BioMed Department Volunteer Review

Working in the biomedical department with healthcare professionals Preparing slides for viewing Observing the daily routine of medics Preparing different tissues for slide observation Offering ward support and meeting different patients Welcoming patients and visitors to the hospital Helping with patients with checking in and accompanying them to clinics and wards.

The ability to work in a team. Leadership. Working with patients/communication skills Meeting a variety of different people from different backgrounds Time management. How to work with tissue effectively and ensuring infection control. How to prepare slides and how to ensure they can be observed well under a microscope. The different stains used for different tissues.

I enjoyed it very much It was, and still is, a very enjoyable experience The staff are very supportive, and ensure that enough information is given to complete a task effective The work itself is very fun and interesting, as I already have a keen interest in biological tissue I would definitely recommend!

very well organised students are given a job profile and list of the different tasks that need to be completed staff will provide help if there are any issues tasks are divided evenly and the workload is very fair there is a booking system so volunteers know how many people are in and which department they are working in

I have learnt a lot about the NHS and how it works I have also learnt about consultation meetings and how treatment is decided for a patient, as well as the different steps behind a diagnosis The lab work behind the scenes is very important and requires a lot of skill and precision

it helped me very much! it has helped me solidify my future path in the healthcare profession, and the how the different tissues can indicate different diseases it has also given me the chance to get an insight to the daily routine of a healthcare professional firsthand, and presented me with a realistic outlook of the workload

travel costs were covered by a hopper bus near where I live which is free for volunteers meal costs were also covered as volunteers are given vouchers for the canteen on Christmas, volunteers were given gifts for their work, which was very cute and really showed how much the department appreciates the people who work there

yes, volunteers looking to work in the NHS in the future were given information on how to contact other consultants for work experience in different departments, and were given the chance to work for other departments for a week if they wanted to from my placement, I was given the chance to further shadow a haematologist

Yes

the staff are very supportive, and acknowledge volunteer's availability they also provide transport and meal vouchers, and offer placements in other departments if anyone is interested in them they also really appreciate the work volunteers do, and ensure tasks are explained to prevent mistakes, and will further offer guidance if required

- have a strong academic profile - show an interest in science and healthcare - attend all induction days as they are all very useful - if you want to work with another department for a while, just ask! - complete all work to the highest standard, as the work you do is very important