I have been looking through information on volunteering while being on a holiday because it's always been an interest to me.
So today i came across this pamphlet( Link http://ww4.statravel.co.uk/gets_apps/downloads/brochure/2012/volunteering/Volunteer-Work-and-Learn.pdf)
And it looks really good!
Well, although the volunteering may not have to do with 'medicne-stuff' and there aren't any clinical placements or anything, I still think that volunteering is definitely something that every applicant should try taking some time out to do.
Personally, I did not do much volunteering, just 2 months in a Hospice but i felt that that experience had really changed the way I look at things, especially how i look upon the lives of elderly people. When i came back from Summer after my voluntary work,I found myself paying more attention to elderly people around me. In the UK, there is a ageing population and as time passes, the elderly are going to make up a huge part of the population and this is something that will affect every aspect of society! Health care will definitely face the weight of this and hence I believe that as a person aspiring to go into this career, being able to interact and come to understand the elderly is something really important.
Coming back to the main topic, I felt that the pamphlet looks really promising and it sounds like any of these trips would be great fun! If I am able to save up some money perhaps i would go for a short one(:
Showing posts with label work experience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work experience. Show all posts
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Thursday, 21 March 2013
Rejection?
If you have been rejected by all your medicals schools here are some things you may want to consider doing:
1.Ask for feedback and reflect
How far had you been successful throughout the application process?
Pre-interview rejections:
Your weakness may then have to do with the following:
Predicted Grades
If you were not given the predicted grade that you needed, it may be advisable for you to complete your A level course and achieve the AAA grade and then reapply!
GCSEs/Achieved A Level Result
If your achieved results were the reason for your rejection, then you may have to consider an alternative route into medicine or even an alternative career.
UKCAT Score
If this was a reason, work hard and practise for it again , resit it and reapply. If you are unable to achieve a satisfactory score, consider applying to BMAT schools or schools that do not look at the UKCAT.(Refer to my previous post for advice on the UKCAT: http://ajourneytofufilmydreams.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/ukcat.html)
Reference
Personally, I don't think that this would be a huge factor, but if this was something that had been a hinder to you, you will have to just prove yourself to your teacher/referee to get a better reference for your next application.
Personal Statement
I would think that this would be a common aspect of the application that has shattered the dreams of many. If the feedback you have received from your universities has to do with your lack of experience/maturity/insight/etc; you will ahve to really look at your personal statement, ask yourself, what could you improve? Could you have reflected more?To work on improving your personal statement you may .like to consider taking a gap year to gain more work experience and do some volunteering to help strengthen you application. I have touched on these aspects of the application in my previous posts.
Rejected Post-interview
If you've received interviews but had gotten rejections, i would say that your weakness would most probably lie in your interviewing skills and how you presented yourself.
Think back tonthe days of your interviews, how were you feeling? Could you have performed better?
If your nerves were the reason that you were unable to have a successful interview, you might want to take up some self-improvement courses such as public speaking courses or even take some time out to go for interview workshops!
You had already gotten quite far into the application process so no doubt, you would be a strong applicant if you reapply!
Also think about your choices, did you apply strategically, could you have made better choices?
2.Take a gap year and improve on the different aspects of your applications as stated above)
Here are some ideas for a gap year:
In your Local area
Apply for work experience at your local hospital/clinics
Volunteer at your local old age home/hospice
Sign up to help out with any activities to do with helping others!
Get a job- it may or may not have to be in a caring environment, as long as you learn something while doing it(for instance,teamwork,organisation or leadership)
Abroad:
You may want to consider going on placements/volunteering with companies such as gapmedics. A quick google search should be able to get you a long list of companies that organise these kind of things!
3.Reconsider medicine as a career.
If this is not your first rejection, you may have to decide if medicine is really the career for you.there have been cases of applicants being successful on their third application to medical school. If your situation allows for this, then by all means, go ahead!(:
4. Consider alternative routes into medicine
I touched on this in my previous post!(:
The very best of luck to everyone out there! Don't give up and keep chasing your dreams!
1.Ask for feedback and reflect
How far had you been successful throughout the application process?
