Year 10 medicine work experience

I am thinking about becoming a doctor. I want to get a deeper understanding of what the career involves and the day-to-day tasks that doctors have. I believe that work experience can help me achieve this and also could look good when applying for sixth form. I want to email some local hospitals with the hope that one of them could let me do work experience there (ideally let me shadow a doctor).

How do I format an email asking to apply for work experience?
Am I too young to apply?
Can I just come for about 1 hour a week for a period of time?
Can I shadow a doctor at this age?

P.s. I want to do the work experience now rather than during summer as I heard that that's when most people do it and so it is very hard to get a spot.

Reply 1

TSR Hippocrates

Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum. :biggrin:

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Reply 2

ismaelishere

during year 10, i personally didn't do a hospital placement as its very hard to get without already having links like family members and stuff, otherwise u need to be 16 usually. id recommend doing something care related tho like at a primary school which is what i did. shows your ability to communicate well with children, and i also had an intersting experience helping a child who looked pretty ill get the help they needed. this isn't really necessary though and doesn't give you the insight into the hospital environment. obviously ask hospitals, but you might just have to wait till you are 16.

now im in year 11, and back in november i emailed the hospital again, this time asking as a 16 year old, and ever since ive been on the waiting list for summer. its not hard to get spots, you just have to be proactive and be early. (also im not actually 16 till june but they dont know that lol)

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 3

username6321277

You are a bit too young for hospital work experience/ GP placements, so I’m not sure if any applications will be successful.

I think the best way is to volunteer once a week (Saturdays?) in a social setting, I’m certain there would be a lot more opportunities and it would look great as the hours will add up and better inform you on what the NHS is all about- delivering care/ supporting the community.