Work experience and extra curricular

[Mo-Zaki]

Hi,

At the moment (im starting year 11 after the holidays) ive got the following work experience planned:

1 week at Pathology working under a consultant - definite
4 weeks shadowing a Doctor next summer - excepted but then realised I wasn't sixteen so the hospital proposed ill do it next summer.
2 weeks shadowing a Doctor in Algeria (my parents were born there) - Also next summer holiday

Extra curricular:

Tennis = LTA standard
Chess = county standard
Table tennis and football

Voluntary work at elderly homes - starting in 4 weeks

Just wondering if this is enough? I know medicine is extremely competitive so im trying to do everything I can to ensure that I have every chance of getting a place.

A local Doctor also gave me advice and told me that I should do something that no one else has ever done (well nearly no one else) and she gave me the example of learning sign language.

I'm thinking about it but do you really think it is worthy of doing this? Won't it get in the way of my studies? The Doctor said that there is a 1 and 1/2 year course at a local college or I can order DVD packages to help teach me. I was thinking that I should do the latter and then try and become at least a beginner at sign language which would add to my strenght in languages (fluent in French, Arabic and English, know a bit of German)

In advance, thanks for your advice.

[Matt641]

Hello,

Your work experience list so far I'll be honest is staggering. I applied with much less. It shows good commitment that you have already planned this so far ahead and still have sometime to go.

Secondly, don't let anything get in the way of getting top AS levels i.e aaaa and top predicted grades i.e. AAA. Back when I applied you could get away with Bs - but as you said, you want the best chances and that fundamentally starts with your academic grades.

If I am to be frank, I would say that you have enough work experience to sink a ship and good extra curricular points.
Live a little

[agneishd]

i reckon you're fine for extra curricular stuff, and work exp right there

just remember interesting cases and follow up the work exp with some research/notes afterwards so that you remember it by the time you get to application

...and make sure you get the grades!

[jdr06]

from my application experience, its what you learnt from your work experience and how it affected your decision to apply for medicine not how much you did. i only did 1 week in a hospital following a doctor around and watching a couple of operations, but from that week i got a really good taste of what it was i was letting myself in for. regards extra curricular stuff its showing commitment to something that counts and actually doing it because you enjoy doing it, not because you have to do it to get into medicine.

[big_pink_flower]

yer jdr06 is right. its really not abotu how much you do. its what you learn from it. also. universities know that sometimes its not possible to have experienc ein hospitals. due to age etc. they just want to know what you take from any experience rather than how long u do it for or whatever. ive done FAR less experience. but im not planning any more because i know i have ENOUGH to talk about and write down. there arent enough lines on the personal statement for everything youve done!! nevertheless...very impressive!! good luck

xxx