Pupil Resources

Regardless of subject, whenever you are undertaking work experience or career exploration, it is extremely valuable and useful to reflect on your experiences. This helps you to put what you've observed into perspective and also helps you to develop your understanding of what you've observed and relate it back to yourself. This may be relating qualities or skills you have observed during work experience to examples of when you have demonstrated similar qualities or skills, for example.

The University of Edinburgh has produced a Reflection Toolkit, aimed at helping staff and students develop their reflective skills. This toolkit may also be useful for you when thinking about WHAT reflection is and HOW you can reflect on your experiences.

Transitioning from secondary school to university can be a massive jump for many students. You won't be alone in feeling this way - a huge number of new students find the change in learning style and move towards more independent learning to be quite a challenge.

In order to help you better prepare for your  transition from school to university, we have put together a list of freely accessible resources to work through in your own time to help prepare you for the step from secondary school to university.

Forage job simulations allow candidates to experience different roles at different companies. As well as legal and healthcare related experiences, there are a wealth of other industries included. 

The following links will give you an idea of the skills and qualities needed to be a solicitor as well as the variety of careers available within the legal profession. This will help you to reflect on the skills and qualities you have that are linked to these. This will help you when it comes to writing your UCAS personal statement.

The following links are a good way of keeping up to date with all that is happening in Scottish legal world.  They can also count as career exploration as you get to see the wide variety of roles available.  Make sure you keep up with the national & international news in general too! 

Legable is a website created by a former Reach pupil and now trainee lawyer. Legable aims to collate and share resources available for aspiring and current law students from less advantaged backgrounds in the UK into one online platform. This includes information regarding funding, work experience programmes and mentoring schemes.

PRIME is an alliance of law firms across the UK, committed to improving access to the legal profession through work experience. A number of firms that are part of the PRIME commitment offer work experience placements. In order to apply for a PRIME work placement, you must fulfill certain criteria, which are outlined on the PRIME Commitment website.

Like all professions, Lawyers must register with professional bodies in order to practice. In Scotland there are 2 main professional bodies: 

• Faculty of Advocates
• Law Society of Scotland. 

There are 10 law schools across Scotland that offer  the LLB in law. This is the course that is required in order to become a practicing Solictor in Scotland.

When you apply for law through UCAS, you can apply for up to 5 law courses.  It is therefore important that you research all law schools carefully to decide where you want to apply to.

Below we have listed the links to each Scottish law school's webpage.

Becoming a Solicitor in Scotland takes more than just going to law school to study for your LLB in Law. There are a few other things that you need to do before you can become a qualified Solicitor; this can take up to 7 years in total, depending on which route you take. The Law Society of Scotland provides a good visual overview of the training routes towards becoming a qualified Solicitor.

These are all free programmes which you can do in your own time and are self-assessed, so your work won’t be graded.  You can complete tasks then compare your work to that of an actual solicitor or lawyer. Please note that the majority are aimed at current Law students so they will be a bit ahead of where you are just now, but they can still give you a useful insight into working for these large firms. 

We would normally recommend that you try visit courts to get a good idea of how they work if you are able to. 

For some, going straight from school to study medicine at university may not be possible. However, this does not mean that pursuing a career in medicine is out of the picture. There are some alternative routes into medicine that you can consider. Although these may take slightly longer, they will still qualify you to become a doctor upon completion!

The Medical Schools Council (MSC) has produced a document setting out a non-exhuastive list of the core values and attributes needed to study medicine.

This document is useful in helping you to identify core values and attributes you observe during any work experience, voluntary work or other career exploration you undertake. As well as helping you identify these from examples you observe, you can also use this to help identify the values and attributes YOU possess from. Remember that you can draw these skills and attributes from a wide range of activities - they don't need to always come from medical-related work experience. 

The GMC's Good Medical Practice document outlines what it means to be a good doctor. It describes the expected values and professional behaviour expected of practicing doctors in the UK. This is a useful document to read over . It will give you an understanding of what is expected of practicing doctors and may help you to identify examples of these behaviours/values/expectations you you have observed during work experience/career exploration.

Genetics Unzipped is the podcast from the Genetics Society - one of the oldest learned societies dedicated to supporting and promoting the research, teaching and application of genetics. 

Let's Talk About Health and Disease is a series of plain speaking public lectures which run annually at the University of Edinburgh from October through to March.

The talks are aimed at senior school pupils interested in studying medicine, veterinary medicine or the life sciences at university, as well as interested members of the general public and health professionals.

The series allows scientists pioneering new research at the University of Edinburgh to share their latest ideas and discoveries with the public and provides attendees with the opportunity to advance their knowledge of health and what happens in disease.

