I’m applying to medical school but only have a few weeks of volunteering, do you think that’s enough?
I’d say medical schools expect you to have experience in a hospital setting, but also something that shows commitment i.e. has been done for a long period of time. If you feel you have got everything out of your volunteering that you wanted, then I’d say a few weeks is enough. But if you can stick at it for a few months, then it would be a good example to show your commitment. All my friends who were successful applicants in medicine/dentistry did have at least 6 months of volunteering in a caring environment, so if you can find something that you enjoy doing then this would be great for your application! Personally, I did mine in a rest home for 8 months, I went once a week for 3 hours and I enjoyed going! I spoke a lot about it in my personal statement and at interview so I’m glad that I found that opportunity. Many rest homes/other caring environments won’t advertise for volunteers, but if you phone them up and ask to speak to a manager, it is likely they will be more than happy to take you on.
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Today is the 15th of August 2018, which means that tomorrow is A-Level Results Day.
For those of you who don't know, I have completed my A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Maths and I need AAA to meet my offer to study medicine. There's no other course I would do instead so I have been so nervous in the lead up to results day. I hadn't planned to make this post today but I thought it would benefit me to sit down at my desk (which is completely empty as I'm moving house on Saturday!), and write this post. I hope this can help some of you who are waiting for A-Level, GCSE, or any other results in the next few weeks. Here are some things for us all to think about: Medicine is a demanding career with a pretty complex application process, so it's so important to be sure that it's definitely what you want to do before applying! A lot of students who are academic and have an interest in science are inclined towards medicine if they are unaware of other options, but there are also many other science-based careers, either clinical or non-clinical to be aware of.
At the end of my GCSE's in 2016, I was deciding between medicine (becoming a doctor), or biomedical sciences (a more research, laboratory based career). Here are all of the things I did to make my final decision, which ended up being Medicine: 1. WORK EXPERIENCE- I organised 3 weeks of work experience in my local hospital: 1 week on the Acute Medical Unit, 1 week on Care of the Elderly and 1 week on the Children's Unit and I loved every minute of it! If you can, try and request a variety of wards as all of my placements were so different and gave me a different outlook on different specialities. Also try and get a placement at a GP if you can Choosing a university can be tricky, so I’ve made a list of all the things I considered when I was choosing my 5 UCAS choices:
COURSE: the course that the universities offer is definitely an important things to consider, as (although some courses are very similar) it is your degree that is going to lead you onto a career in the future ✨ you should check all of the possible career opportunities from the particular course and make sure you know all of the other options too LOCATION: this includes the city itself, and also distance from home- you have to ensure that you know exactly how you would get to and from the university (and also consider the costs of doing so) ☺️ you will be living in the city of your university for many years so it’s important to know if it’s right for you! |
AuthorI am a 19 year old aspiring doctor and I am currently studying at medical school, after completing my A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Maths. I created this blog to share my study tips and techniques and advice on applying to university, as well as some health and lifestyle posts, too. I hope you find them useful! Jasmine x Archives
August 2020
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