Work experience
BSMS does not place requirements on the amount or type of work experience a prospective medical student should have.
However, in line with the Medical Schools Council Work Experience Guidelines, we do expect candidates to:
- Have a realistic understanding of medicine and what it means to be a doctor
- Have had some experience of engaging with a wide range of people and understand the realities of a caring profession
- Display some of the skills and attributes essential to be a successful doctor, including teamwork, leadership, good communication skills, resilience and empathy.
The Medical Schools Council sets out some useful work experience guidelines for prospective applicants to medicine, which can be downloaded below.
DOWNLOAD WORK EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES >
BSMS Virtual Work Experience
This course provides a 'virtual' work experience for those looking to apply to medical school. You will be introduced to the NHS before exploring the roles and skill sets of six different medical specialists. Along the way, you will also consider some of the challenges and wider issues doctors face.
Click on the link below to view more.
Find out about virtual work experience >
What some of our participants have said:
“The programme unlocked an experience which I may never have had due to my ongoing caring responsibilities and the restriction this has on my ability to participate in such programmes”
“I have done a lot of work experience but sometimes not had a real clue what doctors were doing or why: I think that this really explained everything from small detail to large very clearly so I could understand well”
“I loved how varied and interactive the course was. I really liked how simply everything was explained. Great job!”
“Thank you for creating a useful online resource that aspiring medical students can use, especially in a situation like this, where many students are feeling helpless. It has been a great opportunity for me to take part in and talk about in the future.”
“I would recommend the virtual work experience to future students as a precursor to work experience in the real world, and have recommended it to my fellow students at this point in time where all of our work experience opportunities have been removed.”