Work experience for Medicine

[moseleymum]

Quietly chuckling to myself that so many medical families have kids who don't want to go into medicine. It's the same in our house too!

There's a young lad we know in DS1s school who has just got offers for medicine from some very prestigious Unis (including Oxford and Birmingham) and he has done a lot of work experience in different settings including a hospital, GP, care home. I agree there are issues of confidentiality but even seeing how surgeries are run is valuable. He also did one of those University short residential courses for sixth formers (I remember doing a similar one 20+ years ago). He didn't do St Johns Ambulance but did other community based work as part of the KES Friday afternoon thing. I'm sure most schools organise something similar.

I think it's so difficult to distinguish between so many good candidates that these things have to be looked at and if kids aren't able to get into a UK med school then they are looking into other European Unis, Prague and Romania spring to mind.

Given your son is now in yr 11, he will be the right age for the first year of the new Med School at Aston Uni, which is opening and will increase places in this area
http://www.aston.ac.uk/aston-medical-school/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[hermanmunster]

(I once heard one of the admissions team at my uni say they would scream if they had to read again about someone's grade 8 flute - which is exactly what I wrote on my form!)
Having been involved in deciding on post graduate admissions in the recent past (and this was all on paper, not at interview) the people who did well were the ones who stood out as slightly different from the pack - not necessarily because of what they had done but because of who they were (or at least who they portrayed themselves as).
If he can say that this is all he's ever wanted to do and express that well then that must stand him in good stead I would hope.

I agree Looylou - I did some interviewing of undergraduates - reckon they will have qualified about 15 years ago now It was days when UCAS forms were still on paper and they ALL seemed to have v high predicted grades, been head boy / girl, grade 8 music, endless volunteering, DoE ++ and all produced the school play.

The difference was when they started talking.

[um]

Some really interesting posts, thank you.
People have said he should just turn up at places to ask for work experience as once people meet him, they do see that he's mature and able.
But there are so many myths about entry to Medicine and I have heard of straight A* students not getting a place, so it's clearly a bit of a minefield.

The point about Grade 8 flute made me laugh - I'm afraid he didn't get past primary level recorder

Thanks for the info on Aston Uni, Moseleymum - I didn't know that.

[Minesatea]

Many hospitals have some charitable organisation (in our case a League of hospital friends) that take newspapers/sweet trolleys/library books around wards for patients. He would not be with doctors but he would get experience of the sights, smells, and infection control issues of a hospital ward! Alternatively hospital radio often want volunteers to go around wards and get song requests which gives a good opportunity to talk to patients.

[KB]

Different med schools put emphasis on different aspects of the application so you need to match your strengths to the different criteria.

Getting a week in a hospital is more than many will have so don't worry about that.

Instead focus on lower level experience getting to know people and what working in the NHS is like. Volunteering for League of Friends is great, especially if its something that gets you around the hospital. Working in a care home giving out tea and coffee on a regular basis is fine.
St Johns Ambulance or Red Cross is great - try asking around and turning up at a meeting and being a bit pushy!


Some med schools do want ticks in boxes but it is also about what is learned from experiences and how that is expressed on PS and in interview. Not just a list of what has been done but what insights were gained and how your view of NHS, medicine etc changed.

[Stroller]

Using the same small text to signal a comment in a similar vein (ba da boom... ...shish).
Grades are important in conjunction with the attributes that are more often claimed than demonstrated, but the general health and resilience of the student is also very important. Frontline medical positions need to be staffed by people who are fundamentally healthy, strong and able to cope with constant exposure to bugs, punishing schedules, lack of sleep, challenging people (internal and external), etc. Those who through no fault of their own are susceptible to infection, or who are generally less resilient, will find the day to day life even more gruelling, particularly in the first decade or two before they are senior enough to carve out a somewhat more accommodating role for themselves.

Caveat: I have never worked in healthcare. But I'm aware of medical professionals who haven't coped well.

[um]

Hmm... that is an interesting thought.
Unfortunately he's as thin as a lamppost so doesn't look like a hearty rugby player or anything
However he has lived through an almost permanent collection of household bugs with 4 younger siblings and if he does ever come down with something nasty, it will be for one day only whereas my daughter can lie in bed genuinely knocked out for four days getting over a mild cold. Odd how people do react differently to infections.

Ds2 is the staunchest one - but is into engineering rather than Medicine - I was hospitalised with meningitis while breastfeeding him, and although the doctors were monitoring him he remained fine - when we all had swine flu badly in 2009, he was the only one of the whole family who didn't catch it - and by that point we'd given up on any attempt at infection control and were just waiting for him to get ill He spent days cuddling the little one who was a baby and I still can't work out how he remained immune

[MamaBear]

That is a really good point Stroller, one that many don't think about. DH (who is a doctor) was just telling me the other day of his good friend who passed and qualified as a doctor but didn't practice as it "wasn't for him". I was thinking to myself what a waste of time and money.....


ds1 wants to go into medicine, namely general practice but I don't know how he will cope with examining smelly feet or other undesirable areas!!

Good luck to your ds, Um. He sounds like a lovely boy.

[um]

Just thought I'd revisit this to thank everyone for their advice

Ds1 was really fortunate to secure two weeks of work experience back in June/July. He did one week at a hospital with an eye doctor and another at a GP surgery. He worked hard at both (the hospital was over an hour's journey each way and he was fasting) and really, really enjoyed the experience. It also opened his eyes up to the emotional complexities of the job - he saw doctors having to tell patients bad news, and at one point in the GP surgery, deal with a suicidal patient.

He's finished 2 weeks of the NCS program which was mentioned by RedVelvet, and has another to go, plus Saturdays in September. He's absolutely loved that too.

Now he's hitting a bit of a brick wall trying to get something regular. It seems that all the Birmingham hospitals have enough volunteers and will not take any more on. The reply from all of them is standard - 'We are not currently recruiting any volunteers'.
Next step, he is going to send a CV to local nursing homes, including those for young adults with complex needs. However, as he's still 16 (17 in autumn) I'm not sure if he'll be successful....

[KenR]

Hi Um

We were in the same situation 4-5 years ago with my DS before he decided in year-12 that he didn't want to do medicine after all and opted for Natural Sciences at B/Ham with a Biological Sciences focus!

We tried all of the usual routes but in the end he applied to volunteer with the RVS in the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital on the Bristol Road. He used to run the the trolley service once or twice a week and helped out in the Coffee Shop. Drop me a PM if you want further details. http://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk ... l-trolleys

My DD some years earlier did some volunteering at the Glenfield House Care Home Wythall - http://www.glenfieldhouse.co.uk/

One further option which I would definitely recommend is to volunteer for the Birmingham Christmas Shelter - http://www.birminghamchristmasshelter.o ... teers.html

Hope this helps