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What work experience do I need?

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We expect applicants applying for Medicine at the University of Sunderland to have work experience. This is in-line with the Medical Schools’ Council Work Experience Guidelines who expect applicants to: 

  • Have had some experience of engaging with a wide range of people and understand the realities of a caring profession. 
  • Display some of the skills and attributes essential to be a successful doctor, including teamwork, leadership, good communication skills, resilience and empathy. 

We currently use your work experience in two ways:

1) To help us select for interview

2) During the interview process, where you'll be asked about work experience and some stations will assess skills that you'll have developed as a result of undertaking work experience 

We class work experience as being hands-on and public facing. We also include significant caring responsibilities (significant means taking responsibility for the welfare/ care of an individual on a continuing basis).  We do include the work experience element of the Duke of Edinburgh awards.

We do not include: 

  • Clinical shadowing  
  • School based events or experiences
  • Short events abroad that have been organised for you 

The Medical Schools Council sets out some useful work experience guidelines for prospective applicants to medicine. Please be aware that some of this information may be outdated.

Published: 19 January 2024