What Work Experience is Useful for Medicine?

Some suggestions of alternative forms of work experience and how to use them in a medical school application.

Finding work experience can be challenging as a student. Not sure where to start? This article will give some some suggestions of alternative forms of work experience and how to use them in a medical school application.

Why undertake work experience for medicine?

When applying for medicine, admissions tutors are looking to see that you have an insight into the realities of a medical career and healthcare profession. Undertaking work experience also shows that you are motivated to study medicine as you have taken the time to explore and research it further.

What work experience is useful for medicine?

There are many ways you can gain experience; however, it is important to note that the specific experience is not considered the most important part of your application. Rather, it is the skills you have developed, insights gained and reflections you have made following that experience, that admissions tutors are far more interested in. This means you do not have to secure hospital or GP placements in order to become a successful applicant – especially as the recent COVID-19 pandemic has made it much more difficult to attain work experience. Virtual experiences may be considered equally to in-person experiences as long as your reflections are strong. Similarly, non-medical work experience can be incredibly valuable too, whether that's volunteering in a primary school or care home, or working in retail or in a tuition centre.

What non-medical work experience opportunities are there?

Below are some suggestions of non-medical work experience that you could undertake in order to gain an insight into healthcare professionals and develop your skills:

• Voluntary work - for example in a care home, hospice, sports club, disability centre, primary school, or a charity shop. Volunteering shows your commitment and compassion for helping others.

• Helping out in Covid-19. You may have helped deliver supplies to someone who was isolating or volunteered in an essential service. Alternatively, you may have helped out at local testing centres or joined an organisation that provide calling services for those who were vulnerable and alone. If you are still looking for ideas, you could apply to steward at your local vaccination centre or lateral flow sites. Have a research to see what opportunities may be available near you more importantly stay safe!

• Having a part-time job alongside your studies can also provide insight into a professional environment and help you develop transferrable skills. This could include part-time tutoring, working in retail, or even doing paper-rounds.

How to make the most of your non-medical work experience?

Many students worry that non-medical work experience may not be as valuable, however, this is a big misconception! Any work experience where you have the opportunity to develop professionalism and character is an asset to both your personal growth as well as your application towards medical school. For example, working in retail may help to build your confidence and resilience which is a skill that is incredibly important as a doctor when handling challenging situations and long hours. Similarly, you may have developed your communication skills as a sports coach, significant for doctors who are constantly communicating with patients, family members and colleagues at all times. In order to make the most of your non-medical work experience, have a think about the skills you have learnt from your experience and how you can apply this to a medical context when writing your personal statement and practising for interviews. For a comprehensive list of skills and how to draw links from them, keep an eye out for our post on ‘What to write in a personal statement for medicine’.

What virtual medical work experience opportunities are there?

• Talking/ interviewing doctors and healthcare professionals. This shows your initiative to gain a deeper insight. This can include asking questions through email, phone calls or in person.

• Observe GP. This is a free interactive video platform for students above the age of 16 in the UK. To find out more have a look at the following website: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/training-exams/discover-general-practice/observe-gp.aspx.

• ‍Volunteering in organisations such as Age UK. There are a range of services that you can help out with from becoming a digital buddy to taking part in neighbourly volunteering. To find out more about volunteering with Age UK, take a look at the website: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/. Alternatively, you can check your local council website to find more volunteering opportunities near you.

• BSMS virtual work experiencecourse. This is an online course offering students with an insight into the NHS and six different specialties. To find out more click here: https://bsmsoutreach.thinkific.com/courses/VWE.

• ‍Videos and Podcasts. These are brilliant resources for those who wish to gain an insight into the daily lives of doctors and healthcare professionals. With COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, having access to these resources from your home is a convenient way to explore the role of doctors in a safe way. We strongly suggest you document your thoughts and reflections of each episode in order to keep a track of observations and things you have learnt. It is then a useful idea to go and research some of the topics that interested you and make a note of this too as it can be a way to show your passion and interest in interviews and your personal statement. Check out the reviews section of our blog for some podcasts and tv recommendations that may be of interest to you (link). BBC iPlayer has a vast collection of programmes that you can watch or if you are looking for something a bit shorter check out some of the medicine TED talks.

Enquiring about work experience

Sending emails asking for medical work experience can be quite daunting. We have made a comprehensive step by step guide to help you. The key is to be proactive, polite and persistent. If you don’t hear back straight away, do not get disheartened. Keep trying and send emails to multiple organisations.

Keeping a record of your work experience

It can be a useful idea to document your experiences as this can help you pick out specific examples writing your personal statement and preparing for interviews. Check out our Work Experience Reflection Guide for a detailed breakdown on how to do this!

Author: Sakina Lakda

Editor: Allegra Wisking

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