This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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About You
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The Company
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Everything Else
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
- 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
- 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 5. How well structured was the insight?
- 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
- 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
- 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
- 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
- 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
- 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
- 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
- 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
- 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
About You
I enjoyed my placement to a great extent as I was able to see and experience so much, and everyone in the trust was very welcoming and did their best to explain everything to me and give me a true insight into medicine. It was a very informative and worthwhile experience.
As my placement was short and only for experience, and I was in each department for only a few hours, not very, but it was due to the nature of my experience. The people who were working there appeared to be highly valued, and the people that I was with did their best to make me feel included and valued.
I received a great deal of support and guidance during my placement as people explained how the trust worked, what path they had taken to get there, how they found their job and what they were doing. I was given advice and valuable insights by many people, especially with regards to my application.
Throughout my placement I developed greater confidence, independence and communication skills, which will be invaluable due to the nature of medicine. Communication is integral to medicine, and therefore an increased skill level will definitely assist me in my studies. Confidence and independence will enable me to be more assertive and to progress in my career.
The Company
It was extremely well structured as it was tailored to give me an insight into many different areas of the trust, so I could see how it worked as a machine overall, and so that I could ensure that it was something I would enjoy. Every day, it was arranged for me to be in two different departments.
The general atmosphere during my insight was very welcoming and interesting, as almost everybody made an effort to talk to me and explain things to me. It was rarely dull, and there was a real buzz and liveliness to my placement. Because of the atmosphere, my entire placement was extremely enjoyable.
The trust didn't invest a great deal of personal training or development into me as my placement was very short- term, and was only really to see how things worked. However, the people I was with talked to me about principles and procedures within medicine, which will be very useful in the future.
The insight helped me to a high extent to understand what it would be like to have a full time role within the trust, as I was able to speak with doctors at different stages of their career about what their job entailed, and the pressures and benefits that came with it.
The insight really helped me to understand company culture to a greater extent as I experienced many different areas of the company, and was able to see the traditions and procedures within the trust. I was able to see how people worked together and how the system worked over all, if that can be considered a part of the culture.
The content of the day was extremely valuable as it reaffirmed my desire to follow this particular career path, and everything that I was able t see made me want to pursue it more. I can now make a fully informed and emphatic choice with regards to my career path.
Everything Else
My placement was work experience, so really the trust was doing me a favour by letting me be there and observe everything. I wasn't expecting to be reimbursed for my costs, which were mainly travel and food, and it would have been illegal for me to have been paid during my work experience. What I gained from my placement outweighed the monetary cost.
There were many opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the trust throughout my placement as I was in many different departments which had many people in different careers working in them. I was able to network and gain greater insights into many areas of the trust, which enhanced my work experience.
Due to the nature of my placement, there weren't many networking or social event opportunities as I was not able to become acquainted to a great extent with anyone as my placement was short. However, there was lunch and tea breaks during which i could network or socialise with other people within the trust.
During my placement I didn't really find out about any activities that employees can get involved in outside of work. As the working pattern within the trust, including night and weekend shifts, can be unpredictable and unsociable, come employees may find it difficult to regularly participate in activities outside of work.
I would definitely recommend this insight to a friend, and have done so. It was a truly amazing experience and I learned so much, and saw a great deal. The experience was thoroughly enjoyable and informative, and everyone was very welcoming and useful. Anyone interested in medicine or working for the NHS would benefit from this experience.
Details
Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)
Northern Ireland
February 2018