student on work experience Review

my work experience involved shadowing healthcare professionals in the cardiology department. i followed them in their daily routine, sat in on meetings with patients and their families. i also got to see different ECGs, and treatment plans as well as the procedures for giving a patient a 'do not resuscitate' order.

- empathy, and the importance it has in a healthcare environment - listening skills, and the value of teamwork when dealing with a heavy work load - the technical aspect of setting up an ECG, and the procedure for doing it correctly - how treatment plants are decided, and the extent to which a family can input

i enjoyed my placement very much, as i take a level that match the requirements to take medicine at university, so have thought about this career path for a long time. the consultants were very kind and welcoming, and open to explaining procedures further in detail later on. the whole department overall was very accommodating.

it was very well organised - the team really showed me a different range of things on my placement, and arranged for me to come in on days that interesting patient cases would be dealt with. some days were slower than others but that was to be expected as the treatments for patients vary.

i could definitely see myself working within the department - they care about all their patients on a professional level, and aim to treat every patient to the highest standard. the office atmosphere is very open and friendly, and everyone works together as a team really well. definitely something i look forward to being part of in the future.

it was very helpful in solidifying my future career path - i had an interest in healthcare before the placement, but after completing it, i am certain this is what i want to do in the future. i also have the contacts of a few employees for future placements or if i want to spend a day having different procedures demonstrated

i was not paid or reimbursed for this experience travels costs were not covered meal costs were not covered social costs were not covered the location was about 1hr from where i live however, the department arranging the placement made this clear, and explain this all in a document i was to sign/

there were many chances to meet different employees, and the whole department would have lunch together on the few days they werent busy. i have the emails and extensions numbers of a few junior doctors for the future if i want to arrange further placements or have issues with any of the content that will be covered in medical school.

Yes

- very accommodating - open to student shadowing - a variety of things to see - helps highlight the value of 'soft skills' and how influential they can be - makes a lot of procedures such as ECGs easier to understand =-shows the importance of patient interactions and relationships - connections for the future will always prove useful

- apply with a reasonable amount of time in advance, if you dont give notice, you are less likely to be accepted - dont be disheartened by rejection; some departments are not allowed to offer work experience placements to students under 18 - some departments required DBS and health checks from your GP, ensure you have your vaccination paperwork sorted out before applying