Work experience in the north - help needed

[beaker]

Hi, I'm wanting to gain some work experience in a number of settings. I'll be working in my local hospice once my CRB is complete but I really want to shadow consultants in a hospital - any hospital anywhere! But I can't find a single one that will allow me to do this.
I live in York so obviously York would be my first choice, but they won't allow me because they only deal with school leavers via a college (I'm an individual with no college connections now). Leeds, Scarborough and Malton won't give me any because I don't live within the area they cover (they limit the area they accept people from due to the high demand for work experience) and Hull have the same policy as York so no chance there. I've had no luck with any of the GPs I've approached here either for similar reasons.

It must be possible for maturer people to gain work experience but I'm going to have look further afield. Does anybody know of any hospitals that have less stringent rules on who they would accept for WE preferably somewhere in the north.

Thanks,

Gareth

[fay t]

I had this problem when trying to arrange work experience as a 21 year old graduate and found the strategy that worked was to just ignore anything at all that the work experience department told me and to ask the consultants directly. What I did was to go through the online consultant directory (I'm pretty sure York will have one), find consultants that did something I had a particular interest in and write each of them a personalised letter outlining my situation- why I want to do medicine as a graduate, why their particular field is of interest to me, and how it would be invaluable to me if they gave me the opportunity for me to shadow them even if just for a day or two. Make sure you enclose a copy of your CV in each of your letters.

I found that using this strategy I got offered work experience from 4 of the 5 consultants that I wrote to, who generally rung me up/emailed saying they were impressed with my CV and would be happy for me to shadow them, often at pretty short notice (one GUM consultant rang me up and said I could go and shadow him the following week.) SO basically I think it's worth a try to do this for York hospital before looking for work experience at hospitals not so close to you.

[Pammy]

I had this problem when trying to arrange work experience as a 21 year old graduate and found the strategy that worked was to just ignore anything at all that the work experience department told me and to ask the consultants directly. What I did was to go through the online consultant directory (I'm pretty sure York will have one), find consultants that did something I had a particular interest in and write each of them a personalised letter outlining my situation- why I want to do medicine as a graduate, why their particular field is of interest to me, and how it would be invaluable to me if they gave me the opportunity for me to shadow them even if just for a day or two. Make sure you enclose a copy of your CV in each of your letters.

I did exactly the same thing and it worked for me too! One of the consultants even met me for a cup of coffee and discussed my future plans with me, and in the end I was allowed to do more than just shadowing...Sometimes you may have to offer to do something pointless and boring by the side to make up for "wasting" their time - e.g. I proposed to do some tedious data entry and literature reviews for one person who was involved in clinical research, in return for being allowed to attend ward rounds with medical students etc! One consultant even offered to organise me a placement with the Royal Flying Doctors (I am in Oz for a while...couldn't do this one for lack of funds though)! In fact I picked people from disciplines where doctors are more closely interacting with lab scientists (I did an undergrad and PhD in biochemistry), e.g. endocrinology and clinical immunology. And funnily enough, many of them had done the same thing - first studied biochem-related subjects, sometimes even followed by a PhD...so were very willing to discuss the situation, and very understanding...
Definitely works way better than emailing some HR department who will conveniently ignore the mail...If you're feeling very brave just phone up as it gives people even less chance to escape you :-)
Pammy

[beaker]

Hi Pammy and Fay! Thanks for your suggestion. Sounds a very promising idea and I'll try to make contact with the consultants directly now and miss out the middle man! I guess if I can't find a directory I can get this information from the hospital directly.

Thanks,

Gareth

[weeds are plants too]

A BUPA hospital I contacted were very enthusiastic about older applicants as you will be allowed to do more ie go to surgery and radiology. You will have to pay for your own CRB check though. So, perhaps try a BUPA hospital in your area.