Work Experience & Reflection
Why Work Experience Matters
Work experience shows admissions tutors that you understand the realities of healthcare and have taken the time to explore whether medicine is right for you. It is not about ticking hours, but about demonstrating insight into the role of a doctor and the values of the NHS.
What Counts as Work Experience?
- Clinical Placements
- Shadowing doctors, nurses, or allied health professionals.
- Hospital volunteering schemes or GP practice observation.
- Caring Roles
- Volunteering in care homes or hospices.
- Working with children, the elderly, or people with disabilities.
- Community & Non-Clinical Roles
- Volunteering with charities (e.g., Red Cross, St John Ambulance).
- Coaching, mentoring, or roles showing responsibility and teamwork.
- Virtual Work Experience
- The NHS, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, and other providers offer online interactive programmes.
- Accepted by many universities if in-person placements are not available.
💡 Admissions tutors know that clinical shadowing opportunities are limited. They value non-clinical caring roles just as highly when reflected upon properly.
How to Gain Work Experience
- Start Local: Ask your GP, local hospital volunteering office, or care homes.
- Schools & Sixth Forms: Many have partnerships with NHS trusts.
- Online Programmes: Explore “Virtual NHS Work Experience” and “Observe GP.”
- Charity Work: Health-related volunteering often gives deeper insight into patient care than short hospital shadowing.
Reflection – The Key to Success
Simply listing work experience is not enough. What matters is what you learned. Universities want reflective applicants who can draw lessons from experiences.
Use the “ABCDE Reflection Method”:
- A – Action: What did you do?
- B – Behaviour: What behaviours did you observe in healthcare staff?
- C – Challenges: What challenges did patients or staff face?
- D – Development: What skills did you develop (empathy, teamwork, communication)?
- E – Example: How will you apply this insight to your future as a doctor?
Example Reflections
- “During my time at a care home, I saw how important patience and communication are when working with elderly patients. I realised that being a doctor is not just about diagnosis, but about listening and reassuring.”
- “While shadowing a GP, I noticed how carefully they explained treatment options to a worried parent. It reminded me that trust is built not by using complicated terms, but by showing empathy and clarity.”
How Reflection Helps in Your Application
- Personal Statement: Richer and more authentic when grounded in reflection.
- Interviews (MMI): Stations often ask you to discuss what you learned from experiences.
- Future Practice: Doctors are expected to be lifelong reflective learners.
Quick Tips
- Keep a work experience diary – jot down lessons and moments after each shift.
- Focus on skills and values rather than technical knowledge.
- Admissions tutors prefer a few experiences deeply reflected upon over long lists.
