Paid work
This page explains how paid work can provide useful experience before medical school and gives tips on the types of jobs you could consider. There are links to help you find vacancies.
The benefits of doing paid work over other types experience include:
- it demonstrates that you can be trusted to perform a role and take on responsibility
- it’s likely to last longer than a placement or work shadowing opportunity so may give you more varied and realistic experience
- it can give you access to health professionals who may be prepared to offer you a suitable shadowing opportunity or at least talk to you about their role
- you’ll earn some money!
There are a number of things to consider:
- if you’re still at school or college, finding time to fit a paid job around your studies can be difficult. Don’t let work compromise your grades
- your age or lack of experience may restrict what you are able to do
- you are likely to need background checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service, immunizations and an occupational health check
There are all kinds of relevant full- and part-time paid opportunities. You could get paid work during a gap year or find positions where you work in the evenings, at weekends or during school or college holidays.
A few suggestions for paid jobs include:
- a weekend job in a community pharmacy
- working evenings in a care home for older people
- a gap-year job as a healthcare assistant (HCA), porter or medical administrator (listen to an audio on advice about becoming a HCA)
- a temporary holiday job helping with paperwork at a clinic or health centre
You can search for full- and part-time jobs in organisations providing NHS healthcare through the NHS Jobs website. See under Looking for a job for other places where vacancies are advertised. Our Career planning section also has information on finding jobs, job applications and interviews.