In the time of COVID-19, understandably a lot of aspiring medics are worried about acquiring suitable work experience. The good news is that everybody is in the same boat and medical schools know that it’s far harder to get work experience right now.

The bad news is that you may not know how to get work experience because some of the usual ways of getting it have gone out the window.

In this blog post I share some ideas of what you can do instead, starting with two virtual (and free!) medical work experiences recommended by the Medical Schools Council.

Don’t forget to record everything you do in a reflective diary. Write down what you did or observed, what you learnt or felt and reflect it back to your suitability or understanding of a future career as a doctor. Also note if there’s anything you’ll now do differently (e.g. behaviour in certain situations) as a result of your work experiences.

Observe GP

A series of free interactive videos created by the Royal College of General
Practitioners (RCGP).

You’ll learn about being a GP and the wider primary care team.

Register here: rcgp.org.uk/training-exams.aspx

Brighton & Sussex Medical School’s Virtual Work Experience

Get an introduction to the NHS and how it works. You’ll also learn about the skills & roles of 6 medical specialists and gain insight into challenges & wider issues faced by doctors.

Register here: bsmsoutreach.thinkific.com/courses/VWE

Whether or not you are able to register for either Observe GP or BSMS’s virtual work experiences, also look into the following to help build your application…

Paid work

The most obvious options right now are to work as a COVID-19 vaccinator or tester. Paid roles can be found via the NHS Jobs (tester or vaccinator) and NHS Professionals (vaccinator) websites. It’s also possible to volunteer as a vaccinator – more info on that in the next section of this blog post.

Pandemic or not, excellent paid roles for work experience include being a healthcare assistant or theatre circulating assistant. Healthcare assistants mostly help care for patients on wards e.g. helping patients wash and changing their bedding. Theatre circulating assistants help out in surgical theatres, working outside of the sterile field and have duties such as cleaning down theatres post-surgery and handing sterile surgical equipment to scrub nurses using what’s called “asceptic technique”. You can find vacancies for both roles via the NHS Jobs website. It might help to filter for Band 2 and 3 roles using the options on the left-hand side of the search results.

Volunteering from home or locally

The key thing with volunteering is that you’re getting insight into caring for others, developing compassion, empathy and understanding the realities of taking care of others.

The Medical Schools Council recommend the following two sites for finding volunteering:

Do-it.org

Nextdoor.co.uk

But they’re not the only places you’ll find great opportunities. Look also at:

St John’s Ambulance (check out their COVID-19 roles: vaccinator, care volunteer and patient advocate)

COVIDMutualAid.org

The Silver Line

Red Cross

Age UK

Follow medical news

The Medical Schools Council recommend getting your health / medicine news from the following sites:

TheGuardian.com/science 

Telegraph.co.uk/health

BMJOpen.BMJ.com

Listen to podcasts

RCP Medicine

The History of Medicine

BMJ Student (Sharp Scratch)

Study online courses

The NHS Explained (FutureLearn)

And many others! As well as FutureLearn, you could also look for healthcare-related courses on Coursera. 

Listen to TED Talks & read their blogs

Visit TED.com/topics/health

Use TED to gain an understanding and insight into various issues and hot topics in healthcare.

Read medicine-related books

This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay

Do No Harm by Henry Marsh

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

There are many other books you could read to show an interest in medicine but these are the ones that get recommended the most.

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Have some feedback on this article? Did I make an error? Please contact me via the contact page or leave a comment below.

You might also be interested in my article 6 Books to Read Before Your Medical School Interview.

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The post How to Get FREE Medical Work Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on Graduate Medicine Success.

Find all you need to know about taking GAMSAT, UCAT and BMAT in 2020 below.

Last updated: 15th July 2020

GAMSAT

The test organisers, ACER, recommend registering as early as possible to avoid disappointment – places at certain test locations may be limited.

Registration for the September test: 8th July – 17th August 2020

Late registrations deadline: Fri 28th August 2020

Testing period: 28th Sept – 11th October 2020

Results out: Nov 2020

Sitting arrangements: 

Digital online test but you will need to physically go in to GAMSAT testing centres.

You can select the most convenient location for you (e.g. London, Melbourne) but you will be randomly allocated to a venue within that location and testing session (date, time). Your test venue, date and time will be confirmed 3 weeks before your test day on your admission ticket.

If COVID-19 government restrictions change a remote proctored test may become an option.

Scraps of paper are allowed.

You will be able to skip questions without answering them and return to them later if within the SAME SECTION. Once you’ve completed a section you will NOT be able to go back.

Fees: UK £265, Ireland €338, Australia $510

Late fees: UK £60, Ireland €70, Australia $100

Content changes: There will be fewer questions in sections I and III but also less time for these sections.

Keep an eye on ACER’s website, Facebook and Twitter for updates.

UCAT

They’re encouraging people to take the test test sooner rather than later.

Register: from 1st July 2020

Testing: 3rd Aug – 1st Oct 2020

Content changes: none!

