The Medical Education Team is dedicated to supporting doctors in training to stay happy and healthy at work and at home. Within this section of the website you will find information relating to different services, clubs and external organisations that operate in and around our NHSGGC Hospital sites.
Concerns & Feedback
If you have a concern about Patient Safety:
Discuss immediately with supervising consultant
Datix
Discuss with educational supervisor
Discuss with clinical director/line manager
If you have health or personal circumstances which you feel affect your ability to perform your job and there is a potential effect on either your personal safety or patient safety then you must discuss this with your clinical or educational supervisor immediately or if they are not available another consultant within the unit. The Clinical Director responsible for the department will be informed as part of this process.
If you have concerns about your training:
Discuss with your clinical supervisor
Make an appointment to discuss with your educational supervisor
Make an appointment to meet with Foundation Programme Director or Training Programme Director
Discuss with your sector ADME (see the meet the team (link) page for details)
Space for staff to relax and recuperate away from their clinical work environments. The hubs are designed to offer Café space for eating & drinking and quiet space for reflection/relaxation. They are accessible 24/7 and are open to all members of staff.
Acute Psychology Staff Support Service (APSSS)
Designed for hospital-based staff wishing to access psychological first aid as a result of their challenging work circumstances. Offering 30 minutes individual sessions that can be arranged using ‘Attend Anywhere’ technology via the COVID-19 Acute Care Line. The service also offers group/team wellbeing & resilience sessions that can be booked via application form with General Manager support 0141 277 7623 Weekdays: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm
COVID-19 Staff Support Line
Confidential Support line staffed by clinical psychologists and psychological therapists available for all staff The service offers emotional and psychological support developed to respond to the emotional needs that staff may have at this time. 0141 303 8968Weekdays: Monday – Friday, 8am-6pm www.nhsggc.org.uk/covid19/staffsupport
Occupational Health Counselling Services
Listening ear service – Providing support for staff that have queries about their physical and mental health in relation to their fitness to work 0141 201 0600Weekdays: Monday – Friday, 8am – 6pm
Spiritual Care Service
Chaplaincy service now offer a 7 day telephone service for patients, relatives and staff 0141 887 9111Weekdays: Monday – Friday, 9am – 10pm Most Chapels and Sanctuaries will remain open as normal and these spaces are available for everyone to use. Staff Listening Service is open to all staff and offer person centred, confidential, non-discriminatory sessions with a trained listener 0141 201 1100Weekdays & Weekends 9am – 10pm
Existing MBSR services are now available online, drop-in sessions are delivered by experienced mindfulness tutors using the Mindfulness Scotland Zoom account
Peer Support is now available for all NHS and Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) staff across Greater Glasgow and Clyde as a way to support our colleagues. We know that when people feel supported and heard, this has a positive impact on their wellbeing and resilience. It can help to provide a space for someone to make sense of their recent experiences, which can give them a sense of control and help them feel capable of managing difficult situations. It is a supportive and flexible response, which acknowledges and understands that stress and experiencing struggles at times, is a normal part of life.
A Peer Support Framework for all health and social care staff working in the NHSGGC Board area was approved by the Board Strategic Executive Group. On the basis of the principles, conceptual framework, structure and governance arrangements outlined in the framework, the development of a Peer Support Network (PSN) was commissioned and developed by the Board Mental Health and Wellbeing Group with funding from NHS Charities Together.
Aims of the Peer Support Network
To develop a Board-wide peer support service with clear pathways between the various levels of staff support interventions.
To implement a model of peer support available to every member of health and social care staff.
To embed within services dedicated peer support trainers to cascade knowledge and skills throughout services through establishing and supporting Wellbeing Champions in all teams.
To ensure that recognition of the benefits of peer support is at the heart of all health and social care operations.
Peer Support in the Workplace: The National Wellbeing Hub
Watch these eight short videos below of NHSGGC’s Principal Health Psychologist in Occupational Health, Heather Connolly, discussing her experiences of implementing a Peer Support programme across NHSGGC and the HSCPs.
