Year 10/11 - Work Experience

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Colourful-Rainbow
Posts: 70
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 7:07 pm

Re: Year 10/11 - Work Experience

Post by Colourful-Rainbow »

Thank you all so much for your responses. :)
We are going to research what is out there but if it is not possible to arrange a placement by ourselves then we will stick to what the school offers. :)
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Year 10/11 - Work Experience

Post by Amber »

I hope this isn't hijacking your thread Colourful, but if anyone has any ideas on what DD could do I would be grateful. She wants to study Medicine, applied to Health Authority about 6 months ago for work experience and just recently had an email back explaining that 'for health and safety reasons related to child protection' they were no longer supporting work experience for 'young persons interested in Medicine'.

Perhaps if she wanted to do Classics they would have been able to help...?

They suggested (I am not lying) that she try to get experience in a shoe shop or Burger King - yes, they were that specific.

I am touched that they feel my child needs their protection but am wondering how relevant medical admissions officers will consider a stint doing the chicken nuggetburgers to have been. Any ideas?
Looking for help
Posts: 3767
Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:12 am
Location: Berkshire

Re: Year 10/11 - Work Experience

Post by Looking for help »

That can't be right, surely.

I thought to do medicine you needed relevant work experience....if the Health Authority are saying no, what else can you do ?
Amber
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Year 10/11 - Work Experience

Post by Amber »

Looking for help wrote:That can't be right, surely.

I thought to do medicine you needed relevant work experience....if the Health Authority are saying no, what else can you do ?
Sums up the problem. :( personally I have issues with the whole work experience thing...children seem to need CVs as long as your arm just to apply for a course. But if that is what is needed, it seems a little unfair to be told this.
And if you knew my daughter, you would know how appealing she would find the prospect of working in a burger outlet :cry: . Even to get a place at med school.
wonderwoman
Posts: 511
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:07 pm

Re: Year 10/11 - Work Experience

Post by wonderwoman »

Not that I know anything about applying for medicine, but as Y10 work experience is largely an exercise in getting out of bed early and off to work for a relatively long day, I'm sure it doesn't matter what your DC does.

My DD managed to get work experience with the local dentist, the placement was excellent and would be relevant to medicine. She even had preparation work to do before starting.
I would suggest that volunteering at a local special school, or old peoples' home, or hospice something like that, for a reasonable length of time, might be useful for medicine. My DD and I help a riding for the disabled group. It is a wonderful experience.
DS wants to study engineering and went to an agricultural engineering firm. He has also been on smallpiece engineering courses which I would highly recommend and they far more useful than work experience.

We also have another work experience to sort next year, no ideas yet. All our DC have had to sort out their own work experience.
hermanmunster
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Year 10/11 - Work Experience

Post by hermanmunster »

I have found that there has been a problem for youngsters wanting to study medicine trying to get relavent work experience. It ultimately has come down to who you know... or how well you know your GP.

I have had sixth formers passed to me along a chain of friends of friends to have them spend time in practices a long way from where they live (concerned they may know some of the patients). While it is obviously easier if a family member can set this us, we all realise how difficult it is for kids who have no family connections and will try to help out - one this year was part of a chain of 4 doctors who all took huge delight when the student was offered a place.
Some of the local GPs won't have students who are their own patients in the surgery but set up reciprocal arrangements with other practices.

A lot depends on age - really can't take them if they aren't sixth formers and look old enough...
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Year 10/11 - Work Experience

Post by Amber »

Can I send her to you then Herman? :D
Hadn't thought of the looking old enough bit...she will be 16 soon but probably looks about 2 years younger.

She already does voluntary work but it's not, of course, in a medical setting.

The dentist idea is one we have thought of as it is easier for us than most. :) but ideally she would prefer a truly 'medical' setting. We had said that we wouldn't 'pull strings' for her on principle, as we feel they ought to be able to sort this themselves; though we do know quite a few doctors socially. Annoyingly, I think it might have to come to that.
wonderwoman
Posts: 511
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:07 pm

Re: Year 10/11 - Work Experience

Post by wonderwoman »

I have a number of friends whose children have gone on to study medicine, that have done a variety of work related jobs. One worked in the local pharmacy, one deferred for a year and worked at the local hospital - she already had a place at Cambridge. Another I'm sure worked at the local old peoples' home.

I know students hoping to study medicine do find it difficult to get work experience in a medical setting, because it's not really appropriate to have under 18s sitting in. So I'm sure that must be taken into account during the application process.
daveg
Posts: 247
Joined: Thu May 10, 2012 9:30 am

Re: Year 10/11 - Work Experience

Post by daveg »

wonderwoman wrote:I have a number of friends whose children have gone on to study medicine, that have done a variety of work related jobs. One worked in the local pharmacy, one deferred for a year and worked at the local hospital - she already had a place at Cambridge. Another I'm sure worked at the local old peoples' home.

I know students hoping to study medicine do find it difficult to get work experience in a medical setting, because it's not really appropriate to have under 18s sitting in. So I'm sure that must be taken into account during the application process.
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/documents/ ... rience.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Year 10/11 - Work Experience

Post by Amber »

daveg wrote:
http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/documents/ ... rience.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thank you.The issue we have here is that the Health Authority has taken the decision not to support any further placements. Hence the shoe shop/Burger King suggestion.
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