Each lecture includes a Q&A session and refreshments, many also include the chance for S4-S6 pupils to meet young researchers in the field through lab tours and interactive workshops.

You can find out more about upcoming lectures or view previous lectures using the links below

What is a MOOC?

MOOC is an acronym for Massive Open Online Course. MOOCs are online courses aimed at an unlimited number of people which can be accessed online through certain online learning platforms.

MOOCs are usually free and allow you to learn about topics in a flexible way that fits around your life. They help you to connect with top educators across the world and to expand your knowledge on topics, often based around current research at specific universities.

Why should I study a MOOC?

MOOCs are a great way to expand your knowledge of current research and topics in medicine and the health care sector. MOOCs don’t involve as high a level of studying as your school subjects. They can take up a few hours per week and normally run for between 2-6 weeks. However, you can access all the materials in your own time at a time that suits you best. If you work at the weekends, then you can access materials in the evenings.

How much do MOOCs cost?

A high proportion of MOOCs are completely free for you to access and learn. Some courses will charge additional fees for you to be given an accredited certificate of participation. However, for the purpose of broadening your own understanding of different topics in medicine and healthcare, you DO NOT NEED TO PAY extra for this. You can simply keep a note of any courses you do and make reference to these in your personal statement or at interviews, if you find they are relevant for this.

MOOC Courses

Below, we have listed a number of MOOCs on a variety of healthcare and medical-related topics. We’ve also noted the university which provides each MOOC and a link to access each course. Note that some of the courses may have certain start dates, so check each course for details on this if you’re interested.

Medic Insight Edinburgh is organised and run by University of Edinburgh medical students. They run a Medic Insight Day for S4 pupils and 2 Medic Insight Weeks for S5 pupils.

• Medic Insight Day normally runs in March and Medic Insight Weeks normally run in June.
• Applications for Medic Insight Day normally open at the begininng of January
• Applications for Medic Insight Week normally open in mid-February for ONE WEEK ONLY

As well as providing work experience in NHS Lothian (S5 Medic Insight Week only), the Medic Insight team run workshops for students throughout the day and week events. These include talks from doctors, medical students, and professionals from university admissions teams to give students more accessibility and experience into applications and the realities of pursuing medicine as a career.

The Medical Schools Council (MSC) is the body which represents all UK medical schools. They have a wealth of resources on their website about applying to medicine, including guidance about relevant work experience for medicine.

Read more about medical student life from students at the University of Edinburgh's medical school. The blogs on this website provide insight into different aspects of studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh. 

Why do I need work experience?

Whilst not mandatory, gaining some work experience in a medicine or health care setting is something that medical schools strongly recommend. This is beneficial for you a number of reasons:

1. It provides you with a better understanding of what the role of a doctor involves and the skills/attributes/qualities required to work in the profession
2. When it comes to applying, and potentially attending interviews,
3. It will help you to decide if medicine is the career for you. A career in medicine is long and demanding, so it's vital you have a good understanding of what you're letting yourself in for.

The NHS Careers website contains some useful information about gaining work experience.

Once a year, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) and Edinburgh Student Surgical Society (ESSS) normally host a 'Getting into Medical School' outreach information event for S4 and S5 pupils considering pursuing a career in medicine.

The event usually consists of presentations on the different aspects of the medical career path, from choosing a medical school through to your first year as a doctor. The event will provide a fantastic opportunity for pupils to learn about making a successful application and the options open to them beyond this.

For information about the next upcoming event, keep an eye on the RCSEd events calendar or contact the RCSEd Outreach team.

The Research Insights lecture series is run by the University of Edinburgh's College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM).

The lecture series explores the science and research currently taking place at the University of Edinburgh and is aimed at school pupils considering a career in medicine or veterinary medicine.

Check out their website for upcoming lectures or watch the recordings of pervious lectures.

There are 5 medical schools in Scotland. When you apply to medical school via UCAS, you can only apply for a maximum of 4 medicine courses.

Your 5th UCAS choice can be used for a backup course (e.g. Biomedical Sciences, Biological Sciences etc.).

It is therefore important that you research all medical schools carefully to decide where you want to apply to.

Below we have listed the links to each Scottish medical school's webpage.

University College London's (UCL) Medical Sciences Virtual lectures are open to everyone, so join a UCL Medical Sciences Lecture to get inspired in the fascinating world of medical sciences. Sign up to upcoming lectures or watch recordings of previous lectures

You Can Be a Doctor is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation founded and run by a team of senior medical students and doctors. They support state school pupils who are applying to study medicine at university and encourage everyone to consider it as an option. They have lots of useful resources on their website about applying to medical school and you can contact them if you have any questions about being a doctor or medical student.