Have a look at what a peer support conversation might look like:
Scenario 1: Yvonne opens up to Peer Supporter, Simon, about feeling overwhelmed by caring for her unwell mother-in-law while parenting her young children and working.
Scenario 2: John speaks to Peer Supporter, Liz, about how the end of his long term relationship with his partner has taken a negative toll of his mental wellbeing.
The Peer Support model contains a range of interventions and the intensity of the intervention determines the role and required level of training, beyond the foundation level for all staff to access.
The Models of Peer Support
Across NHSGGC and our HSCPs, our Peer Supporters have been trained via one of the following models, which form the conceptual basis and foundation of Peer Support:
1. The Psychological First Aid Model
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is concerned with reinforcing seven basic coping strategies by:
Caring for immediate needs
Protecting from risk
Comforting others
Supporting
Providing information on coping
Connecting others with social support
Educating about normal responses
Taking good care of yourself is at the centre of the PFA model.
To find out more about Psychological First Aid, watch Principal Health Psychologist, Heather Connolly’s ‘Let’s talk about… Psychological First Aid’ webinar:
Several Peer Supporters within medical have been trained via the SAFER model. This is a Peer Support tool used within Critical Incident Stress Management to help structure a 1:1 supportive episode with a peer. It is a specific model of PFA that helps direct the conversation with an individual in crisis or needing support.
SAFER stands for:
Stabilize (introduction; meet basic needs; mitigate acute stressors)
Acknowledge the crisis (event, reactions)
Facilitate understanding (normalization)
Encourage effective coping (mechanisms of action)
Recovery or Referral (facilitate access to continued care)
Citation: The SAFER-R Model, Psychological Crisis Intervention, George S. Everly, Jr., PhD, ABPP, CCISM, Jeffrey T. Mitchell, PhD, CCISM, 2017
It is important to note that neither models are counselling or therapy models nor substitutes for them but they are both designed to help support our peers. Whichever model you are trained through, you will be a fully trained Peer Supporter by the end of the session.
This is a short online eLearning module and is available on digital platforms in health and social care and is designed to support all staff in Health and Social Care.
The module title is: Looking after Yourself and Others, which outlines:
Understand what a normal response to stress is
Understand the basic elements of Psychological First Aid
HSCP staff link to local authority online learning platform (module is called: Introduction to Psychological Wellbeing and Peer Support).
Live Sessions
Alternatively, you can view this content via live online or face-to-face 45-minute sessions, which have received excellent feedback. Upcoming MS Teams online sessions are listed below and are available for all NHSGGC and HSCP to book and attend:
Upcoming ‘Looking after Yourself and Others’ online sessions until June 2025
Feedback from staff has been very positive:
“It was a fantastic course”
“I felt the coping strategies were very helpful to know.”
“The module has lots of helpful information laid out in an easy to follow style.”
“This is pitched so well for people who have little or no prior training in Mental Health”
Level 2: Peer Support – Becoming a Peer Supporter
This is available now and provides a full one-day in-person training session for colleagues to become a Peer Supporter. This has been designed by and is delivered by the NHSGGC Peer Support Service. Peer Supporters will have enough experience to meet the needs of their team/peers, and that the role is appropriate to their grading and level of seniority within a team.
It is essential that staff being considered for Peer Supporter roles are supported by their immediate line manager and the senior manager for their service to ensure they have allocated time to provide this support.
Become a Peer Supporter
Upcoming Peer Support training courses are promoted on Core Brief, StaffNet and email distribution lists. To join our email distribution list, contact peer.support@ggc.scot.nhs.uk to ensure you receive upcoming training opportunities.
Upcoming Peer Support (Level 2) Training Dates
Training dates are now available for colleagues who wish to explore the role and requirements of a Peer Supporter and have the support of their line manager to implement peer support in their local team. This course is one full day face-to-face (9:30am-4:30pm).
