"Medical schools consider that applicants for Medicine should have researched this as a career. Candidates, who have undertaken work experience, are likely to achieve a greater understanding of the implications of a career in medicine and will thus be advantaged in the selection process".
"The British Medical Association (BMA) also advises that doctors should support the development of formal schemes rather than one of individual arrangements".
Planning of programmes for school pupils and undergraduates seeking work observation should be developed by local Consultants, Tutelage Group, related Deanery Members and projects such as the Working in Health Access Network (WHAN).
This page seeks to set out the principles of best practice around the administration of work observation, and not the clinical content.
Doctors at Work
"Doctors at Work" is the preferred placement model for persons (pupil or undergraduate) seeking more information to support applications for medicine.
This week long programme includes shadowing named senior clinicians as part of an overview of NHS Grampian designed with the advice from the University of Aberdeen Medical School. The programme has received favourable reviews in the Times Education Supplement (Scotland).
Schools notification
This programme is notified to all 39 schools in Grampian (public or independent).
Application for the programme by pupils is made via Guidance staff that authorise application forms for pupils who have the potential to achieve the grades required for entry to Medical school. Application forms are issued to all local authority work experience units for distribution to their schools, and to appropriate guidance staff in independent schools in January of each year. Applications close in April of the same year.
In the event of over subscription of the programme, pupils who have had no work experience in NHS Grampian will be given preference for placement.
programmes run over the summer months from May to August in Aberdeen and Elgin.
To ensure attendees gain as much as possible from their Work Experience Placement and to ensure minimum disruption to staff, procedures as noted in section 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the policy.
Further general information
General Medical Council - - Undergraduate education
Tomorrow’s Doctors (2009) - link
Medical Students: professional values and fitness to practise (2009) - link
The Medical Schools Council - Students - link
The Scottish Doctor - link
The Consensus Statement on the Role of the Doctor - link
The British Medical Association - Medical Student
NHS Medical Careers - link
Scottish University contacts/information:
- Aberdeen
- Medical Admissions Office
- Polwarth Building
- Foresterhill
- Aberdeen AB25 2ZD
- Scotland, UK
- Tel +44(0)1224 437923 Fax +44(0)1224 437921
- Email: medadm@abdn.ac.uk
- Website: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/smd/medicine/index.php
Dundee - Visit Website
Edinburgh - Visit Website
Glasgow - Visit Website
St Andrews - Visit Website
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