Unsecure chicken perches

[donald]

OK one of my teenagers wants to become a doctor. He is 16 one of the younger ones in his year.

 

So far he managed to do some work experience with medics. Has some experience coming up at a hospital with a doctor. Have just found him a nice friendly residential home that will take him during the summer holidays as a volunteer.

 

Is this enough? as he does sport one day at the weekend(cricket /rugby), works part time in a shop after school one evening and all day Saturday. So its finding the time to fit it all in. Plus all school work.

 

The only problem with all the work experience in the caring sector is he is too young to care apparently he has to be 18 years old to do this properly. So I suppose its more observation role.

 

I did contact our local hospital who wanted to charge £20 for a 20 week course at 3 hours per week and then they stopped doing this. Right cheek to charge, no wonder youngsters dont want to do this or families to pay as we would need to transport him too, more cost etc.

 

The only reason for the doctor related work experience is that its because we have the right contacts ie its who you know which seems unfair. Does this sound enough? I dont want the hospital experience to sound too flash etc on his application and I realise he is lucky we have the contacts. Seems all wrong to me, cant imagine what you are supposed to do if you havent got contacts etc. Sorry for the rant. My friends at private schools (sorry to criticise) seem to have everything laid on for them, the state school just dont seem to have the right contacts anymore?

[Geoid]

The only reason for the doctor related work experience is that its because we have the right contacts ie its who you know which seems unfair. Does this sound enough? I dont want the hospital experience to sound too flash etc on his application and I realise he is lucky we have the contacts.

It wont sound too flash, when he applies for university, this experience will be invaluable.

[Egluntyne]

I agree ... everyone else will be bigging themselves up, so he needs to put as much as he can, including hobbies, pastimes etc. Anything unusual will make him stand out.

[NannyOgg]

.

 

I did contact our local hospital who wanted to charge £20 for a 20 week course at 3 hours per week and then they stopped doing this. Right cheek to charge, no wonder youngsters dont want to do this or families to pay as we would need to transport him too, more cost etc.

 

So that works out at about 33p/hour...hardly making a profit were they??! For the experience gained, I think that was an absolute steal...the income from it probably barely covered the cost of running it...maybe why they stopped the course? If your child wanted to be an accountant, for example, and was offered some sort of overview course at a cost of 33p/hr, would that have been viewed differently? I am just surprised that so many people seem to think that if something's connected to a caring profession, then it should be free! The NHS isn't a bottomless pit of funds...hence the dire financial position many Trusts find themselves in at present.

[freddie]

Private schools dont have it all laid on, believe me! My ES has had two goes at work experience to date, all arranged by his poor parents(that's me then), and it's been a really hard job to find placements, and we have a few connections, so to speak... Govt have put blocks on under 16's in the workplace, and made it really hard for employers to take the risk of youngsters on site, due to insurance etc. We are an employer, so I see both sides

Good luck with it, I'm not having a go, but we found it hard to find an appropriate placement for him in his hopefully to be sector....

[donald]

I forgot to say I work in the NHS and the reason I think its a cheek to charge as they come under volunteering. Youngsters should be encouraged to come and work alongside Health professionals to encourage them to come into the NHS and become a future employee.

 

The whole point I am making is that with out contacts (that we obviously have) no one else stands a chance.

 

As a volunteer and unpaid labour they shouldnt have to pay? Years ago they stopped volunteering altogether and the volunteers were right upset, they were invaluable and just to have them keeping an eye on patients were useful if we were tied up with other emergencies etc(WRVS etc are so wonderful). A bit like car park charging, we pay to have the hospital services out of our national insurance and taxes and then they charge you again to attend. The financial difficulties in the NHS are due to top heavy management/layers and accountants. The NHS was chopped up and divided. In Surrey PCT Virgin won a tender to run some of the NHS community services, they wont be doing it for free but to make a profit out of the services(sorry I digress). Private sector doesnt win business to do it for non profit.

 

Anyhow I think work experience is very hard to find without parental contacts. Our school was not very good.

[chickencam]

Has he thought out either St John's Ambulance or The Red Cross as a volunteer, they do a lot of summer events and sporting events, where they might be happy to have an extra pair of hands. I think that both organisations have youth divisions.

 

My DS volunteers in a Red Cross bookshop, ok on a different level, but they have been very good to him. he started it as the voluntary side of his D of E but enjoyed it and has stayed on, they have given him a certificate in retail skills, this has helped a very shy 15 year old to feel important which can only help when he moves on to university etc.

[donald]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2116952/Work-experience-key-gaining-place-university-courses.html

 

How wierd this was in the paper today! But thank you for the replies. I also think that not everyone wants to go to university I have my eldest who did not want to go or was not academic enough.

 

My local care home has kindly agreed for him to come in subject to all the checks. If you dont ask you certainly dont get.

 

Invaluable experience to go and observe people in their jobs etc.

[Chucky Mama]

I think that it is important to do work experience and learn from it rather than doing it just to tick a box and reach a level that you think is acceptable. It is necessary to have an idea of what medicine is all about but it is most important to see the caring side of the job and work on interacting with people. Working in an old people's home or a hospice will rate more highly that watching some whizz bang medical procedure that you have managed to see via a 'contact'. Your son may well be asked 'how did you arrange your work experience', so he needs to do some of the leg work himself rather than have to arrange it all for him. Work experience is very hard to arrange given all the health, safety and privacy regulations. Work experience may amount to no more than serving tea and coffee. It can also have a non medical element. Volunteering at scouts, cubs, or in with people in anyway will both look good and do him good. Generally you are not asked to quantify work experience as such but you will be asked to comment of aspects of the work experience in the Personal Statement and during the interview process. Bear in mind that this year approx 4,000 applied for every 400 places for medicine at Uni. Not all were school leavers, many were Graduates of Re Applicants. Many applicants will appear like clones. Many with straight A*(more than necessary) and a silly number of As at A Level. Being well balanced individual with a social life, non academic interests and an understanding of people and the world around you is a bonus - not unique to medicine though

[The Dogmother]

I agree, while 'sector appropriate' work experience is obviously best, they are looking for someone who has put themselves out to organise any sort of work during their school holidays; this shows initiative and drive. I never cease to be amazed at the number of youngsters who have never had Saturday or holiday jobs.

[Guest]

I know a boy who was very bright, had high flying ideas but was placed with a hairdresser for work experience! DId he hate it? No! many years on he is an excellent hairdresser!!! He really discovered his calling that week and it took his life in an entirely different direction!

 

You can never tell where life will lead you!

[Lewis]

I agree with Chucky Mama, its more what you learn there rather than just doing it to tick boxes.

I know people who've been passionate about wanting to do a certain job, got into it and then realised its nothing like they expected or wanted to get from it.

Don't think it will sound too flash, esp considering how competitive it is to get into!

 

I want to be a Vet so started getting work experience 5 or 6 years ago and still try to get as much work experience I can

I guess for Dr's they have to have people skills whereas I need to get used to handling animals and learning what's healthy and normal behaviour compared to sick and injured animals.

 

Its also important to document everything you do to help you remember, and see how far you've come.

I made a Work Experience blog so can easily look back, seems strange to look at what I wrote back in 2007!

[The Dogmother]

The blog is a good idea and it's also good to see if you can get a reference from one of the managers; I have references from every company I have ever worked for and can hand out photocopies at interviews if necessary.