Delegates should note the following prerequisites for completion before the training day:
Delegates to complete the online module ‘Looking after Yourself and Others’ (NHSGGC staff). The module is packed with essential hints and tips on how to look after your wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. It is available for staff directly employed by NHSGGC on Learnpro, module GCC 277 and for staff directly employed by the HSCPs social care staff, on their Local Authority learning platforms. or ‘Introduction to Psychological Wellbeing and Peer Support’ (Local Authority Staff)
Delegates to discuss with their line manager aims for Peer Support and staff wellbeing in their team and / or service. Post course, delegates will be asked to agree with their line manager an action plan to implement local Peer Support and identify the time and resources to do this.
It is important to consider your own wellbeing before thinking about supporting others. Please consider whether you are in the position to support your colleagues before you attend this training to become a Peer Supporter.
12/02/2025 – New Victoria ACH, Level 2, 16A, Book here
27/02/2025 – Stobhill ACH, Seminar Room 6, Book here
11/03/2025 – New Victoria ACH, Level 2, 16A, Book here
26/03/2025 – Royal Alexandra Hospital, Classroom 3, Book here
10/04/2025 – Vale of Leven, Postgraduate Education Centre, Meeting Room 1, Book here
22/04/2025 – Stobhill ACH, Seminar Room 6, Book here
07/05/2025 – New Victoria ACH, Level 2, 16A, Book here
22/05/2025 – Gartnavel General Hospital, Lecture Theatre, Book here
12/06/2025 – Stobhill ACH, Seminar Room 6, Book here
24/06/2025 – New Victoria ACH, Level 2, 16A, Book here
Please note: this training is for staff directly employed by NHSGGC and/or one of the six HSCPs only.
Before you book, please also note the following:
Please only book yourself onto one training course (including only one waiting list). If you book yourself on to more than one, you will be removed from the attendance lists to ensure all colleagues have a fair and equal chance of attending this training.
Peer Support training is in extremely high demand with long waiting lists of colleagues wishing to become Peer Supporters. We kindly ask you to please cancel your space on this course if you can no long attend.
Your immediate line managers must approve your attendance on this training course. Please highlight to your manager that following your training, there is an ongoing expectation to dedicate approximately 1 hour a month to developing your skills as a Peer Supporter.
If line managers request more information on what Peer Support is and the evidence-based benefits on having a Peer Supporter in the team, please contact peer.support@ggc.scot.nhs.uk.
The Peer Support Journey
See the Peer Support Journey for more information on how to become a Peer Supporter or if you are interested in having a Peer Supporter in your team:
Various staff across NHSGGC and Health and Social Care Partnerships are currently being trained to become Peer Supporters. Each Peer Supporter has completed training and has the knowledge and skills needed to offer peer support to their team and colleagues. So far, we have almost 500 trained Peer Supporters across NHSGGC and the HSCPs and this figure is growing rapidly.
Meet some of our Peer Supporters:
Donald Macphail and Katherine Malloch
Katherine (right) is an Education Co-ordinator, Senior Charge Nurse in Adult Theatres at the QEUH and is available to provide Peer Support to colleagues who would like to talk openly about their feelings and worries in a welcoming, non-judgemental and confidential space.
Donald (left) is a Controlled Drug Inspector based at Clarkston Court Clinic Glasgow South. He is able to provide Peer Support in person or virtually in a safe, confidential, non-judgemental environment in which staff may wish to share experiences. His endeavour is to support, listen and provide space for staff to make sense of their experiences.
Lisa Conway
Lisa is a Lead Medical Administrator based at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and is available to provide Peer Support to members of staff who feel they need support. This is a supported non-judgmental conversation.
Keep an eye out for our Peer Supporters wearing identifiable lanyards and/or badges with the Peer Support logo.
Where are the Peer Supporters?
Each service may offer a different form of peer support to best meet the needs of their staff, area or department. You will be able to spot the peer supporters as they will be wearing their lanyards or badges.