Pre-interview rejections:
Your weakness may then have to do with the following:
Predicted Grades
If you were not given the predicted grade that you needed, it may be advisable for you to complete your A level course and achieve the AAA grade and then reapply!
GCSEs/Achieved A Level Result
If your achieved results were the reason for your rejection, then you may have to consider an alternative route into medicine or even an alternative career.
UKCAT Score
If this was a reason, work hard and practise for it again , resit it and reapply. If you are unable to achieve a satisfactory score, consider applying to BMAT schools or schools that do not look at the UKCAT.(Refer to my previous post for advice on the UKCAT: http://ajourneytofufilmydreams.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/ukcat.html)
Reference
Personally, I don't think that this would be a huge factor, but if this was something that had been a hinder to you, you will have to just prove yourself to your teacher/referee to get a better reference for your next application.
Personal Statement
I would think that this would be a common aspect of the application that has shattered the dreams of many. If the feedback you have received from your universities has to do with your lack of experience/maturity/insight/etc; you will ahve to really look at your personal statement, ask yourself, what could you improve? Could you have reflected more?To work on improving your personal statement you may .like to consider taking a gap year to gain more work experience and do some volunteering to help strengthen you application. I have touched on these aspects of the application in my previous posts.
Rejected Post-interview
If you've received interviews but had gotten rejections, i would say that your weakness would most probably lie in your interviewing skills and how you presented yourself.
Think back tonthe days of your interviews, how were you feeling? Could you have performed better?
If your nerves were the reason that you were unable to have a successful interview, you might want to take up some self-improvement courses such as public speaking courses or even take some time out to go for interview workshops!
You had already gotten quite far into the application process so no doubt, you would be a strong applicant if you reapply!
Also think about your choices, did you apply strategically, could you have made better choices?
2.Take a gap year and improve on the different aspects of your applications as stated above)
Here are some ideas for a gap year:
In your Local area
Apply for work experience at your local hospital/clinics
Volunteer at your local old age home/hospice
Sign up to help out with any activities to do with helping others!
Get a job- it may or may not have to be in a caring environment, as long as you learn something while doing it(for instance,teamwork,organisation or leadership)
Abroad:
You may want to consider going on placements/volunteering with companies such as gapmedics. A quick google search should be able to get you a long list of companies that organise these kind of things!
3.Reconsider medicine as a career.
If this is not your first rejection, you may have to decide if medicine is really the career for you.there have been cases of applicants being successful on their third application to medical school. If your situation allows for this, then by all means, go ahead!(:
4. Consider alternative routes into medicine
I touched on this in my previous post!(:
The very best of luck to everyone out there! Don't give up and keep chasing your dreams!
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Things I fussed over but later found to be useless
1.Looking at other Personal Statements
I even bought a book for it! In the end, it just makes you feel so stressed because you will be wondering if your experiences can match up with what other applicants have! Sure, read some personal statements to get some idea of the structure and what you should include, after that, don't mull over it and stress yourself up! Your personal statement has to show you and your passion, channel all your energy into doing that and you'll be fine!
2.Looking at the stats of others(How much work/volunteering experience they had, how many A*s they got at GCSEs, what extra curricular activities they did, etc;)
Doing this just made me so so stressed and i kept comparing myself to them! Especially on TSR where i compared what i have done to people who had applied in past years and have been successful! Even those who had been unsuccessful had a whole list of work experiences!!!Do not waste your time doing this, and just focus on what you can do , because ultimately, your application would be compared against those applying with you and never forget that people on TSR are usually over-achievers(not all though><) Just do your best for your own application!
3.Cramming my summer with work experience
I must say that I was really fortunate to have gotten so many work experiences but in the end, I could not even fit some of them into my personal statement and I could have used some of that time preparing for my UKCAT or doing up my Personal statement. However, in a way, although i find it useless, I do not regret having had all of them because from there I have really come to understand that medicine is something that I really am interested in and am serious about!
