How do I find clinical work experience?

This is something many prospective medical students find difficult and as a result the majority of medical schools are understanding in the fact they often will accept a wide variety of work experience placements rather than just hospital clinical shadowing. Search for any health centre or hospital you are able to get to, making a list of the names. For each one, see if there is a direct contact for work experience opportunities, and if not make a general enquiry. If this does not provide you with a placement, widen your search to community trusts, ambulance trusts, independent and voluntary healthcare providers, repeating the steps with each one. Volunteering is often regarded as just as important as direct medical shadowing, so any opportunity to work helping vulnerable people such as in a care home or children’s school is crucial and almost always easier to secure than clinical work experience.