Work experience in a hospital

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Reply 40

Etomidate

Original post by MiszShortee786

Yes I was trained to cannulate on a patient. I wasn't doing such actions out of my own accord now was I?

Ok. Just a little unusual for a hospital volunteer to have cannulation training. Were you a HCA in a prior life?

Reply 41

KatieDay23

try for work experience anywhere you can that is medical. when i was 16, i was certain i'd be a doctor but then at 18 i changed my mind. i'm still doing a medical degree, but not to become a doctor. be open to the possibilities of other areas of medicine and look into where you can get in for some work experience! i'm on hospital placement myself as part of my degree and it can be very hard to fit additional students in, especially when they aren't able to contribute in any way - so don't feel disheartened! particularly when you're under 18, you quite possibly won't get a whole week in a hospital as there's nothing you're allowed to do and they have to fit you around them. but you'll get something eventually.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 42

Someone123123

Original post by eringracesutton

Hello all,

I'm struggling to find sufficient work experience for the course. I've applied for a week of work experience in my local hospital in March however getting placements is hard as you have to apply 6 months before your chosen date and you still may not get it. I know for sure that I want to be a surgeon rather than a GP. How else could I get work experience in a hospital environment? Currently 16 and in year 12.

Thanks.

Try approaching the undergraduate departments of the your local hospitals or practice managers of your local GP's in person. Otherwise, call them. As a last resort email them, but emails are easy to ignore.

I would steer clear of pushing food trolleys unless that is really a last resort. I definitely would not class that valuable experience and fail to see how an interviewer would either. Only as a last resort :smile:

Reply 43

Someone123123

Original post by Volibear

Like any type of volunteering/work experience, it can be valuable if you can reflect on it. You still get patient contact etc. It may not be for everyone but shouldn't just be disregarded.

Reflection needs to contain substance as well as style. There will be next to nothing to reflect upon by pushing around a food trolley. Yes, you may be able to get limited contextless 'patient contact' by going out of your way I suppose, but that would be pretty poor work experience if that's all you managed IMO.

Reply 44

Someone123123

Original post by Volibear

I doubt anybody would have it as there only type of volunteering. Anyway, it provides patient contact just like being a ward volunteer. You get to talk to patients, the staff etc. If you're just showing up, grunting "do you want something?" without even saying hello and introducing yourself, and then walking off, you're definitely not doing your job properly.
You're in a healthcare environment and get to see how it works as well as developing those interpersonal skills that everyone loves to hear about. It is definitely better than nothing and plenty of medical applicants do do it.

For their volunteering part, not their work experience part. Pushing a food trolley is not work experience.

Reply 45

Someone123123

Original post by Volibear

Yes I was talking about volunteering. Not everybody is going to be able to find a doctor or other health professional to shadow for 'work experience' and most school leaver applicants won't be getting jobs as HCAs etc.

Your point was that pushing a trolley wasn't 'valuable experience'. You didn't state whether you were talking about work experience or voluntary experience. Unless I misunderstood...

Yes you misunderstood :smile:

OP's thread title and post is about work experience which is what I was referring to

Reply 46

gomgossa

Completely agree here- I'm a little confused and slightly frustrated with some posters looking down on volunteering. For me, it is a wonderful and valuable thing

Reply 47

Harriet2017

Original post by eringracesutton

I agree it’s very difficult for us youngsters to find placements in the Health and Social Care sector. I recently did 3 days work experience in the occupational therapy department of my local hospital. I am 17 yo. Do you have a particular department or ward in mind, I think it’s be easier to get some work experience if you tell them you have a specific area you would like to know more about! My advice would be to keep chasing them up, keep emailing, keep phoning. Took me ages to get dates for my work experience. Also, you won’t actually get to do much, placements in hospitals tend to be strictly observational only due to policies and procedures. All I did was shadow staff, it was boring at times when they had to write notes but it was really interesting overall. Looks great on your CV too! Good luck!! 😊

Reply 48

Someone123123

Original post by niamh787

Completely agree here- I'm a little confused and slightly frustrated with some posters looking down on volunteering. For me, it is a wonderful and valuable thing

I was talking about work experience. This thread discussion seems to have derailed and conflated work experience with volunteering. OP clearly is enquiring about work experience and people start suggesting pushing food trolleys around.