4.The need to call every university and ask what they look for in an application
It's all stated in the admissions policy of each university and on their websites!! Calling up the different universities would just be a waste if time unless you have a question that can't be answered by the websites
I even bought a book for it! In the end, it just makes you feel so stressed because you will be wondering if your experiences can match up with what other applicants have! Sure, read some personal statements to get some idea of the structure and what you should include, after that, don't mull over it and stress yourself up! Your personal statement has to show you and your passion, channel all your energy into doing that and you'll be fine!
2.Looking at the stats of others(How much work/volunteering experience they had, how many A*s they got at GCSEs, what extra curricular activities they did, etc;)
Doing this just made me so so stressed and i kept comparing myself to them! Especially on TSR where i compared what i have done to people who had applied in past years and have been successful! Even those who had been unsuccessful had a whole list of work experiences!!!Do not waste your time doing this, and just focus on what you can do , because ultimately, your application would be compared against those applying with you and never forget that people on TSR are usually over-achievers(not all though><) Just do your best for your own application!
3.Cramming my summer with work experience
I must say that I was really fortunate to have gotten so many work experiences but in the end, I could not even fit some of them into my personal statement and I could have used some of that time preparing for my UKCAT or doing up my Personal statement. However, in a way, although i find it useless, I do not regret having had all of them because from there I have really come to understand that medicine is something that I really am interested in and am serious about!
4.The need to call every university and ask what they look for in an application
It's all stated in the admissions policy of each university and on their websites!! Calling up the different universities would just be a waste if time unless you have a question that can't be answered by the websites
Things to start doing RIGHT NOW!
I would think that students who are intending to apply to Medical schools for 2014 entry would be starting to prepare for the submission of their applications this October.
Here are some things you may want to consider doing to be well prepared for the stressful application when it comes:
1. Study for the UKCAT
Like,start right now!
Get your books, sign up for online UKCAT Practises, start using the sample tests on the UKCAT website!
Yes! You can study.. well, actually, practise.. you can practise for the UKCAT! Trust me! There are a lot of resources out there and the more you do the more used to you'll get to the questions and also you will have exposure to a good range of resources so you'll be very prepared for any type of question that comes out in your actual test!
Refer to my previous post for resources and advice on it : http://ajourneytofufilmydreams.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/ukcat.html
2. Arrange for work experience
Start early! Some hospitals in the UK have waiting lists of 2 YEARS! Be it volunteering at a charity shop or at a elderly home, start early! The longer your commitment, the better your experience would be a reflection of your commitment and determination.
3.Your Personal Statement
Draft it, ask people around you for opinions,ask the PS helpers on TSR to look at it and give you advice, START EARLY. It really sucks if you start panicking a week before you submit your personal statement and have to keep rushing to complete it only to feel unsatisfied with it after you've sent it off! Look at my previous posts on my advice for doing your personal statement here : http://ajourneytofufilmydreams.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Personal%20Statement
4. Study for your June exams
These exams are your last chance to prove yourself to your teachers, your last chance to show that you are worth being predicted the required AAA. Not forgetting, you also have to declare all your results in your UCAS form, it won't look nice if you have a D or an E, so hit the books and start studying!
Here are some good sites for Chemistry and Biology(AQA):
http://sciencemathsmaster.weebly.com/biology.html
http://vbio.weebly.com/a2-level.html
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1288539 (AWESOME AWESOME NOTES!)
https://www.heckgrammar.co.uk/index.php?p=10312
http://a-levelchemistry.co.uk/( OCR and AQA)
5.Check out some universities
Go for open days this Easter/Summer, go to as many as possible and talk to medical students. Look at the schools' campus, ask what universities look at strongly on your application. If you can't order prospectuses from the universities and look through them. It's always good to have a goal in your mind!
That really is about it. focus all your energy on doing all these and then start thinking about other stuff when you've sent your application off!
Best of luck!
Feel free to email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you have any questions!
Here are some things you may want to consider doing to be well prepared for the stressful application when it comes:
1. Study for the UKCAT
Like,start right now!
Get your books, sign up for online UKCAT Practises, start using the sample tests on the UKCAT website!
Yes! You can study.. well, actually, practise.. you can practise for the UKCAT! Trust me! There are a lot of resources out there and the more you do the more used to you'll get to the questions and also you will have exposure to a good range of resources so you'll be very prepared for any type of question that comes out in your actual test!