Join the Royal Zoological Scoeity of Scotland (RZSS) to find out more about animal behaviour research and become an behavioural researcher from the comfort of your own home.

By using RZSS's fantastic Live Webcams of animals at Edinburgh Zoo and The Highland Wildldife Park, this resource will guide you through how and why their scientists at Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Parkput research the animals in their care

Created by the British Veterinary Association (BVA), this guide is designed to support students as well as adults who are in a position to advise them on their future careers. The aim is to clear up common myths and misconceptions when it comes to applying to veterinary school and ensure all involved have the correct information to help applicants take the first step towards a rewarding veterinary career.

Gateway to Veterinary Medicine/Science courses are aimed at students who have the potential to become vets but do not meet the standard academic entry criteria to apply directly Veterinary Medicine/Science courses. These programmes are normally aimed at applicants who meet specific widening access criteria.

Successful completion of the Gateway year normally allows progression onto the Vet Medicine/Science course at the insitution where you've completed the Gateway year. In some cases, you may be able to apply to other institutions after the Gateway year, but you should check this directly with each of the Gateway programme providers.

There are currently 5 institutions which offer Gateway to Veterinary Medicine/Science course, all of which are outside of Scotland. 

Let's Talk About Health and Disease is a series of plain speaking public lectures which run annually at the University of Edinburgh from October through to March.

The talks are aimed at senior school pupils interested in studying medicine, veterinary medicine or the life sciences at university, as well as interested members of the general public and health professionals.

The series allows scientists pioneering new research at the University of Edinburgh to share their latest ideas and discoveries with the public and provides attendees with the opportunity to advance their knowledge of health and what happens in disease.

Each lecture includes a Q&A session and refreshments, many also include the chance for S4-S6 pupils to meet young researchers in the field through lab tours and interactive workshops.

You can find out more about upcoming lectures or view previous lectures using the links below

What is a MOOC?

MOOC is an acronym for Massive Open Online Course. MOOCs are online courses aimed at an unlimited number of people which can be accessed online through certain online learning platforms.

MOOCs are usually free and allow you to learn about topics in a flexible way that fits around your life. They help you to connect with top educators across the world and to expand your knowledge on topics, often based around current research at specific universities..

Why should I study a MOOC?

MOOCs are a great way to expand your knowledge of current research and topics in vet medicine, research and animal welfare. MOOCs don’t involve as high a level of studying as your school subjects. They can take up a few hours per week and normally run for between 2-6 weeks. However, you can access all the materials in your own time at a time that suits you best. If you work at the weekends, then you can access materials in the evenings.

How much do MOOCs cost?

A high proportion of MOOCs are completely free for you to access and learn. Some courses will charge additional fees for you to be given an accredited certificate of participation. However, for the purpose of broadening your own understanding of different topics in vet medicine and animal healthcare, you DO NOT NEED TO PAY extra for this. You can simply keep a note of any courses you do and make reference to these in your personal statement or at interviews, if you find they are relevant for this.

MOOC Courses

Below, we have listed a number of MOOCs on a variety of vet medicine and animal healthcare related topics. We’ve also noted the university which provides each MOOC and a link to access each course. Note that some of the courses may have certain start dates, so check each course for details on this if you’re interested.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), the professional body for UK Veterinary Surgeons, provides a document for newly qualified Vets providing an overview of the essential competences expected of them.

This document is useful in helping you to identify core values and attributes you observe during any work experience, voluntary work or other career exploration you undertake. As well as helping you identify these from examples you observe, you can also use this to help identify the values and attributes YOU possess. Remember that you can draw these skills and attributes from a wide range of activities - they don't need to always come from vet-related work experience.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Science Summer School is a programme for 16–18-year-olds introducing the role of a modern zoo through a weeklong course focusing on practical activities including enclosure design, animal behaviour observations, collection planning and zoo veterinary practices. 

Throughout the week, students will engage with a variety of specialists from the RZSS family. This culminates in a group presentation.

There are 12 vet schools across the UK, 3 of which are in Scotland: Edinburgh, Glasgow and SRUC. When you apply for Veterinary Medicine through UCAS, you can only apply to a maximum of 4 vet schools.

You can use your 5th UCAS choice to apply for a backup course (e.g. Zoology, Chemistry etc.).

It is therefore important that you research all vet schools carefully to decide where you want to apply to.

Below we have listed links to each of the UK's vet school webpages.

You may initially struggle to find physical work experience on farms, vet practices and other locations, especially if you are under 16. We've put together a list of virtual work experience programmes which provide an alternative to physical work experience at the moment. We'll continue to add other resources as and when we become aware of them.