So, you’re thinking about applying to Medicine. One of the best ways to find out about medicine is through paid or voluntary medical work experience. There are many areas of medicine work experiences for you to choose from. Currently, all universities in the UK require applicants to have work experience within a ‘caring setting. This may be shadowing in a healthcare setting, voluntary or paid work. Universities are looking for dedication to study medicine, they are not looking at applicants who are just academically excellent but applicants who can offer the whole package. 

Find your medical work placement as soon as possible

It is never too early to start work experience. The competition between medical applicants is high and you need to get in there early to secure your placement. Most applicants will start applying for work experience during their summer holidays between Year 12 and 13, therefore you should get in there early and start applying at Christmas or Easter. 

If you are keen to learn about Medicine before you step into medical school, then it would be beneficial to get a variety of healthcare shadowing experience. From hospitals to walk-in clinics, doctors work in a huge number of places, starting early will enable you to do see doctors in action in these places. It also gives you plenty of experiences to talk about in your personal statement and interviews.

Medical Work Experience Opportunities

Contact friends and family

Use your contacts! The NHS is one of the biggest employers in the UK, employing around 1.5 million people. It is highly likely that someone within your immediate circle will work within the NHS or have friends or family who do. Don't be afraid to ask if you can shadow them! Shadowing in different parts of the NHS will also allow you to understand the workings of the multidisciplinary team and allow you to have a variety of different experiences. 

Hospital placements

If you are unable to find any work experience through a friend or family member, then call local hospitals. You can find healthcare shadowing opportunities by visiting local hospital websites and finding consultants contact information. Next, you can politely email them explaining that you are applying to medicine and would like to gain medical work experience in their speciality. In my experience, I was pleasantly surprised at how many doctors responded using this method. However, do not be alarmed if you haven’t heard back straight away. Doctors are generally very busy and it may take them some time to reply. Persistence is key, keep trying until you get a response! 

Other ways of securing work experience in hospital departments are through work experience programmes and volunteering at a hospital. An example of a hospital that runs a work experience programme is Ealing hospital, London. Their website shows that they offer healthcare shadowing opportunities during certain weeks of the year. Furthermore, volunteering opportunities are advertised on the NHS Jobs Website or they may be listed on the chosen hospital’s website.

Contact GP surgeries

Finding hospital work experience can be extremely difficult and competitive, however, remember that there are a lot more GP surgeries than hospitals and getting work experience at a GP surgery is invaluable. GPs are the guardians of the NHS, seeing and treating the large majority of patients in the community, and referring only a small proportion to the big hospitals. 

You can ask your own GP for advice, however, they may not be able to take you on due to confidentiality reasons. Instead, they may be able to guide you towards colleagues in other practices. If this isn’t possible, contact GPs and practice managers in your local area. Be polite and explain what you would like to get out of the experience, and be prepared to accept anything they offer you whether this is admin or shadowing the practice nurse. You never know, whilst filing, the GP may call you into their room to observe a consultation with a patient! 

Check with Medical Schools & Career Advisors

Many school’s or college’s career advisors will help you to organise your work experience placements. They may even have links with healthcare professionals who have taken past medical students on work experience. 

At theMSAG, we often speak to careers advisors who are keen to help students get into medical school. We understand that arranging medical work experience is a challenge, so if you’re not having any luck within your school, let us know – we can reach out to your careers advisor to offer some help. 

Volunteering

As well as healthcare shadowing, medical schools will be expecting you to perform voluntary work. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn about different aspects of the medical profession, such as communication, teamwork, commitment, and time-management. All the things that you need to refer to in your personal statement and medical school interviews.