experience question

[robin12]

Hello, I guess I am a mature student now

I plan to apply this year, it will have to be GAMSAT because of a 2.2 in biomed lets not go down the route of why
Forgetting the GAMSAT side as I know I have to get ready for that, but I am founding really hard to get any sort of experience, healthcare jobs I am getting rejected from, and Volunteering I am missing the bus and places are not taking on now or

How do I get some what else can I do, and also it is worth trying to get into St Johns Ambulance to gain some experience that way

How did you guys as non-school leaves get the experience needed, as my local trust when I asked them about work experience even for a day, pretty much said we only deal with those doing A-level and you must have AAA and like 8 A's at GCSE, which for my area itself is about as rare as a flying pig
Also the reference on the personal statement I guess you ask someone at your old uni

thank you

[Bad'un Raddon]

Keep asking any & all care homes, hospices, & hospitals in your area- I'm sure there'll be somewhere that'd be glad to have you, even if it's just voluntary. Remember that the more clinical/patient-contact the work experience is, the better it'll be, but anything at all is good. You're trying to prove you've genuinely experienced ground-roots patient care and that it's something you're not fazed by.
Maybe think about unnusual options- drug rehabilitation centres? Mental illness hospitals? Even prisons apparently have Healthcare Support Workers.
Don't give up, and best of luck!

[robin12]

Keep asking any & all care homes, hospices, & hospitals in your area- I'm sure there'll be somewhere that'd be glad to have you, even if it's just voluntary. Remember that the more clinical/patient-contact the work experience is, the better it'll be, but anything at all is good. You're trying to prove you've genuinely experienced ground-roots patient care and that it's something you're not fazed by.
Maybe think about unnusual options- drug rehabilitation centres? Mental illness hospitals? Even prisons apparently have Healthcare Support Workers.
Don't give up, and best of luck!

I have seen healthcare jobs on offer at prisons but its the travelling to the nearest one, I am going to sent the mental heath people in my area a email asking about voluntary, moorfield eye hospital told me just to sent them my CV anyway

Even if they was to offer working in a tuck shop I guess that is better than nothing, once you are in you can move about

[mikku]

ahh we're all in the same boat! i've got so many interview rejections and silent application declines, its a depressing & consuming route when you're a graduate applying to low end jobs but keep your head high, search newspapers, ask around for work experience/volunteer work. nobody said it was easy.

be creative, don't just assume full time hospital work is what med schools look for.

hope that helps

[robin12]

ahh we're all in the same boat! i've got so many interview rejections and silent application declines, its a depressing & consuming route when you're a graduate applying to low end jobs but keep your head high, search newspapers, ask around for work experience/volunteer work. nobody said it was easy.

be creative, don't just assume full time hospital work is what med schools look for.

hope that helps

Its annoying the silent rejections

I was wondering about SJA, but its the time that you need to put into, Moorfields Eye Hospital said they will hold onto my CV but they are reviewing the whole volunteering, looking for long term people

[mikku]

get in touch with your local sja they usually have an open evening for recruitment so keep that in mind - it takes time but the sooner you start the better

[robin12]

True that, the sooner the better, I understand it won't happen the next day :

will have to do that

[Kaiser Wilhelm]

My advice would first be to ring them up rather than email and not to bother with formal applications. I reckon the best way is to charm somebody on the phone into letting you volunteer. Suggest things you could do (e.g. befriending, bedmaking) as they may not have a formal volunteer scheme or have ever had a volunteer before and so might be worried that they would'nt know what to do with you. Then, use the contacts you make whilst volunteering to get into a paying job as a care assistant/support worker.

Also, try massively broadening your search, St George's accept things as wide ranging as special needs education or social care as valid work experience areas.

[mikuro]

I have volunteered with a local volunteer group to befriend an elderly person in the local district and also for a summer camp for children with debilitating illnesses. There are things out there if you manage to find them - anything where you're in a caring role should be good.
See if you have a local volunteer group or check volunteer websites. Doesn't always have to be within a hospital or hospice environment although those are good!

[naseemamaria]

Social Work, Domiciliary Care, Physiotherapy, Speech Therapist Jobs at Randstad Care check this site. Thats where i found work as a HCA. They do home care too where you don't need any NVQ level 2 or anything like that. Full training is given in how to use a hoist and things like that, its weekly pay and you may get a range of service users with different conditions which will be awesome on your PS. Good luck by the way and like mikku says here; be creative pure hospital work isn't all med schools lookout for.