Is this work experience going to be enough?

[londoner08]

Hi I am currently in my first year Alevel. So far I have done the following work experience/voluntary work:

- GCSE work experience at the maternity unit
- 4 weeks voluntary work at my local GP surgery
- St John's Ambulace First aid course
I have currently applied for
- the bursary program taking place this summer
- one week shadowing work experience at my local hospital
- couple of hours a week voluntary work with disabled children

Now my question to all you intelligent ppl out there is that whether this experience is going to be enough or do i need to do more or what other sort of work experience woould i need in order to get into medicine?

I thank u all in advance for your advice and suggestions.

[sarcastic_strawberries]

That sounds really good!! I'm in my first year too of a-level and struggling for the work experience side of it all. I only have a hospice placement!

Maybe some more voluntary? I dunno, what you've got is good.

EDIT: oh I have that First Aid course done too!

[Fried_Rice]

I think what you have is good, as long as you are clear what you've learned from it and that you are certain that you've seen enough to convince you (and others by reading your personal statement or speaking to you at interview) that medicine is the career for you.

It's not about the amount you've done, rather what you've learned from it.

Keep up the volunteering long -term and it sounds like you're fine.

[Singh.Simran]

Absolutely fine.

more than the majority.

What you do need to do though, is make sure you know what you got from it, or if you're unsure, blag something up. Someone with two weeks who can really talk about what they've learnt, both in terms of skills and positives/negatives will do better out of it than someone with months who did it purely to tick boxes...

[Lyns]

yep, you've done plenty! as the peeps above me have said make sure you emphasise what you have learnt from it and keep up with the volunteer work i hardly did any work exp but made sure i was happy with what i learnt from it!

[Polaris87]

From my experience, I was always encouraged to have at least one "long-term" work experience. I never had any undergrad interviews but for my GEP interview the panel looked pleased when I mentioned I had done 6 months weekly work experience at a care home. So for the work with disabled children it may be worth doing for as long as possible, though obviously you'll have your A Levels to think about!

If your applications to work experience fall through then a nursing home placement is generally easy to get, the two I did work experience at I simply rang up and started the following week.

Otherwise, you have a pretty broad scope. Should be fine! Good luck!

[Polaris87]

I talked to patients, fed patients, helped with meal times, did activities, i.e. quizzes and arts and crafts. I went to care homes for people with Dementia and it really teaches you how to talk to old people, confused people, etc, etc. In one care home I followed the nurses and watched all kinds of small medical procedures. I was 16 when I first went a care home and it improved my confidence and communication no end. Probably could get those skills on other work experience placements but I liked the fact that I could talk to anyone that I liked.

They won't make you clean bed pans as you're not insured to do any proper care, it's mostly shadowing and occupying the residents. May not be as glamourous as a hospital, but considering that the population is aging, in the next few decades geriatrics is going to need a lot more attention and a lot more funding, and it's important to be aware of that.