Your Complete Guide to Medical and Dental School Work Experience
Work experience is one of the most powerful ways to demonstrate your commitment to a career in medicine or dentistry. It allows you to reflect on the realities of working as a healthcare professional and provides valuable material for your UCAS personal statement and interviews.
This guide is designed to assist sixth-form students in the UK as they seek and maximise medical and dental work experience opportunities. Whether you’re aiming for hospital placements, GP shadowing, or virtual experiences, everything you need is here.
Why Work Experience Matters
Gaining insight into healthcare is essential for any aspiring medical or dental student. Universities want to see that you understand:
The daily responsibilities of doctors and dentists
The challenges of working in a healthcare setting
Your own suitability for the profession
Remember, it’s not about having the rarest or most prestigious experience – it’s about what you learn and how well you reflect on it.
How Much Work Experience Do You Need?
Most medical and dental schools suggest there is no strict minimum number of hours, but most students aim for about two weeks of overall experience. Quality is more important than quantity. A short, well-reflected placement is more valuable than several weeks of passive observation.
Note that some medical schools, especially for graduate entry medicine, may require a substantial amount of documented work experience with clinical exposure.
Where to Get Medical and Dental Work Experience
🏥 Hospital Placements
Often competitive and time-consuming to organise
Apply early – processing can take up to 6 months and may require a DBS check
Opportunities include shadowing doctors, patient support roles, and administrative tasks
Must be aged 16+
Tip: Contact your local hospital’s Voluntary Services Department.
🩺 GP and Primary Care Experience
Many universities now value GP experience as much as hospital placements
Apply directly to your local surgery with a polite email and CV
Be prepared for patients to consent before you observe consultations
Smaller surgeries may offer more flexibility, but not all will accept students from their own patient list
🌍 Volunteering in the Community
If you can’t find clinical placements, consider volunteering:
Care homes and hospices – Understand long-term care and compassion
Charities for people with additional needs – Gain communication and empathy skills
St John Ambulance – Learn first aid and attend public events
Support groups – Organisations like Samaritans and NSPCC provide training and meaningful interaction
Volunteering shows your dedication to helping others, a key quality in both medicine and dentistry.
Is Virtual Work Experience Enough?
Yes – virtual work experience is entirely acceptable. Many students face barriers to accessing in-person placements, and universities understand this.
Virtual placements still show initiative, curiosity, and a desire to learn. You do not need to mention in your UCAS personal statement that your work experience was only virtual.
Great online options include:
Observe GP
Brighton and Sussex Medical School Virtual Work Experience
Speakers for Schools
These experiences often include interactive tasks and certificates, and can be fantastic preparation for interviews.
Does the Type of Work Experience Matter?
Not as much as you might think.
Admissions tutors aren’t judging you based on whether you’ve observed surgery or worked on reception. What matters is that you’ve gained a realistic understanding of the career and can explain it clearly.
That said, healthcare-related experience is preferred, and some universities (like Cambridge and Aberdeen) explicitly encourage it. The Medical Schools Council provides current advice from each medical school – check their website when planning your experience.
Volunteering vs Work Experience – Which Is Better?
Both are valuable in different ways:
Work experience shows your understanding of the profession
Volunteering shows compassion, commitment, and teamwork
You should try to do both if possible, but if you can’t, look for other examples that demonstrate similar skills – such as mentoring, team sports, or part-time jobs.
Can I Get Paid for Work Experience?
No – placements are for your benefit. Most providers will not offer payment, and it’s not advisable to ask about pay. It can give the wrong impression.
Is Work Experience Competitive?
Yes, especially for hospitals and surgeries. You may face rejections, so stay persistent and professional.
Top tips for success:
Be polite in all communication
Contact multiple providers
Follow up if you don’t hear back
Be flexible with dates
Combine shorter placements over time
Use volunteering to build contacts
Ask your school careers advisor
Try contacting medical secretaries directly
Create a strong CV if requested
Do I Need a CV?
