St John's Ambulance Youth Programmes?

[Octsmum]

Hi

Does anyone have any experience of the above? Would you recommend it? How does it compare to Girl Guides / Scouts or something similar?

I have a 10 year old DD who is keen on being a doctor (since a very young age, due to her own personal health experience). We're keeping a very open mind as it might all change when she gets older!

Any views welcome...or alternatives?

[KB]

A family friend did St John's for several years and found it helpful in terms of experience and for application to med school however they were more like 14-18 when they did it and therefore had greater responsibility.

Advantage of scouts etc is the range of experiences on offer, assuming it is a well run group.

I think at this age I would look at specifics of your local options including logistics re family life and how things feed in to older groups, thinking about independent traveling to and fro when older if appropriate as well as how much the actual groups do - standards vary greatly.

As you say, very early days to be focussing on just one career path so I'd be thinking about developing all life skills and broadening experience for a few years before focussing in too much.

[Octsmum]

Thanks. I was interested because SJA website says that they have youth programmes (Badgers for 7-10 years & Cadets 10-17 years) with a fun, community & skills development programme...I guess like anything it depends on the local group...

[loobylou]

Many many years ago I went to one of these groups when I was around 10-12.

I really enjoyed it. Having now had children who have been through Brownies/Guides and Cubs/Boys Brigade, it seems to me that it is fairly similar in that there are lots of fun activities but with more of a focus on First Aid etc and the ability to take part in different events.

As it happens, I then became a doctor but I don't think my experiences in St Johns led to that!

[Guest55]

We have local Badgers and Cadets groups and they seem to do a lot of different things.

[ToadMum]

With Scouts you get to do First Aid and Axe and Knife training

[loobylou]

With Scouts you get to do First Aid and Axe and Knife training

Sounds like one might be quite useful for the other

[Amber]

One thing I would say to anyone in this position, is please, do not let your young child's 'ambition' become a self-fulfilling prophecy that they can't see or talk their way out of when they are older. My DD also wanted to be a doctor from when she was very small. She chose her A levels and more than attained the grades needed. It was a kind of a 'given' that she would go to Medical school.

Somewhere very late on in sixth form, she started questioning whether it was the right thing or whether she had sleepwalked into it, and then been carried along by a combination of academic excellence, really loving her voluntary work at a care home, and encouraging teachers (we parents maintained a stony silence all along, so I have a clear conscience). It did become quite a personal crisis in the end, though happily after some time out between school and finally going to university to study something totally different, DD ended up where she should be and is much more comfortable. But now when I hear stories of tiny tots wanting to do Medicine I worry very slightly, as it often means they don't look elsewhere or consider other options at all, and it is quite hard to turn round and say 'no, I don't want to do that', once everyone has assumed that that is the next step.

[kenyancowgirl]

+1.

I also worry that often it is not driven by the child but an enthusiastic parent or well meaning relative.

[Guest55]

+ 1 also agree

Just go on 'The student room' website and read the many stories of an 'expectation' that the eldest son in some families will be a Doctor.