From Searching to Shadowing: How to Get Medical Work Experience

Artin Mehmetaj

If you’re interested in Medicine, you’ve probably already heard how important work experience is. But actually finding it? That can be the difficult part. I recently had the opportunity to spend time with the Heart Failure team at one of London’s leading specialist cardiology centres, where I was fortunate enough (and immensely grateful!) to learn from an incredible cardiologist with extensive expertise, as well as the amazing wider team. It gave me a real insight into what working as a doctor looks like day to-day.

One of my favourite things about the experience was how varied it was. I spent time on the wards learning about patients’ conditions and how doctors approach treatment. This really showed me how important teamwork and attention to detail are, especially when patients have multiple conditions. I also attended surgical procedures, where there was a huge amount of precision and communication involved between everyone in the room. During consultations, I saw the more human side of medicine. Being a good cardiologist isn’t just about knowing everything about the heart; you also need to be able to actively listen to patients and clearly convey complicated medical information.

So, how do you actually get an opportunity like this? Here are a few top tips I recommend:

1. Talk to people - seriously!

I know networking sounds like something you’d hear at a finance careers event rather than when talking about medicine, but it’s genuinely important!

Go to talks, university events or conferences where you might meet doctors or other healthcare professionals. Don’t be afraid to actually speak to them afterwards, and make use of LinkedIn too! If you come across someone working in an area of medicine that interests you, connect with them and send a short message. You don’t need to open with “Can I have work experience?”- instead, ask about their career, show an interest in what they do and build a connection. You never know where a simple conversation could lead!

2. Make the most of what your university already offers

Before immediately looking outside of university, explore what’s already available to you as a student. Check your university careers page, join relevant medical societies and keep an eye out for talks, workshops, mentoring schemes and events with healthcare professionals.

These don’t need to be advertised as work experience to be valuable. You might discover a new speciality, meet someone whose career interests you or hear about an opportunity you wouldn’t otherwise find. Make use of what’s available to you at university!

3. Make it clear why you’re interested

If you are messaging someone, try not to send the exact same ‘copy and paste’ message to everyone.

If you’re approaching a cardiologist, explain why cardiology interests you. If it’s surgery, explain why surgery caught your attention.

It doesn’t need to be a long personal statement. Doctors are busy people, so keep it short, polite and genuine!

4. Be open to a range of opportunities!

Your work experience doesn’t have to involve standing in an operating theatre for it to be useful.

Volunteering in a hospital, care home or community setting can teach you a lot about communication, empathy and working with people. My own experience showed me how different each area of healthcare can be, from the skills needed on a ward, to those involved in procedures and consultations.

The important question isn’t ‘How can I find the perfect placement that will look impressive on my CV?’ but ‘What can I actually learn from this experience and how can I apply it in the future?’

Tip 5: You’ve got the work experience… now make the most of it!

This is something I think is really important. Once you’ve managed to get a placement, don’t just turn up, watch everything happen and then forget half of it two weeks later.

Ask questions when it’s appropriate, stay curious and make notes! At the end of the day, take ten minutes to write down what you learnt, what you want to research further, and anything that surprised you.

Doing this helped me actually reflect on what I’d seen and learnt rather than just thinking ‘That was cool!’ and moving on. It also gives you specific experiences to look back on for future applications and interviews.

Most importantly, remember that you’re not there because you’re expected to already know everything. You’re there to learn. Ask questions, speak to people and adopt a growth mindset, taking in as much as you can.

Overall, my time in cardiology showed me just how much goes into being a doctor beyond medical knowledge alone. If you’re looking for medical work experience, keep exploring your interests and making connections - sometimes all it takes is being curious enough to ask and be ready to make the most of an opportunity when it comes.