In certain teams it would be desirable to have more than one Peer Supporter to ensure an appropriate mix of peer support available. At present, we have trained peer supporters in the following sites:
Glasgow Royal Infirmary
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
West Glasgow ACH (Yorkhill Hospital)
Stobhill Hospital
Gartnavel (General and Royal) Hospital
Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre
Royal Hospital for Children
Royal Alexandra Hospital
Kirkintilloch Health and Care Centre
Shettleston Health Centre
Renfrew Health and Social Work Centre
Pollokshaws Clinic
Pollok Health Centre
New Victoria Hospital
Mile End Mill
Lightburn Hospital
Leverndale Hospital
Inverclyde Royal Hospital
Greenock Health Centre
Govan Police Station
Esteem North
Eastwood Health and Care Centre
Eastbank Conference and Training Centre
Central Decontamination Unit
Aranthrue Centre (Renfrew)
And more….
We also have remote working Peer Supporters who can offer peer support while you work from home to best suit your needs.
Supporting information for Peer Supporter candidates:
“The training has changed the way I speak to patients and colleagues”
“I think the most important thing I realised was it is not a formal thing, it is about the way we communicate and actively listen”
“The session was well delivered and informative. Well done presenters”
“The trainers were fantastic. Totally enthusiastic and knowledgeable which they passed on with ease.”
“It was all relevant, thank you. Time well spent.”
“I am extremely satisfied with this training”
How to speak to a Peer Supporter
Find out who your team/ department Peer Supporter is and arrange a chat with them.
If you do not have a Peer Supporter in your team, do not know if you have one in your team or if you feel more comfortable speaking with a Peer Support outwith your team, please direct these requests peer.support@ggc.scot.nhs.uk and the Peer Support team will be able to help. If you yourself are interested in becoming a Peer Supporter then discuss with your manager and come along to one of our training days.
Is it confidential?
Yes, what you say will be confidential. However, if the Peer Supporter is worried about your or someone else’s safety they may seek support from other relevant service to best help you. This would be discussed with you first before any action is taken.
Level 3: Peer Support Hubs
As Peer Support continues to grow rapidly, the programme is shifting towards a hub-model. This is when the team deliver in-house training to staff from the same service/area to become Peer Supporters to support their colleagues locally and develop a critical mass of Peer Supporters across the service.
Hubs have a Hub Champion who coordinates Peer Support activity across the service and works with Peer Supporters to overcome implementation barriers.
There are several hubs across the organisation including:
The Specialist Children’s Services Hub
Critical Care (QEUH) Hub
The Spiritual Care (Chaplaincy) Hub
The LGBTQIA+ Peer Support Hub
Diagnostics and Imaging Hub
Several more hubs are currently in development.
If you would like to speak to a Peer Supporter within a particular hub, please contact peer.support@ggc.scot.nhs.uk and state the hub in the email’s subject line.
If you are interested in knowing more about hubs or are interested in setting up a Peer Support hub in your area, please contact peer.support@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
To speak to a Peer Supporter, for general enquires to find out more about Peer Support or if you are interested in becoming a Peer Supporter, please email; peer.support@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Royal Hospital for Children Colleagues
There is also a Peer Support Network of staff who work within critical care at The Royal Hospital for Children. More information can be found here: RHC Peer Support
For colleagues based at the Royal Hospital for Children interested in Peer Support, please direct all requests to: rhc.peersupport@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Peer Support is one part of the wide range of Staff Support and Wellbeing services available in NHSGGC. Click below for more information:
If you need immediate support with your mental health please contact a trusted member of your community such as your GP, call NHS 24 on ‘111’, dial ‘999’ or go to A&E. To talk to someone you can call Samaritans on ‘116 123’ (available 24 hours) or Breathing Space on ‘0800 83 85 87’ (available 6.00pm Friday to 6.00am Monday and 6.00pm – 2.00am on weekdays Monday -Thursday).
