Work experience and other activities

Work experience plays an important part in helping you to decide if medicine is the right career for you. Applications aside, good work experience should be interesting and rewarding and many medical students continue to do voluntary and paid work whilst at university and beyond.

Work experience is also an essential part of your application to medical school. Getting a place at medical school is no longer just about getting the right grades. It is essential that you prove that you are a well rounded individual who wants to be a doctor for all the right reasons. You need to demonstrate a wide variety of skills and experiences and show that you have a realistic view of what a career in medicine involves.

You should be able to show that:

	You can work in a team
	You can get on with people
	You have worked in a caring role (paid or voluntary)
	You have some idea of how the NHS works
	You have leadership skills
	You have been in a position of responsibility
	You have lots of hobbies and interests

To do this you need to make sure you do lots of things besides academic work. Follow the links below to find out about different ways to improve your application.