How to look for medicine work experience
Work experience is essential; not only because you will be asked about it in your interview, but also because it is important that you get a feel for the career you are committing to, to know for sure if this is what you want to do! But how should you secure a work experience placement, and what constitutes “enough work experience”? We’ve made some points below to help you in your search.
The first, and probably most accessible port of call is asking family and friends if you can shadow them at their clinics. This may not always be possible, given insurance and other legal matters surrounding patient confidentiality, but it is definitely worth asking! If you don’t know any medical professionals then not to worry, another route is to get in touch with your school. Oftentimes schools will have contacts with the local hospitals and healthcare professionals and can support you in connecting you with professionals you may be able to assist you in your work experience search. Also, schools may be able to guide you better in navigating what work experience is allowed and in accordance with legal requirements. You can also call and get in touch with hospitals directly. The reception and switchboard at the clinic will be able to put you in touch with those in charge of organizing student work placements, and assist you in the process involved in securing a placement.
The next most asked question is how much work experience is enough work experience, to which there isn’t really a set answer. Universities recommend 2 weeks work experience, but of course there is no limit! If you can, we recommend a variety of work placements in different departments. This will give you more to talk about in your interview, and also show your commitment to gaining an insight into different aspects of medicine very early on.
For medicine applicants (and the opposite is relevant for dentistry applicants), it is often suggested that you try and gain some dentistry work experience as well. This is because a very common interview question is “why medicine and not dentistry” and even though the two careers are not interchangeable, as both are the most competitive healthcare careers this question is commonly asked by admissions teams to check that you’re applying to medicine having thought it through. A way to show your commitment to medicine is by showing the admissions team that you have thoroughly done your research by experiencing a dentistry environment, and yet still want to purse medicine. Take care not to speak negatively about dentistry – this will not be taken kindly! Simply mention how you prefer medicine over dentistry (or vice versa) for reasons you have discussed.
Work experience is essential to enhance your application and to show your commitment to the career you are applying for. We hope you find these tips useful!