The Let’s talk about… Staff Wellbeing webinar series offers short, information sessions to NHSGGC and HSCP staff with focus on various topics which we know are important to personal health and wellbeing. They are delivered in a format that allows colleagues to take away top tips and share with others.
These sessions are delivered live on MS Teams at the end of each month. For members of staff who could not attend the live sessions or would like to rewatch any, they have been recorded and uploaded onto SharePoint.
Peer Support Resources
All Peer Support resources can be ordered directly from the Public Health Resources Directory (PHRD). If you have not ordered from this site before, you will need to create an account. Search ‘Peer Support Resources’ to find our available resources.
The Get Ready for Medicine programme, developed in collaboration with the University of Glasgow Medical School, is a two-day programme that supports senior phase school pupils and adults applying for post-graduate or access programme entry schemes (eg SCOTGEM, SWAP) to apply to medical school. The intention is to deliver a meaningful programme of activity that will give participants more to speak about within their medical school application and at interview.
The programme is delivered by NHSGGC Consultants, Junior Doctors and University of Glasgow Medical Students in an NHSGGC Hospital.
Activities include:
Discussion workshops hosted by doctors, medical students and medical school staff:
On the application process for medicine
Life at medical school
Life as a doctor
Career pathways within medicine.
Hands on clinical skills workshops that include:
Giving experience of blood taking
Suturing (stitching)
Patient observations
Basic life support.
Can’t I just do a week’s work experience instead?
Medical work experience used to simply refer to “shadowing” doctors in the workplace – either in hospital or in a GP practice. It has now been recognised that far more important than “what you have done” is “what you have learned from it”.
Within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde all medical work experience now takes place as part of an organised programme.
Other Programmes
When can I apply for the Get Ready for Medicine Programme?
Get Ready for Medicine programmes will take place as follows:
August to September: Online evening lecture events & half day workshops for S6 pupils making applications in October
January to March: Online evening lecture events & half day work experience workshops for S5, gap year and access students and postgraduate applicants planning October applications
June to July: NHS GGC will support delivery of Medic Insight Glasgow Programme (please make sure you are following Medic Insight Glasgow social media platforms)
Sept 2024 Programme Applications now CLOSED
Get Ready for Medicine Work Experience Workshops.
This even open to anyone who is applying to medical school next October who hasn’t previously attended a GRfM workshop event.
We would also advise to make sure you have a look at the information below for the Reach Programme and Medic Insight Glasgow Programme. Also make sure are following Medic Insight Glasgow social media platforms ( ie Facebook) for the Medic Insight Glasgow Programme and some Guidance for aspiring doctors from current medical students. See more details below:
Please note that NHSGGC does not host “Shadowing” within a number of professions including Medicine. All requests for work experience, to source placements or support self found placements for Medicine will be re directed to the Get Ready for Medicine Programme.
We would also advise to make sure you have a look at the information below for the Reach Programme and Medic Insight Glasgow Programme. Also make sure are following Medic Insight Glasgow social media platforms (i.e. Facebook) for the Medic Insight Glasgow Programme and some Guidance for aspiring doctors from current medical students. See more details below:
Reach is a national project funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) which aims to support eligible S4-S6 pupils in local state secondary schools. who are considering pursuing degrees or careers in law, medicine or veterinary medicine.
Pupils’ participation in the programme takes place over the three years of their senior phase (S4 to S6), and covers everything from introducing pupils to medicine in S4 to supporting their applications to University to study medicine in S6.
Scotland has five medical schools: Glasgow,Edinburgh, St Andrews,Dundee and Aberdeen and all five take part in Reach, specifically focused on widening access to medical degrees to students from Scotland’s poorest neighbourhoods.
The Reach programme will offer you encouragement, and impartial advice on medicine as a career, as well as give you guidance on school subject choices.
They will also help you with all aspects of the UCAS application process.
Medic Insight is a programme that offers week-long or day events to fourth and fifth-year school students in Scotland who are interested in becoming doctors. The programme allows the opportunity for these students to sit in on consultations, go to theatre and provide access to a wide range of specialities and levels of clinicians in a hospital setting.
