UK medical schools are generally looking for the following from work experience:

1. Types of Experience They Value

Most schools say you don’t need hospital shadowing. Instead, they look for:

• Caring roles
• Volunteering in a care home, hospice, or disability support centre
• Helping in a nursery, school for children with special needs, or youth club
• Assisting elderly or vulnerable people (e.g. befriending schemes, community projects)
• People-facing jobs/volunteering
• Customer service (shops, cafes, reception work)
• Roles that require teamwork, handling pressure, and communicating clearly
• Healthcare-related experience (if available)
• St John Ambulance, first aid volunteer, pharmacy work experience
• Virtual work experience programmes (many NHS Trusts and the Observe GP programme by the RCGP are accepted)

The key isn’t the prestige of the placement—it’s what you learned from it.

2. What They Want You to Demonstrate

Admissions tutors aren’t ticking boxes for specific placements. They’re asking:

• Do you understand the realities of medicine (long hours, emotional stress, bureaucracy, teamwork, patient-centred care)?
• Have you shown caring qualities—empathy, patience, respect, compassion?
• Can you reflect on challenges (e.g. seeing patients in distress, working under pressure)?
• Do you have transferable skills—communication, leadership, resilience, problem-solving?

3. How to Reflect on Experience (Very Important)

Medical schools emphasise reflection over description. Don’t just say:

“I volunteered at a care home for 3 months.”

Instead, go deeper:

• “I learned the importance of listening to patients’ concerns, even if they seemed small, as this built trust and improved their comfort. This helped me understand how central empathy is to medicine.”

They want to see you think critically about:

• What happened?
• What did you learn about healthcare or yourself?
• How does this make you more prepared for medicine?

If you have the option of taking an EPQ (extended project qualification) in college or 6th form, that may also bolster your chances of a successful application as it develops key academic and transferable skills, such as independent research, time management, and critical thinking.

Other useful links:

https://bsmsoutreach.thinkific.com/courses/VWE

https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/ethics/medical-students/ethics-toolkit-for-medical-students

https://medicmentor.org/

Developing Your Skills for Healthcare Careers

No matter what role you are interested in pursuing, there are several skills that can be developed to help support your future career aspirations.  Here are just a few essentials:

·         Communication

·         Teamwork

·         Resilience

 Core Communication Skills for All Healthcare Careers

1. Active Listening
• Practice listening without interrupting, and reflecting back what you heard.
• Try summarising what a speaker said, using their words and phrases to check your own understanding.

This builds trust and shows respect—key in patient care and teamwork.

2. Clarity & Simplicity
• Get comfortable explaining complex ideas in simple terms (e.g., explaining science concepts to a younger sibling).

In healthcare, clear communication avoids confusion and mistakes.

3. Empathy
• Work on understanding others’ perspectives.
• Role-play situations where you respond kindly to someone who is worried or upset.
4. Non-verbal Skills
• Be aware of your body language, tone of voice, and eye contact.
• Practice showing calmness and confidence even when you’re nervous.

5.      Awareness of Attitudes & Biases

o    Reflect on your own assumptions, stereotypes, or judgments that may influence how you listen and respond.

o    Practice approaching every interaction with curiosity and respect, not preconceived ideas.

In healthcare, this helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures equitable, compassionate care.

Core Teamworking Skills for All Healthcare Careers

1. Collaboration
• Be willing to share ideas, ask for input, and build on others’ suggestions.
• Learn when to lead and when to support.
2. Responsibility & Reliability
• Do your part in group projects and follow through on commitments.

Healthcare teams rely on each other’s accuracy and timeliness.

3. Conflict Resolution
• Disagreements are normal practice resolving them respectfully.
• Focus on the shared goal rather than “winning” the argument.
4. Adaptability
• Teams often face changing situations—practice staying flexible when plans shift.

Healthcare settings (especially clinical) require quick pivots.

5. Respect for Roles
• Recognise that every role, from frontline staff to administrators, is essential.
• Value everyone’s contribution.

Core Resilience Skills for All Healthcare Careers

1. Stress Management
• Learn healthy ways to cope: exercise, journaling, mindfulness, or talking it out.
• Recognise early signs of burnout (tiredness, irritability, withdrawal).
2. Growth Mindset
• Treat mistakes as learning opportunities.
• Ask: “What can I learn?” instead of “Why did I fail?”
3. Self-Care & Boundaries
• Practice balancing school, activities, and rest.
• Healthcare requires giving a lot to others, so caring for yourself is key.
4. Emotional Regulation
• Learn to pause before reacting in tough situations.
• Techniques like deep breathing or short walks can help reset.
5. Support Systems
• Build friendships, mentors, or family ties you can lean on.
• In healthcare, peer support is crucial for resilience.