Work Experience in a hospital

Mayoegian

Hi,

I have a keen interest in Medicine and hope to do it after the Leaving Cert. I'm in 5th year at the moment, so I will be doing my exams next year. I would love to experience what it's like to work in a hospital, but was just wondering whether it would be possible to get a job as an assistant in some capacity in a hospital? I will be 17 in May, so do ye think I would be allowed to help out in a hospital for just the Summer months maybe?

Many thanks:)

Jessibelle

Hey Mayoegian,
I did work experience in a few hospitals when I was in secondary school, but it was never ore than 2 weeks at a time, I was told this was for insurance reasons. (Now when I say a few years I mean mid 1990's ... gods I feel old)
I know a few things have changed since then, and a few hospitals, like the Children's Hospitals in particular won't let you volunteer if you're under 18, and without Garda vetting, it's to protect both the participant and the patients from vulnerable situations, but I'd say the majority of the 'adult' hospitals are fair game.
I arranged it by ringing and writing directly to the hospitals and for the most part they were decent about it, one or two never answered but thats the norm I'd guess

Chuchoter

Write as many letters as possible and make sure you get a letter from your school confirming you are a student there. Children's hospitals rarely take anyone for insurance reasons, but other hospitals seem to be pretty open to take people in. I went to a hospital for work experience this year (only for a week though). You end up doing a lot of paperwork but as long as you're professional and nice to everyone they eventually let you go do cool stuff like shadowing. Also if you know any medical students they might bring you to lectures which are interesting. I doubt you'd be able to get a job (paid or otherwise) though as you have no training, but try for work experience for a week or two.

Mayoegian

crayolastereo wrote: »

Write as many letters as possible and make sure you get a letter from your school confirming you are a student there. Children's hospitals rarely take anyone for insurance reasons, but other hospitals seem to be pretty open to take people in. I went to a hospital for work experience this year (only for a week though). You end up doing a lot of paperwork but as long as you're professional and nice to everyone they eventually let you go do cool stuff like shadowing. Also if you know any medical students they might bring you to lectures which are interesting. I doubt you'd be able to get a job (paid or otherwise) though as you have no training, but try for work experience for a week or two.

Thanks so much Jessibelle and Crayolastereo for replying!:)

I wouldn't want pay at all-I'd just love to be there and see what happens day-to-day in a hospital! Crayolastereo-how many hours did you do in the hospital? Also, what other types of work did you do?

I think I'll write to two hospitals-would it look better if I had a letter of reference as well from the school? When did you do your work experience-would I be less likely to get the work experience during the Summer months?

Sorry for all the questions!:o

I wrote to every hospital in Dublin looking for work experience and got no where, so if you know anyone with connections, a family member/friend who works in a hospital that might help.

Susie-O-

i can give ya names of consultants to write to in dublin, iv a few contacts! what specialties u interested in?

Mayoegian

Susie-O- wrote: »

i can give ya names of consultants to write to in dublin, iv a few contacts! what specialties u interested in?

Thanks so much for your offer Susie-but I live in Galway! I really appreciate your offer though!:) I will also be doing a first aid course during the Summer-I'd like to get as much experience and confidence in the Medical field as I possibly can! I'm interested in General Medicine, Cardiology, Psychiatry and Oncology! Quite a mixture!

Cantabile

You should try and get a part time job in the "outskirts" of a hospital. I fund my Law degree by working in the coffee shop in the maternity hospital in Cork, and I often think its a great insight into poor junior doctors doing long long shifts, or not having time to come down to see their boyfriend who has to come and visit them at work! All med students should have to do it...

Chuchoter

Mayoegian wrote: »

Thanks so much Jessibelle and Crayolastereo for replying!:)

I wouldn't want pay at all-I'd just love to be there and see what happens day-to-day in a hospital! Crayolastereo-how many hours did you do in the hospital? Also, what other types of work did you do?

I think I'll write to two hospitals-would it look better if I had a letter of reference as well from the school? When did you do your work experience-would I be less likely to get the work experience during the Summer months?

Sorry for all the questions!:o

I was in from 2 until 4 or 5 everyday unless I went to a lecture. But it took 2 hours in and out on 2 different buses (argh). For the first day or two I was sending GP letters, filing, other boring things but then for the other two days I was in the A&E reading x-rays/taking histories and in the dressings clinic with a specialist nurse where she explained all about various types of wounds/burns/dressings/ so on and so forth. I got to take stitches out of a guys face!! It was the coolest thing ever. My friend who was there with me saw a kidney transplant (but thats because she knew the guy who delivered insulin). You need to write to every hospital you can possibly get to. I wrote something like 18 places. Maybe ring up places before you write to them to see if they take on work experience places as opposed to just sending out millions (like I did) to places who were never going to take me.

mcdermla

If you really wanna know what goes on in a hospital, and want to do medicine for the right reasons, then you could become a care assistant. You'd probably have to wait til you're 18 and do some courses, but it would help you understand how certain conditions affect the human body and help you get over the 'gross out factor' of the naked human body and all its charming functions!
This might seem like a huge step down for a doctor and it is, but even after all those years in college and that awful internship year, doctors do find themselves with their hands in intimate parts of the patient and performing prcoedures most people would shiver a the thought of, such as catheterising a man or inserting an NG tube up someone's nose. Surgeons have to give rectal washouts, i.e. filling a syringe with disinfectant, inserting it in the anus, and then having the patient spray it back all over them. There are a LOT of disgusting things doctors have to do!
Also on most wards the nursing station is full of medical books, hospital protocols and policies and information leaflets, so you could learn a lot. Plus if you tell the nursing staff you're interested in medicine they'll talk you through patient histories, doctors generally wouldn't do this.

QueenOfLeon

Hi, I did a weeks work experience in Sligo Hospital during TY. They had a special programme for TY/LCVP students where we rotated between different wards each day. If you were interested in going there I'd say send them a letter along with a school reference and see what they say.

The only problem with going during the summer and it not being directly related to school work could be insurance...I know our careers teacher sent a letter to each workplace at the time saying we were covered by school insurance.

UCHG is a much friendlier and helpful environment to students (I found) but I'm not sure about the possibility of non-med students (yet! :P) going in there for experience...worth a shot tho

summers dream

Hi, im in third year and im trying to look for a hospital that would take people for ty. does anyone know that hospitals take people? xxx

theowen

Can ye do work experience in a hospital if you're studying Med? I'm only going into 2nd year so I've no insight at all. Think it would be pretty cool to do. Anyone know of any volunteering posts or the likes in Dublin?

A Neurotic

theowen wrote: »

Can ye do work experience in a hospital if you're studying Med? I'm only going into 2nd year so I've no insight at all. Think it would be pretty cool to do. Anyone know of any volunteering posts or the likes in Dublin?

I heard of a hospital volunteering program called Croí na Tíre a few months back - bit on it here. Role involves reading to patients, helping with mealtime, going for walks, and helping with phone calls and emails.

I meant to apply ages ago, but, it would appear that I didn't. Thanks for reminding me!