Refer to my previous post for resources and advice on it : http://ajourneytofufilmydreams.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/ukcat.html
2. Arrange for work experience
Start early! Some hospitals in the UK have waiting lists of 2 YEARS! Be it volunteering at a charity shop or at a elderly home, start early! The longer your commitment, the better your experience would be a reflection of your commitment and determination.
3.Your Personal Statement
Draft it, ask people around you for opinions,ask the PS helpers on TSR to look at it and give you advice, START EARLY. It really sucks if you start panicking a week before you submit your personal statement and have to keep rushing to complete it only to feel unsatisfied with it after you've sent it off! Look at my previous posts on my advice for doing your personal statement here : http://ajourneytofufilmydreams.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Personal%20Statement
4. Study for your June exams
These exams are your last chance to prove yourself to your teachers, your last chance to show that you are worth being predicted the required AAA. Not forgetting, you also have to declare all your results in your UCAS form, it won't look nice if you have a D or an E, so hit the books and start studying!
Here are some good sites for Chemistry and Biology(AQA):
http://sciencemathsmaster.weebly.com/biology.html
http://vbio.weebly.com/a2-level.html
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1288539 (AWESOME AWESOME NOTES!)
https://www.heckgrammar.co.uk/index.php?p=10312
http://a-levelchemistry.co.uk/( OCR and AQA)
5.Check out some universities
Go for open days this Easter/Summer, go to as many as possible and talk to medical students. Look at the schools' campus, ask what universities look at strongly on your application. If you can't order prospectuses from the universities and look through them. It's always good to have a goal in your mind!
That really is about it. focus all your energy on doing all these and then start thinking about other stuff when you've sent your application off!
Best of luck!
Feel free to email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you have any questions!
Sunday, 17 March 2013
What is enough?
I think this is a question many to-be applicants would have with regards to their application and my answer to that ,really, would be : enough to fill your personal statement up.
This does not mean that you LIST what you did. NO.
The key to a good personal statement , in my opinion, is to SHOW not TELL .
For example , you were part of a team.
Telling would be something like this:
In my high school, I was a member of my school's basketball team. From my experience with working with my team, I have gained communication skills which , I feel, is one of the most important aspects of a good leader.
Showing , on the other hand, would be like this :
I enjoyed being an active member of my high school's basketball team . By often playing the role of a mediator between members with different personalities I have come to appreciate the differences between members of a team and learn to create a sense of unity between members.
By showing , you are telling a story of an aspect of your experience and hence giving insight into your personality and thoughts.
So, back to the main question, what is enough?
As long as you have experiences where you are able to show that you have qualities that a doctor would need , you would be alright , the most important thing is bringing it across effectively to the admissions tutor.
Here are some ideas for qualities that you may have picked up though extracurricular activities that you may want to include in your personal statement :
Teamwork
Leadership
Empathy
Ability to cope with stress
Perseverance
Wide range of interests
Good time management
Good organisation
Responsible
The list is endless , really, you just really have to reflect on everything you've done since high school and then try to think back on activities you did that brought out the best in you.
For work experience, aspects that you could have learnt that you may want to bring across in your PS could possibly be:
Teamwork in a multidisciplinary team
Role of a doctor
Difficulties involved in the career
Aspects of the career that appeals to you
Ethics
Everything really depends a lot on what you see while you are at your work experience. For example, if you worked as a receptionist for a GP, then you may often have encountered anxious patients , you can then perhaps talk about how you've seen the doctor(s) have the ability to calm them down and provide them with reassurance .
In conclusion, you do not need to go on a month worth of work experience , neither do you need to achieve gold DofE, all you just need is a good brain and good reflection of what you have done and learnt. You do not need to safe a person's life or anything dramatic, just show that you are able to learn from what you've been shown/observed and that it enough. Do not feel intimidated by the long list of things that others may have done (especially those on TSR!) have faith in yourself , your passion will definitely be conveyed to the admissions tutor!
This does not mean that you LIST what you did. NO.
The key to a good personal statement , in my opinion, is to SHOW not TELL .
