any tips from people who've done medical related work experience?

Hi there!
I did a weeks work experience at my local hospital a couple months ago - here’s my top tips:
- bring a bag with you to put clothes in if you need to change (For radiology you may need to go into an interventional radiology theatre, wear you will be required to change into scrubs). Can be a tote bag, rucksack, etc.
- bring snacks throughout the day, it can be busy work and you might not necessarily have a scheduled lunch, so quick snacks were a lifesaver for me
- if a consultant or other dr mentions they have a particularly interesting case or patient, pay attention. And if it’s outside of your usual work experience timings, offer to stay to see it (they particularly like this work ethic).
- make plenty of notes but make sure you do it away from patients and other clinical areas (nothing worse than being in a consultation and the patient thinks you’re writing everything they’re saying). Also remember the confidentiality rules: no identifying information, no specific details, and no sharing under any circumstances. Focus on what the staff do, what’s good, what’s not so good, what you’ve learnt, etc
- respect and learn from all professions. Some of the best staff you’ll learn from will be HCAs, physios, receptionists, ODPs, and not always the doctor you may be shadowing.
- ask thought provoking questions at the right time (ie; not in front of patients, or in public areas).
Take every opportunity, ask plenty of relevant questions, and if you can - try to interact with the patients (you should first ask a member of staff if that’s okay first, as there may be safety reasons why you can’t speak to certain patients). If you can, ask them about their experience in hospital and how they are. Learning to speak to patients is a really useful skill to have.
Be yourself, be curious, and if you’re ever unsure about anything, it’s absolutely okay to ask!!
Good luck!