Is working at a charity and a foodbank enough work experience to apply for medicine

I am in Year 12 and I have been working at a charity shop for 6 months and I am looking for more work experiences for medicine such as shadowing at a hospitals and GP but I have been rejected by all of the hospitals and GPs in my area would working at a charity and food bank be enough for my application

Reply 1

TSR Hippocrates

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Reply 2

McGinger

Original post

by Hekyff

This is fine, don't panic. Universities are very aware that getting NHS work-exp is difficult. This experience will have given you great communication skills and social awareness, but some more obvious 'caring' experience might be useful - volunteering at Special School or a Care-Home might be worth looking at.

Reply 3

ErasistratusV

Absolutely will be both good and enough.

Good because I can bet money very very few applicants have done what you have and for such a long period of time. Make sure you mention what you have done in any interview. Think about the interactions you have had, the people you have met and why they might be using a charity shop. Have any of them have an impact on you, either the people donating items or the people buying them or why they are buying them? What motivated you to work in a charity shop in the first place and why that particular charity?

You've shown a lot of resolve to voluntarily seek work experience in the way you have. A lot of people do a week of work experience in hospital having done nothing much more than send a email. Don't forget to mention you've applied or asked at other places of course but make sure the interviewer knows you have done what you have because you thought it would be good to do something different and to build on your people skills which you know will be very valuable in medical school and beyond.

Most GP practices will not offer work experience due to time and confidentiality requirements, its a shame because it's a great way to get insight on the real sharp end of healthcare.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 4

McGinger

Useful free Moocs :
Applying for Medical School - Online Course - FutureLearn
The NHS in England Explained - Online Course - FutureLearn

Online presentations (under Virtual events) - Outreach | Leicester Medical School | University of Leicester - series of talks over the next few months.

Reply 5

Hekyff

Thank you very much

Reply 6

DJS_Simo

Original post

by Hekyff

Your work is fine, I'm in the same boat with work experience, I've been rejected by GP Surgeries as they don't allow students and all my local NHS trusts aren't responding

Reply 7

stilllearning123

Original post

by Hekyff

Hey, as above, this will probably be good.
However, there are good free online work experience opportunities that count the same as normal work experience, for example, the Brighton and Sussex Medical School online work experience is good, and you can get free online GP work experience from the royal college of GPs website.
Best of luck!

Reply 8

ErasistratusV

You guys looking for work experience, offer to volunteer in your nearest hospice, respite or care home. All you need to do is talk to people and make cups of tea rather than anything clinical and it will fit into your schedule whilst studying for A level, etc.

Reply 9

MedicalPeter

I think one thing to add is that it's about what you take from your work experience, and how you have learnt from it. You can have absolutely loads but if your application doesn't reflect that you utilised those experiences to learn about (for example) working in the multidisciplinary team, witness communication done well (or badly), thought about how it applies to medicine etc, then it is useless. So focus on quality over quantity, and remember medicine is about lifelong learning through self reflection so reflect on your experiences.