There are programmes in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. If you would like more information or wish to apply, please visit the Medic Insight Facebook pages:
Work experience requirements when applying to study medicine
When applying to medical school the important thing is not so much what you have done for work experience but what you have learned from it and how that has given you a better understanding into the career.
That means that someone who has never been into a hospital but has read lots, spoken to healthcare staff and maybe done some volunteering or worked a part-time job dealing with the public, and who can talk about these things widely, may perform much better at application and interview than someone who has spent many days shadowing doctors but who cannot describe what this taught them about being a doctor, working in the NHS and looking after patients.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has launched a free online platform, Observe GP, designed to support aspiring medics in making informed career choices and in preparing their application for medical school.
Rather than ad hoc work shadowing or work experience for medicine, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde delivers their Get Ready for Medicine Programme in collaboration with the University of Glasgow School of Medicine.
While watching videos cannot fully replace real-world experience and conversations with health professionals, we have created some resources to guide your own reflections on what you are seeing. By working through these you will take away some important learning points about how the whole team interacts in a hospital environment and how both patients and staff may feel about certain scenarios.
How to use these resources
For each video we have set a number of questions in the documents attached. We would encourage you to come up with your own answers first, and then to look through our thoughts beneath. Remember – there is rarely a “right” or a “wrong” answer but the truth normally lies somewhere in the middle. It is important to have a reason for any answer you give however so that you can back it up if challenged on it at interview.
Remember also that our own “answers” here are far from complete and are simply designed to stimulate further thought and reading around the topics. For some of the videos we also suggest which supplementary “student interviews” are worth watching and are related to that particular scenario.
We hope you enjoy the videos and find these reflection materials useful and thought provoking.
It is almost impossible to describe “life as a doctor”. After finishing medical school the potential career pathways are so varied that no two doctors follow the exact same route.
There are obviously the roles which are well known and most commonly seen in the media – for example General Practice, Accident and Emergency, Surgery, Paediatrics, but there are also a huge number of other specialties which are equally important but less visible such as laboratory specialties (pathology, biochemistry, microbiology), radiology, and occupational health. Each role has its own necessary skills and so there really is a potential job for everyone within medicine.
Remember that no matter what specialty you pursue there will be further studying and exams and it often takes around 10 years after graduation from medical school before being a fully qualified specialist in your particular field.
Below are a number of videos from doctors in a range of specialties to give a flavour of the career after medical school.
Kathleen: Trainee in Palliative (End of Life) Care
Adam: Consultant Anaesthetist Obstetrics
Nat and Thalia: Foundation Doctors in Acute Receiving
Dr Robot: Medicine and Technology
Surgical Robot – Colorectal Surgery
Surgical Robot – Orthopaedic Surgery
So you have decided to study medicine
Currently there are around 10 applicants for every available place at Medical School and achieving the grades required for entry is not enough. Your personal qualities are just as important as your academic ability and medical schools want applicants to show evidence of commitment, ability to work effectively under pressure, team-working skills, leadership and compassion.
The following resourses are designed to support you in your journey to Medical School.
Do I have the right grades in the right subjects?
The entry requirements for entry to each university can vary but excellent grades in science subjects such as chemistry and biology are essential.
Generally speaking you are aiming to achieve at least 5 Highers, usually at AAAAB or AAABB grades in S5 and SQA Advanced Highers at AB or BBB in S6, however consideration will be given to factors which may affect you achieving these grades.
Scottish Medical Schools are committed to ensuring that a person’s background or life circumstances are not a barrier to them studying medicine.
This means that Medical Schools will consider all circumstances which may prevent you meeting their standard entry requirements and make adjusted offers of entry accordingly.
This process is called contextualised admission and consideration is given to potential barriers such as disability, care experience*, carer responsibilities, refugee status and challenging financial or family circumstances. View more about the Adjusted Entry Criteria for the University of Glasgow.