Not always, but some placements may request a short statement explaining your interest or ask for one.
If you submit a CV:
Make it professional and well-formatted
Include relevant skills (communication, organisation, teamwork)
Keep it updated
Review it with your sixth form tutor or careers advisor before submission
What If I Can’t Get Any Work Experience?
Don’t panic. The goal is to develop and demonstrate key skills, which you can do in many other ways:
Helping classmates or family with difficulties
Taking part in group projects or clubs
Playing team sports
Volunteering in your community
Part-time jobs
Reading, research, or listening to medical podcasts
Use these experiences to show you’re developing empathy, responsibility, and resilience.
Does My Work Experience Need to Be Recent?
Preferably, yes. Some universities ask for work experience to be within two years of application. Recent experiences are fresher in your mind and easier to reflect on during interviews.
Do I Need to Submit Proof of Work Experience?
Sometimes, some universities may request evidence. Always:
Be honest about what you’ve done
Keep any confirmation emails or letters from providers
Record dates and contact details
What If I Do Work Experience After My UCAS Deadline?
You won’t be able to mention it in your UCAS personal statement, but it can still be useful at interview. You can discuss what you learned and how it influenced you – so it’s always worth doing.
How Can I Learn More About Healthcare?
Take your initiative further:
Read reputable medical books
Listen to medical podcasts
Follow healthcare news
Explore free NHS and healthcare courses on Future Learn
Watch BBC documentaries and case studies
Final Thoughts: What Matters Most
Work experience is not a competition. It’s a chance to explore your future career, challenge your assumptions, and demonstrate personal growth.
No matter where or how you do it, focus on your reflections – how the experience shaped your understanding of being a doctor or dentist.
If you do that, you’re already on the right path.
Dentistry-Specific Work Experience Opportunities
If you’re applying for dentistry, it’s crucial to understand different specialities and settings:
🦷 General Dental Practice
Most graduates begin their careers here
Universities such as Manchester, Sheffield, and Newcastle prefer experience in general practice
Tasks may include administrative duties and shadowing clinical staff
💼 Private Dental Clinics
Useful for comparing NHS and private service delivery
Great to reflect on patient expectations, funding models, and care access
😁 Orthodontics
Focuses on alignment and bite correction
Observe how patients are referred from general practice to specialists
🏥 Hospital Dentistry / Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Offers insight into how dental teams integrate with wider hospital staff
Valuable to show understanding of teamwork and interdisciplinary care
🧪 Dental Laboratories
Shadow dental technicians who make dentures and crowns
Useful for understanding the technical, behind-the-scenes work in dentistry
🌍 Community Dental Services
For patients with special needs or access barriers
Helps you appreciate the social context of dental care
Work Experience Abroad
International healthcare placements can help broaden your perspective, but they are not essential. Make sure you can reflect meaningfully on what you observe. Focus on ethics, culture, and access to care.
Opportunities by Age and Stage
For 16–17-Year-Olds
Hospitals often require you to be at least 16
Consider volunteering roles that build communication and compassion
For University Students and Graduates
Graduate-entry medicine or dentistry is highly competitive
Leverage your degree placements, or seek additional work in care settings
Your maturity and background can help you stand out, especially if you reflect thoughtfully on your experience.
Bonus: Alternative Medical Work Experience Options
Medical research labs – Understand scientific thinking and innovation
Medical laboratories – See how diagnostics and tests support doctors’ decisions
Children’s groups – Gain exposure to child development and care
Summer jobs in care homes – Build direct experience over time
Final Tips: Making the Most of Your Placement
✅ Reflect – Keep a journal. What did you see? What did you learn?
✅ Ask questions – Show curiosity and initiative
✅ Be professional – Always be punctual, respectful, and discreet
✅ Focus on skills – Communication, empathy, teamwork, ethics
✅ Stay open-minded – Every setting has something to teach you