For example , you were part of a team.
Telling would be something like this:
In my high school, I was a member of my school's basketball team. From my experience with working with my team, I have gained communication skills which , I feel, is one of the most important aspects of a good leader.
Showing , on the other hand, would be like this :
I enjoyed being an active member of my high school's basketball team . By often playing the role of a mediator between members with different personalities I have come to appreciate the differences between members of a team and learn to create a sense of unity between members.
By showing , you are telling a story of an aspect of your experience and hence giving insight into your personality and thoughts.
So, back to the main question, what is enough?
As long as you have experiences where you are able to show that you have qualities that a doctor would need , you would be alright , the most important thing is bringing it across effectively to the admissions tutor.
Here are some ideas for qualities that you may have picked up though extracurricular activities that you may want to include in your personal statement :
Teamwork
Leadership
Empathy
Ability to cope with stress
Perseverance
Wide range of interests
Good time management
Good organisation
Responsible
The list is endless , really, you just really have to reflect on everything you've done since high school and then try to think back on activities you did that brought out the best in you.
For work experience, aspects that you could have learnt that you may want to bring across in your PS could possibly be:
Teamwork in a multidisciplinary team
Role of a doctor
Difficulties involved in the career
Aspects of the career that appeals to you
Ethics
Everything really depends a lot on what you see while you are at your work experience. For example, if you worked as a receptionist for a GP, then you may often have encountered anxious patients , you can then perhaps talk about how you've seen the doctor(s) have the ability to calm them down and provide them with reassurance .
In conclusion, you do not need to go on a month worth of work experience , neither do you need to achieve gold DofE, all you just need is a good brain and good reflection of what you have done and learnt. You do not need to safe a person's life or anything dramatic, just show that you are able to learn from what you've been shown/observed and that it enough. Do not feel intimidated by the long list of things that others may have done (especially those on TSR!) have faith in yourself , your passion will definitely be conveyed to the admissions tutor!
Saturday, 9 March 2013
Interview questions and how to tackle them! #2
Work Experience Questions
With regards to this question, to make this question easier to answer in your interview, I would advise that you make it easier for yourself by writing specific aspects of your work experience that you feel you can talk well about in your personal statement.
How do you do this?
Write 'stories of particular incidents you witnessed'
For example, you can say you witnessed how a doctor reassured a patient. The possible questions that then could be asked from there would be: What have you learnt from that?What aspects of a doctor do you think are important for him/her to succeed in his/her career? What are your feelings on how the doctor handled the patient? If you were in the doctor's shoes, what would you have done?
The questions become very specific so it makes you preparation much easier!
If you list everything that you've done, instead on going slightly 'in depth' you will then have a lot to prepare for and it then becomes very difficult for you to predict what questions could possibly come out!
Some common questions with regards to your work experience would be:
Your feelings/thoughts on particular events
What have you learnt from ______/ How do you think this will make you a better a doctor?
What is the most memorable thing from your work experience?
Who do you think is the leader in a healthcare team?
Why do you think ______ is an important of the team?/What is the role of a _(Doctor/nurse/physiotherapists)_ ?
What would you have done differently?
Do you think this is something that is common?
Ethical questions(depending if you have hinted on them in you PS)
Conclusion: This question would usually largely depend on what had been written in your personal statement so plan beforehand!
If you have any questions you would like to suggest I blog about, email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com !
With regards to this question, to make this question easier to answer in your interview, I would advise that you make it easier for yourself by writing specific aspects of your work experience that you feel you can talk well about in your personal statement.
How do you do this?
Write 'stories of particular incidents you witnessed'
For example, you can say you witnessed how a doctor reassured a patient. The possible questions that then could be asked from there would be: What have you learnt from that?What aspects of a doctor do you think are important for him/her to succeed in his/her career? What are your feelings on how the doctor handled the patient? If you were in the doctor's shoes, what would you have done?
The questions become very specific so it makes you preparation much easier!
If you list everything that you've done, instead on going slightly 'in depth' you will then have a lot to prepare for and it then becomes very difficult for you to predict what questions could possibly come out!
