Hi I've been frantically searching for Work Experience for the 2023 Summer, I've registered with Sutton Trust and their summer school, but I have parents that want to see more opportunities with a deadline of this week, and every hospital's website I look at does not make it clear whether they are allowing volunteering, should I email them ? So confused just need a but of clarity thanks.
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Hi I've been frantically searching for Work Experience for the 2023 Summer, I've registered with Sutton Trust and their summer school, but I have parents that want to see more opportunities with a deadline of this week, and every hospital's website I look at does not make it clear whether they are allowing volunteering, should I email them ? So confused just need a but of clarity thanks.
What do you have already? What sort of opportunities are you looking at? What’s your region (not city or town, just region of the UK)?
People may be better placed to help if they know this information.
Please be assured that you don’t need hospital-related experience. Your likelihood of getting an invitation to interview is certainly not going to depend on you getting it. You could probably get away with doing the virtual experience through BSMS and the virtual GP work experience and that would be enough.
Try to remember that you goal is not really to get medical based shadowing or work experience. Your goal is to have experiences that are going to give you things to talk about at interview. A week’s shadowing or work experience is not going to give you anywhere near as much to talk about at interview as a long term volunteering role a charity or a care home where you have specific responsibilities. Medical school interviews like you to be able to give examples of things you have done, times when you’ve overcome challenges etc. Shadowing can’t give you that but volunteering can.
Have you looked at organisations like the Red Cross? Do-It.life? The Stroke Association? Contacted local schools or care homes? If you’ve only been focusing on hospitals and GP practices, you will need to broaden your search.
What do you have already? What sort of opportunities are you looking at? What’s your region (not city or town, just region of the UK)?
People may be better placed to help if they know this information.
Please be assured that you don’t need hospital-related experience. Your likelihood of getting an invitation to interview is certainly not going to depend on you getting it. You could probably get away with doing the virtual experience through BSMS and the virtual GP work experience and that would be enough.
Try to remember that you goal is not really to get medical based shadowing or work experience. Your goal is to have experiences that are going to give you things to talk about at interview. A week’s shadowing or work experience is not going to give you anywhere near as much to talk about at interview as a long term volunteering role a charity or a care home where you have specific responsibilities. Medical school interviews like you to be able to give examples of things you have done, times when you’ve overcome challenges etc. Shadowing can’t give you that but volunteering can.
Have you looked at organisations like the Red Cross? Do-It.life? The Stroke Association? Contacted local schools or care homes? If you’ve only been focusing on hospitals and GP practices, you will need to broaden your search.
Hi, Most NHS Trusts have a volunteering lead who runs teams of volunteers at each hospital. These could be people who come in and help at lunchtime, read to patients, do some gardening etc. Here at East Surrey they hire volunteers at least twice a year via a short interview followed by some training. Volunteers are then allocated on the basis of their skill set or interests. My son did this as his year 11/12 college work experience for the 9 months prior to his med school applications and as long as he could commit to one afternoon a week (which fit around his college timetable), the hospital were happy. He combined this with a Saturday job in a local pharmacy and has just received 2 offers and 2 waitlist places. Good luck in sourcing something suitable