Care experienced applicants are people who live/have lived with foster parents/kinship carers or who live/have lived in a residential children’s setting/secure unit.
I’m not a school leaver and I don’t have these highers – can I still apply?
You can find out more about applying to study medicine and links to specific entry requirements for each university, including other accepted academic qualifications.
If you are not a University Graduate you may also be able to apply via the Scottish Wider Access Programme here.
Aside from good grades what else do I need?
Having the right grades is just the start of the application process. Most Universities will need you to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). UCAT is designed to test your attitudes and identify the professional behaviours required for new doctors and dentists to be successful in their clinical careers. You can try some sample tests here
I don’t think I can afford to study Medicine – is there funding available?
If you are resident in Scotland and study full-time in Scotland, the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) should pay your tuition fees. For all enquiries relating to SAAS, please consult them directly.
SAAS student loans
If you are a Scottish student, you can apply for a SAAS student loan when you apply for tuition fee funding. Loan payments are paid monthly; and you should receive the first instalment within 3 or 4 days of registering as a student. Make sure you have enough money to support yourself for those first few days and please check whether the loan payment is in your account before spending money.
Grants
If you are eligible, SAAS can offer supplementary grants or a Young Student’s Bursary. Please consult SAAS for more information on grants.
Further information about SAAS eligibility, support available and how to apply can be found here:
Bursaries, Scholarships and Other Financial Support
You may also be able to apply for additional funding directly from your University. Use the links below to find our more about each universities arrangements:
Does a disability, Illness or mental health condition mean I can’t apply to study medicine?
A disability, chronic illness or mental health condition will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a doctor. The General Medical Council (independent regulator for doctors in the UK) states that “we firmly believe disabled people should be welcomed to the profession and valued for their contribution to patient care”.
Before you submit an application for medical school via UCAS, you should contact medical schools to request advice about your individual circumstances. Each medical school has a disability support adviser who can help.
All Universities offer confidential support services for disabled students.
This includes students with physical and sensory impairments, mental health difficulties and dyslexia.
You can find out more about what support is available by clicking the links below:
Yes, but you will be given guidance and support in advance of your interview and it’s designed to be a conversation rather than an a question and answer session.
While each medical school has its own interview process it is a vital part of the application and selection wherever you are applying. There are several sources of interview guidance online and it is worth practising with anyone you can – whether that is family, friends or teachers.
Remember that just like there is no “right” person for medicine, there is rarely a “right” answer in an interview. It is a conversation and your score will depend much less on what you say but more on how you say it. Try to have a reason behind any answer you give, make your answers as personal to your own experiences as you can and speak as clearly and confidently as you can. Enthusiasm and commitment are the key things an interviewer will be looking for.
Once at university there are frequent assessments and you will have a more hectic schedule than most other students, but there is an immense camaraderie amongst fellow medical students and a sense of growing confidence in your own ability.
Each Medical School has a slightly different structure to their course, but broadly speaking the first couple of years are spent learning the basic science behind human physiology and disease, and the later years are spent learning how to apply this clinically. As you progress through medical school you will not only learn the knowledge to become a doctor but also the skills and attitudes you will need.
You will be taught by doctors, nurses and a whole range of other healthcare professionals and each one is committed to making you the best doctor you can possibly be.
After medical school you will progress through the different grades before qualifying as a Consultant or a General Practitioner – with competitive entry to each grade and post-graduate exams. These things should not put you off but it is important to be aware that the challenges continue long after university.
Each student has their own experience of life at medical school but there are some things which are common to everyone. There is a huge feeling of being “in it together” and although there are regular challenges the support of your colleagues is always there. Most doctors still consider their time at medical school to be the most enjoyable time of their life.
Here is a selection of interviews with current medical students at Glasgow University to see how they feel about certain aspects of medical school.
Medicine is one of the most challenging but rewarding careers available. The combination of daily academic stimulation, technical procedural skills and working with patients, their families and the wider healthcare team is one which few other professions can offer.