Sitting arrangements:

Sit a proctored test at home OR take it at a test centre.

On 22nd June UCAT confirmed that candidates taking the test from home will be allowed to use erasable whiteboards, to many peoples’ relief.

Learn more at the UCAT website.

BMAT

September test cancelled!

November test going ahead.

Register (standard fee): 1st Sept – 1st Oct 2020

Test date: 4th November 2020

Content changes: Section 1 changes (see their website for details)

Learn more at AdmissionsTesting.org.

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Hope that was helpful! Sign up to my mailing list to get more tips in your email inbox.

Have some feedback on this article? Did I make an error? Please contact me via the contact page or leave a comment below.

You might also be interested in my article How to Get FREE Medical Work Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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The post GAMSAT, UCAT & BMAT 2020 Updates appeared first on Graduate Medicine Success.

At the same time, an estimated 1.5 million vulnerable people in the U.K. alone are isolating themselves because they are especially at risk of developing severe breathing difficulties if they catch the virus.^[1] Isolation can be lonely and restricting; how will they get groceries, medicines and share their worries with others?

If you’re reading this blog post, you probably feel a deep need to help. But if you can’t help on the frontline, what can you do to?

I’ve been seeking out volunteering opportunities since my medical school suspended our clinical placements and moved all teaching online.

Below are some ideas of how to help if you can’t join the front line.

1. Check on your family, friends and neighbours

Don’t forget your own loved ones. They need you too. Those who live alone or are separated from family will find this time especially hard. Make sure to check in on them.

Send a text, make a phone call or arrange a group video call on Zoom. It is now even possible to have group chats with your friends and family while watching Netflix thanks to a new Chrome extension called Netflix Party.

2. Post this slip through doors

A lovely idea has been circulating on Twitter to print off the slip below and post it through the doors of vulnerable and elderly people in your community.

Find out more about the person who came up with the idea or download it directly (ready to print).

Make sure to wash your hands before handling the paper, of course.

3. Join or create a local mutual aid group

Join or consider setting up a mutual aid group for your city district, town or village. According to the organisation COVID-19 Mutual Aid, mutual aid groups covering smaller areas work better than those covering big areas.^[2]

There are a number of ways these groups are coordinating themselves, but many seem to be using WhatsApp and Facebook groups.

Keep in mind that many elderly people do not have access to or are uncomfortable using social media, let alone computers or smart phones. More traditional means of communicating are more likely to reach them (see the idea above!)

If you’re a medical or health care student, various regional Facebook groups have been set up exclusively for such students to help NHS staff. One benefit of these groups is that NHS staff can be confident that the people helping them have had DBS checks. To find one, search Google or Facebook for “National Health Supporters”.

4. Check out COVID-19 National Mutual Aid 

This organisation seeks to support the various mutual aid groups popping up across the country. Through the website you can find your local group.

I’ve also seen them share opportunities for remote volunteering (ideal if you are especially vulnerable to the virus or are living with someone who is).

Check out their website or Facebook page.

5. Become an NHS Volunteer Responder

Launched Tuesday 24^th March, the NHS is recruiting volunteers who can help transport equipment and medicines between NHS sites, collect groceries or medicines for people who are isolating and make phone calls to people at risk of loneliness.

Register at this link.

6. Register as a Red Cross Community Reserve Volunteer

The British Red Cross are recruiting volunteers who are willing to help out in emergencies in their local area. “No specialist skills are required, and quick training is provided at the scene”.

Sign up here.

7. Sign up to be an Age UK telephone befriender

Age UK is a charity that supports older people. As a telephone befriender you will be matched with someone with similar interests to you. Then you ring them at the same time each week. It’s a great way to reduce someone’s loneliness.

Register here.

8. Volunteer with the London Ambulance Service

If you’re in London, this opportunity could be for you. The London Ambulance Service is seeking volunteers to help them cope with the current crisis.

Sign up here.

9. Help get personal protective equipment (PPE) to NHS frontline staff

Medical Supply Drive began in the US and was started by medical students. There is now a UK branch seeking to get protective equipment such as masks, gloves etc. to NHS staff by sourcing them from places that don’t currently need them such as laboratories, salons and veterinary centres.

You can also donate any personal protective equipment that you have yourself.

For more information, see here.

10. Give blood

Travelling to donate blood is still allowed. It is considered “essential” because it helps meet the medical needs of vulnerable people.

Book an appointment via the blood.co.uk website.

11. Download the COVID-19 Symptom Tracker App 

King’s College London are gathering data on symptoms people are (and are not) displaying to better understand the development of the disease and also how it is spreading.

All you have to do is download the app and log your symptoms -or lack of symptoms – regularly.

For more information see here.

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Stay safe. Stay positive. Stay home!

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Have some feedback on this article? Did I make an error? Please contact me via the contact page or leave a comment below.

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References:

1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51991887
2. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/covid-19-mutual-aid-how-to-help-the-vulnerable-near-you

The post 11 Ways You Can Help During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic appeared first on Graduate Medicine Success.