Advice required: Voluntary work at a hospital

MajorMaccas

MajorMaccas

MajorMaccas

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Joined
20 Oct 2005
Posts
1,900
Location
Suffolk, UK
I'm applying for a competitive access to medicine course, to start in September this year. To help my app, I want to start doing voluntary work at my local hospital. This would also give me a glimpse into the profession and really convince me that I want to pursue it as a career, or not.

So, how do I go about applying? Would I be fine just phoning the trust, or should I put it in writing? I'm fairly certain I'll still need the criminal record checks, with which I'm clean, but how long do they take to process? A friend of mine has landed a place in a MoD warehouse near where I live immediately after his interview in december, he won't start till march and just this week posted back a 35 page dosier of security questions. I'm guessing the MoD is a little tighter than hospitals. :rolleyes:

Any advice or input is welcomed. :cool:
 
I know this isn't what you want to hear but my college asked around the students with parents in the hospital to help with the application as they were getting no where by themselves.

In other words, know someone who works in the hospital?

KaHn
 
PALS is the patient advice and liaison line, not sure if they could help. Personally i'd try giving the hospital HR dept a call (just phone main switchboard at your hospital and ask to be put through), we currently have a few volunteers who help out in our IT dept at the hospital, you could also ask to be put on the 'Staff Bank' where they keep your details and give you a ring if anything comes up.
 
At the University Hospital of North Staffordshire we have quite a big Volunteer service - so much that we have had to put on 6 Corporate Inductions for them.
Ring the main switchboard and ask for the Volunteer department.
You will need a CRB check done which the Trust will pay for but you will be expected to agree to so much Volunteering eg 4 hours a week over 6 months.
It is my understanding that all Trusts need to reach a quota of Volunteers and we now have 3 full time staff for Volunteers as well as people like myself who have to do e-Learning Stat Mand and Corporate Induction.
 
phone up your local hospital switchboard and ask to be put thru to volunteer services.
you'll have to fill in a small mountain of paperwork and have the necessary checks carried out - g'luck with it - nice, worthwhile way to spend some time!
 
OP - I've just fully read your post again.
I work very closely with the Trust Volunteer department and if your local Trust is anything like ours it could take a while to be accepted, CRB done, Corporate Induction done and Stat Mand Training.
Your best route (and the route every student goes through) is Work Experience.
When I first started I used to be the Work Experience Coordinator with the Trust (as well as a million other jobs) and I (and successor) always look on UCAS applications more favourably.
In fact a lot of departments also ask for UCAS students and not 15 year olds ticking a box for their school.
 
dmpoole said:
Out of interest what process did you go through in Colchester?
eg application form, Occupational Health etc.
I helped to write the Policy and it's very tight here in Stoke.
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I phoned up, and they said that they had a spot for a certain week, I checked if I could do it and confirmed, then they said the required forms will be sent to me soon (CRB check, and immunisation history).
 
Thanks for all the info so far guys, sounds like work experience is the way to go for me then. I can book a week off work after april, so it seems like everything is in the right place timewise to contact the trust now.

Should I contact the trust or the HR dept?
 
brainiac ghost said:
I phoned up, and they said that they had a spot for a certain week, I checked if I could do it and confirmed, then they said the required forms will be sent to me soon (CRB check, and immunisation history).
Click to expand...

A CRB check isn't needed at our Trust because you will be accompanied at all times and they won't pay £50 plus to get a CRB for you for 4 days.
Occupational Health will need the immunisation history.

The_Sophisticate said:
Thanks for all the info so far guys, sounds like work experience is the way to go for me then. I can book a week off work after april, so it seems like everything is in the right place timewise to contact the trust now.

Should I contact the trust or the HR dept?
Click to expand...

Ring the main switchboard and ask for the Work Experience Coordinator.
 
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