Some common questions with regards to your work experience would be:
Your feelings/thoughts on particular events
What have you learnt from ______/ How do you think this will make you a better a doctor?
What is the most memorable thing from your work experience?
Who do you think is the leader in a healthcare team?
Why do you think ______ is an important of the team?/What is the role of a _(Doctor/nurse/physiotherapists)_ ?
What would you have done differently?
Do you think this is something that is common?
Ethical questions(depending if you have hinted on them in you PS)
Conclusion: This question would usually largely depend on what had been written in your personal statement so plan beforehand!
If you have any questions you would like to suggest I blog about, email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com !
Saturday, 2 March 2013
Work Experience #2
This post will be a bit on my work experience
During my work experience the most common feeling i had was an awkwardness of not fitting into the surroundings. It was alright when i was with others but on those placements where it was just me, it felt very awkward especially since patients and other people working there would just stare at you!
Here are some advice that i have for those who may be faced with this situation:
1.SMILE
2.Don't hesitate to offer any help, even if it just to pull out a seat or to even hold a door open
3.Do not be afraid to ask your doctor/Whoever is in charge of you questions, if you don't ask and end up making a mistake, you'll seem even more of a fool!
4.Dress appropriately. While i am not implying you wear a suit. it would be advisable to dress in work wear
5.Make full use of your time and LOOK. Even if you have been standing for 4 hours straight, try to make full use of your time and see what's going on around you, how are the patients looking, how is the doctor interacting with his colleagues, what would you do if you were in the patients'/doctor's/nurses' position? What can you learn?
And as I said before,keep a work experience diary to ensure you remember what you have seen!
During my work experience the most common feeling i had was an awkwardness of not fitting into the surroundings. It was alright when i was with others but on those placements where it was just me, it felt very awkward especially since patients and other people working there would just stare at you!
Here are some advice that i have for those who may be faced with this situation:
1.SMILE
2.Don't hesitate to offer any help, even if it just to pull out a seat or to even hold a door open
3.Do not be afraid to ask your doctor/Whoever is in charge of you questions, if you don't ask and end up making a mistake, you'll seem even more of a fool!
4.Dress appropriately. While i am not implying you wear a suit. it would be advisable to dress in work wear
5.Make full use of your time and LOOK. Even if you have been standing for 4 hours straight, try to make full use of your time and see what's going on around you, how are the patients looking, how is the doctor interacting with his colleagues, what would you do if you were in the patients'/doctor's/nurses' position? What can you learn?
And as I said before,keep a work experience diary to ensure you remember what you have seen!
Random Advice
I was recently talking to some of my juniors in school and i did up a document for them with some advice and i thought some of you might find it useful(: Some may be a repeat of my previous posts><
Here it is:
I hope this is of some help to you! Sorry if it is repetitive!
Feel free to email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you need any help/ have any questions!(:
Here it is:
Things to start on:
Read on-medical history, medical ethics, recent advancement in medicine
-this is for your
interest and for you to understand more about the career you are planning to go
into
-here are some
sources you should consider reading from:
BBC
Guardian health
Student BMJ
NHS choices
New Scientist
Attend Medical school preparatory courses(if you have the time and money to spare)
These are not
essential, in my opinion, but they may help you find out more about the career
Medlink-www.medlink-uk.com
Medisix-www.synergysolutions.org.uk/medisix.html(easter)
Medsim- www.synergysolutions.org.uk/medisim.html(july)
*These are in the UK
Practise UKCAT questions
START EARLY
A Ukcat prep course
with Kaplan may prove to be useful
Think abt personal statement which includes :
Interest and motivation for medicine
Well informed about demanding nature and requirements for a successful career in medicine
Well informed about demanding nature and requirements for a successful career in medicine
Independence
Responsibility
Compassion
Commitment to helping and
caring for ppl through relevant work or personal experience(work experience is very important!!!)
Participation in a wide range of activities
Contributions to school/community
Teamwork
Why UK(if you are an international applicant)
Here are
some tips to get started:
Come up
with a list of things you have done all the way starting from high
school(achievements/voluntary work/school activities/school leadership
positions/etc;)
Read some
examples of personal statements and try to understand what elements are
essential in every successful personal statement
It is
okay to have to constantly change it! So start early !
