Apprenticeships for medical profession- is there such a thing?

[MrsDThaskala]

Ive heard there are apprenticeships with big companies for students to get onto after a-levels rather than go to university. Or in fact after university. Forgive me for not knowing more. DD is still at school so we’re far off for a while. But just wondering, are there such things for medical profession? I don’t think she wants to be a doctor but something medical. Any ideas if there is such a thing or would you say they have to take the medical school route?

If she doesn't want to be a doctor then no, she shouldn't go to medical school.
Nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, healthcare assistant, phlebotomist, medical receptionist or secretary, lab technician, pharmacist assistant, physician assistant, community health advisor, radiographer, sonographer...there are hundreds of health affiliated careers that don't involve a medical school route.

She'd have to think of what she's passionate about and look into what pathways there are for that role. There probably are apprenticeships in some of these things. Has her school got a decent careers advice team?

I posted this link the other day to someone else with a health profession query - there are indeed such apprenticeships available. Here's the link again:

www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/study-and-training/nhs-apprenticeships

Dc1 is currently doing nurse associate training. Basically they did btec in health and social care, went to work in nhs to gain experience, got put forward by ward manager for NA training (2 years works 30 hours in hospital plus 7 1/2 hours in uni a week). Gets payed band 3. When qualified can do a top up to become a nurse. So eventually will become a qualified nurse with no debt. Plus the ward staff prefer people who have come this route as they have lots more hands on experience. The nhs do similar for other professions too. Where dc is training they only take from in house because they know what they're getting. It's not easy but worth it. Of dc cohort of 30 a quarter haven't made it past half way.
When dc was at college they went to apprenticeship open day and the nhs were really helpful at pointing us in the right direction. Might be worth looking into.

There are degree (level-6/7) apprenticeships for nursing, radiography, paramedic, physician associate and lots of others: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/study-and-training/nhs-apprenticeships/nhs-apprenticeships-see-what-you-could-do

Our local Hospital has Work Experience Videos on their website. Watching something like those might help her to narrow down her choices?

I qualified as an occupational therapist last year. I did a full-time PG Diploma, but there are lots of apprenticeship options!

I thought they’d done away with OT diplomas. Where did you study that?

A London university.

And it allows you to register with HCPC? I’m not being picky with you, they just made a huge thing years ago about it becoming a degree only profession so I’m interested that they’ve change their minds. I have a diploma but I’m very old 🤣

Hey, it's a post graduate diploma as I already had a degree in something else. Yes, I am HCPC registered. It was a slog but worth it 💪. Congrats on your diploma! 🎉

PG diplomas are a little different, they’re like a masters without the dissertation. For HCPs it lets you qualify in 2 years, rather than 3, but you still have to squeeze everything into those 2 years, so it’s a lot.

Absolutely! It was really intense. I was initially signed up to the dissertation module on top but fortunately saw sense in my 2nd year 😂. I can still go back and do it as a top up.

There is currently no apprentice route into medicine, no. There is Graduate Entry Medicine which is a compressed version of medical school for those who already have a different degree.

It was 31 years ago but thank you 😉🤣

Doesn't matter - it's still a great achievement!

There is a new degree apprentice scheme for doctors at 3 universities. Apprentices still attend medical school and study for a medical degree for 5 years but the course incorporates time spent working at a hospital in support roles eg ward clerk, porter, clinical coding assistant, discharge planners.

There is a new degree apprentice scheme for doctors at 3 universities. Apprentices still attend medical school and study for a medical degree for 5 years but the course incorporates time spent working at a hospital in support roles eg ward clerk, porter, clinical coding assistant, discharge planners.

It's only actually gone ahead at one university this year (Anglia Ruskin). I'm not sure whether this will be repeated next year, as there are significant issues with it. With NHS England being abolished, there won't be a body supporting proposals for new programmes, so I've no idea what will be happening in the near future. The whole of the NHS long-term workforce plan seems to have been suspended,

https://findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/courses/680/providers

https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r128.full