked online it said shadowing a medical professional which I do not have. What should I do ? Should I just email loads of GP surgeries to see if they will allow me to shadow a doctor?
I'm also taking the young doctors summer program but I'm wondering if this counts as I paid for it??
Thank you in advance. I'm freaking out!!
(edited 6 years ago)
You need to justify why you want to do medicine and use your experiences to do so. If you have not experienced shadowing doctors etc it is much harder to show you know what life as a doctor means. Your other experiences are good but keep trying to get some doctor experiences as that is very important. As for young doctors program, it should not matter if its paid. Experience is experience.
I think you should try to contact doctors directly yeah. If the summer program includes shadowing, I don't think the fact that it's paid would put you at a big disadvantage. You wouldn't even have to say it was paid if they don't ask, you could just talk about the fact that you shadowed a doctor and tell them what you learned.

If you can't find a shadowing placement, try to at least arrange to meet up with a couple of doctors to discuss their careers.

If it makes you feel better, I had zero shadowing experience (shadowing is not really a thing where I live) but I got two offers and I know for a fact that my two rejections had nothing to do with work experience. :smile:
What you have doesn't sound bad at all, but if you can contact GPs that would be a good thing yes.
Reply 4
Avatar for Puppo
Puppo
15
Posted from TSR Mobile

Wtf that's plenty of experience. I attended a conference where an admissions advisor recommended a few weeks of experience. You've done over 30 and have a variety. Maybe just enjoy ur summer
Also I cannot emphasise enough that it is not the quantity but the quality. There's no point doing a ridiculous amount as you won't have room in your PS to reflect on it all and the opportunity in interviews may not even arise.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Puppo
Posted from TSR Mobile

Wtf that's plenty of experience. I attended a conference where an admissions advisor recommended a few weeks of experience. You've done over 30 and have a variety. Maybe just enjoy ur summer
Also I cannot emphasise enough that it is not the quantity but the quality. There's no point doing a ridiculous amount as you won't have room in your PS to reflect on it all and the opportunity in interviews may not even arise.

I thought all I mentioned was volunteering
I don't even know why I'm on TSR atm but I saw your post and I think you should listen to this.

I've just finished first year medicine.
Stop freaking out, you're honestly being extremely melodramatic. You have more than enough experience and you know it. Just enjoy your summer and relax and think carefully about how you're going to reflect on the many experiences that you have had. Honestly, it is NOT the number of places you have gone to, but rather how you articulate yourself and explain what you have learned and how you believe such experiences deem you suitable for the course.
In all honesty, 30 weeks in a hospital is more than enough and the fact that you have done so much more won't exactly help you.
You have a limited number of words on your personal statement and a limited amount of time in your interview. You honestly don't have time or space to be making long lists of places.
Furthermore, it does not matter if you paid for the summer programme or not, they're not going to ask if you paid for it.
Personally, my work experience was:
A few months in a hospital every week (1 hour a week)
1 week in a GP surgery
A 3 day "summer school"

The fact that you haven't shadowed a doctor is fine, there's no need to stress and go through hell and high water to do that. University's understand that not everyone has access to something like that.

I didn't pay for anything, I didn't read too much into stuff online, I carefully described my experiences, reflected on them and used phrases such as "this experience made me realise that, as a doctor..." and got 3/4 interviews and 3/4 offers.

This is a key thing you need to learn before you begin your first year if you do get in because stressing, ruminating and panicking over small issues leads to unnecessary stress and burn out.

I'm not trying to be harsh but if you care or have any questions then just message me tbh.
Reply 7
Avatar for Puppo
Puppo
15
?
That's a good thing, they will favour volunteering as it shows you will go out of your way to obtain experience. If you want to go for a gp just bc ur interested then go for it, but don't feel like you have to.
Original post by herbivore004
I don't even know why I'm on TSR atm but I saw your post and I think you should listen to this.

I've just finished first year medicine.
Stop freaking out, you're honestly being extremely melodramatic. You have more than enough experience and you know it. Just enjoy your summer and relax and think carefully about how you're going to reflect on the many experiences that you have had. Honestly, it is NOT the number of places you have gone to, but rather how you articulate yourself and explain what you have learned and how you believe such experiences deem you suitable for the course.
In all honesty, 30 weeks in a hospital is more than enough and the fact that you have done so much more won't exactly help you.
You have a limited number of words on your personal statement and a limited amount of time in your interview. You honestly don't have time or space to be making long lists of places.
Furthermore, it does not matter if you paid for the summer programme or not, they're not going to ask if you paid for it.
Personally, my work experience was:
A few months in a hospital every week (1 hour a week)
1 week in a GP surgery
A 3 day "summer school"

The fact that you haven't shadowed a doctor is fine, there's no need to stress and go through hell and high water to do that. University's understand that not everyone has access to something like that.

I didn't pay for anything, I didn't read too much into stuff online, I carefully described my experiences, reflected on them and used phrases such as "this experience made me realise that, as a doctor..." and got 3/4 interviews and 3/4 offers.

This is a key thing you need to learn before you begin your first year if you do get in because stressing, ruminating and panicking over small issues leads to unnecessary stress and burn out.

I'm not trying to be harsh but if you care or have any questions then just message me tbh.

I really didn't mean to be "melodramatic" I just only realised that volunteering and work experience were not the same thing and freaked out when most applicants around me had it. Sorry if I did sound like a drama queen 😅 I just panicked which I shouldn't have! Thank you for your advice!!!

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