If you
are sure of which medical school you would like to apply to , you may want to
consider reading from their websites what they expect from your personal
statement so that may help you frame up your personal statement
Start
early on this and you might want to consider asking help from people who have
already applied to edit your personal statement for you via TSR-go under
personal statement help on the student room.(i used it personally and the PS Helpers on TSR are truly AWESOME(: A BIG Thank You~! to them!!)
Find work attachment
‘shadowing’ the
following people(the list is not exhaustive, as long as it is a caring role):
Doctor(GP/Specialist/consultant/Surgeon)
Nurse
Physiotherapist
Pathologist
Dietitian
Social worker
Junior doctor
Note; the most
important thing about work experience is not the amount, it is WHAT you learn
that counts
Also, remember to
have a reflective diary of some sort during your work experience, it would be
helpful to read it before your interview
If you are unable
to find work experience you may consider going on a work experience programme
overseas with companies such as Gapmedics
Read more: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medicine_Work_Experience(like I said, TSR will be your best friend!)
Find voluntary work
Here are some
places you can consider volunteering at:
Hospitals
Residential homes
Nursing home
Hospices
Charity shops (eg
Oxfam)-if you do it on weekends alongside studying for you’re a levels it could
possibly show commitment and the ability to handle extra-curricular activities
and your studies, but your grades are more important than anything else,
without them you won’t be able to go to medical school, regardless of how
strong your application is.
Think about University choices (sensible and achievable)
Things to consider:
Campus or City
university?
PBL/traditional/integrated
course structure?
Location
Look through the
university website and CHECK THEIR ADMISSION POLICY.
Get/read books about medicine (fiction/non fiction)
If you have more time this could be helpful in the future
when you get interviews and it also gives you some insight into the career and
will help you decide if this is really what you want to do.
Take part in school activities
Join different clubs so you have a range of things you
can add to your personal statement(especially if you have a leadership position !)
Useful websites
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Medicine
http://mylifeasamedstudent.tumblr.com/
(blog of a medical student)
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/medicine/prospective/planning/application/
( advice for personal statement from University of Aberdeen)
*I have not been paid by any company/person to write these, all these are based on my personal experience!!
**As i have said, TSR will be your best friend(:
I hope this is of some help to you! Sorry if it is repetitive!
Feel free to email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you need any help/ have any questions!(:
Friday, 1 March 2013
Work experience
This is a HUGE part in your preparation to applying to medical school!(for your interview and Personal Statement!)
Start early and start arranging for work experience really really early(preferably right after you read this post!)
Here are some places where you can look for work experience/voluntary work:
GP
Hospitals-nurses, physiotherapist,radiologist,specialist, junior doctor,consultant
Hospices
Care homes
Charity shops(eg: Oxfam)
Youth-related programmes(eg, tutoring children form less fortunate backgrounds )
Here are some useful websites:
Start early and start arranging for work experience really really early(preferably right after you read this post!)
Here are some places where you can look for work experience/voluntary work:
GP
Hospitals-nurses, physiotherapist,radiologist,specialist, junior doctor,consultant
Hospices
Care homes
Charity shops(eg: Oxfam)
Youth-related programmes(eg, tutoring children form less fortunate backgrounds )
Here are some useful websites:
vinspired.com
Personally, i decided to invest in a company called Gapmedics and i have to say i was really happy with what i got. Gapmedics really gave me the experience that i needed and i really enjoyed myself for the 2 weeks I was in Chiangmai!
Some tips before you go on a trip with them:
1.Make sure you are clear in what you say you expect for the placements(do you want to see surgeries? Pathology labs? A&E?)
2. Have fun, but not TOO much! remember, ultimately , you are there to gain work experience after all!)
3.Try to keep a work experience diary, you'll be doing many things and seeing many interesting things so try to note them all down so you can remember them really clearly when it comes to writing your personal statement or even your interview!
Feel free to email me @ lovebullets1995@gmail.com if you want more information about my experience and also the diary i kept on my experience with gapmedics if you need help in deciding if you should go for it or not!
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