Shadowing Review

I enjoyed it very much, and was exposed to some diverse experiences, including theatres, emergency and acute medicine as well as being given the opportunity to shadow a range of health professionals and to interact with patients. I was sad when it was over, and it really helped me to confirm that this was the career path for me.

A lot of people did take the trouble to take me under their wings and showed an interest, taking the time to show and explain different things to me, for example the properties of the drugs in the anaesthetic room, and allowing me to pass the equipment over for the fitting of a central line. However, these people were spread out across different wards and departments, and were dependent on the different shifts these people were working as to whether they could help me.

On AAU, I gained lots of support and insight, with a named consultant responsible for my activities during the week. In A&E, it was similar, especially given that I was simply thrust upon a consultant and an F2 who did not know I would be shadowing but went out of their way to include me and make me welcome, to explain things and allow me to observe, in spite of it being a busy, and at times chaotic department. In theatres I felt less supported - as a non-essential person involved in an operation I was made to leave the first theatre arranged for me to go in and put elsewhere, without prior explanation to the surgeons - consultant and registrar, that I would be attending. This meant that I was only noticed after about 3 hours!

This placement assisted me greatly, as I'd been finding it very difficult to find a placement without family contacts in the field and without this, it is hard to be taken seriously when applying to medical school and that you have the required understanding of what a career as a doctor entails. It also confirmed for me that I found the surgeries and procedures interesting, and learned a lot from seeing them delivered in a compassionate, reassuring way to the patients.

I think it was as well structured as could be in a hospital environment; to a certain extent it was good that the structure wasn't too rigid as it meant I could 'go with the flow' and when they found out about my interests, enabled me to explore them. For example, following observing spinal surgery, whereby I couldn't see a lot, I was allowed another half day in theatres where I observed the more obvious knee replacement. I also got in early one day and ended up on A&E, where I'd initially been trying to find the consultant I was reporting to on my placement, and this going off-piste slightly was fine. However, I sometimes missed things where I couldn't be waited for, as patient safety needs to ultimately come first, and the Foundation teaching session I was going to attend was cancelled at the last minute, which I found a bit disappointing.

The staff seemed generally pleasant and welcoming but busy, and there was a real sense of goodwill and that they strongly cared about their work. I did encounter some individuals who were quite negative about the fact I was considering Medicine, and questioned my motivations quite early on regarding status and salary, without getting to know me properly first. However, this was outweighed by a majority which was encouraging and I even heard a 'do it, it's the best thing you'll ever do!' It also seemed like wherever you were standing, you were always in someone's way, and that you couldn't win! There was also a general feeling amongst support staff that they weren't paid enough or valued for the work that they did, and their commitment was astounding, with many of them getting there before me in the morning and leaving after me in the evening.

I honestly feel that this experience enabled me to see 'the good, the bad and the ugly', which is what I needed, giving me a realistic view of the day-to-day life of a doctor. I could understand how it would be a vastly rewarding career, but that it would take a lot of hard work, long hours, and sometimes encountering difficult and unappreciative patients.

I got to learn a lot about NHS core values, such as ethics and diversity, which has held me in good stead for Medicine interviews. I feel that this has perhaps given me experience to draw upon that many school leavers don't have, which I believe has been beneficial and given me a much-needed 'edge' over other candidates! I was able to see how delivering high quality care really is a team effort. However, I did feel that there was a fine line between appearing too pushy and overenthusiastic, which would insinuate that I did not value the serious nature of the work and my own limitations as someone on work experience, and not putting myself forward enough, such as with the theatre scenario, where perhaps I shouldn't have assumed that the surgeons knew I was there and gone and introduced myself instead, even though I was slightly intimidated by their seniority.

Absolutely invaluable, as it confirmed to me that persuing Medicine was the right path for me, and following this experience I have since applied to Medical Schools in the UK in order to train as a doctor. It has also served to heighten my interest in Emergency Medicine, as I was fortunate enough to shadow in A&E, in not only cubicles, but also resus.

This was an unpaid, one week placement that I took in the extra week of the Easter holidays that universities often have more than in schools. I paid for my weekly bus fare to take me to the hospital and home again, as well as my lunches at the hospital on days that I didn't bring in a packed lunch.

Not applicable really, and the foundation teaching session got cancelled. Having said this, I do now have the consultant I was reporting to on LinkedIn.

Not applicable really, and the foundation teaching session got cancelled. Having said this, I do now have the consultant I was reporting to on LinkedIn.

It didn't really come up

Yes absolutely - they would not enjoy it if they are squeamish but I absolutely loved it, flaws and all. I think that even if they felt differently and decided that it wasn't for them, it wouldn't be a waste of time because they wouldn't then spend lots of time and energy trying to pursue something they thought would be right for them but actually wasn't.