Medicine is a profession that is open to everyone. There is no “right” person to be a doctor but all doctors are united by a passion for patient care and a dedication to their profession.
Working as a Doctor means you will train in and probably spend the majority of your career working within the National Health Service (NHS).
The NHS is Scotland’s largest single employer and one of the largest healthcare employers in the world. The Chief Executive of NHS Scotland heads the directorates and is accountable to ministers for the efficiency and performance of the service and the work of the 14 NHS Boards and 8 Special Health Boards.
The life of a doctor is not for everyone – long hours and witnessing distressing illness in patients at times can be stressful and emotionally demanding. But for those who are passionate about the profession the job satisfaction cannot be beaten.
If you are considering applying to study medicine we have created a number of resources you can access from the menu below to help you gain an insight into the career.
Please note that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde supports a number of programmes but is not responsible for content of an external website or involved in the selection of candidates for programmes.
The Scottish Cytology Training School (SCTS) is a National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) Accredited Training Centre. The SCTS provides training and continuing professional development (CPD) for relevant professional staff in cervical cytology screening and associated work areas as part of the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme.
Scottish Cytology Training School Course Information
Trainee Biomedical Scientist – ‘A’ levels or equivalent to allow entry to a Health Profession Council (HPC) approved degree course or a recognised HPC/Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) approved degree.
Eligibility – All students must be employed in an NHSCSP Cytopathology department, as a trainee to undertake this course as part of the 2 year UK registration training.
Length of time in post: Learners should attend the introductory course ideally within the first 6 months of employment. Learners should spend a minimum of 6 weeks in the home laboratory learning how to set up as well as use a light microscope to visualise cells for interpretation and be familiar with normal cell morphology and basic infections.
NHSCSP – Registration: Prior to starting the introductory course pre-registration students must be registered by their employers with the NHSCSP Education office. The laboratory training officer (assessor) must also be registered prior to learners commencing their portfolio. This course is the first part of an intensive two year training plan for registration in Cytology which includes written portfolio work, slide logbook and attendance at compulsory courses at the training centre with a final one day external examination.
Follow –up Course in Gynaecological Cytology [NHSCSP Diploma] – (Thinprep®)
Course for candidates who have previously attended the NHSCSP Introductory Course in Gynaecological Cytology. This normally takes place between 6 to 12 months after the Introductory Course.
The introductory and follow up courses are supported by a pre-examination course. This normally takes places between 3 months and 3 weeks before the examination.
Biomedical Scientist (BMS)/Cytoscreener One Day Update Course
Update course to refresh qualified screeners knowledge and inform them about developments in Cervical Cytology and the NHSCSP.
As part of our commitment to widening access to NHS employment we host a number of pre employment training programmes in partnership with the DWP and a number of employability agencies across Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Our programmes provide training, work experience and application support to people experiencing barriers (real or perceived) to employment enabling them to become competitive job applicants.
Everyone who successfully completes our programmes will be guaranteed to be offered Job Interviews for suitable vacancies across our Health board area.
Healthcare Support Workers (Nursing Assistants)
This five week Sector Based Work Academy programme has been developed with support from our nursing leads and the NHSGGC Practice Education Team.
This is an unpaid training programme however trainees registered with the DWP (Job Centre) or who are eligible to register with one of our Employability Partners will receive support for travel and other programme expenses for the duration of the programme. Job Centre Clients will not be required to attend their local Job Centre during the programme and will continue to receive their benefits.
This programme is designed to support candidates who have not previously worked in Healthcare Support Worker role to develop the skills and experience to help them begin their career as a Healthcare Support Worker.
The programme includes Core induction sessions on NHS Policies and Procedures, Ward Skill sessions delivered by our Practice Education Nursing team in a simulated ward environment and a 3 week hospital based work placement followed by application support and interview preparation.
All training is delivered by NHS Professionals and placement activity takes place on NHSGGC Hospital locations.
In addition all participants complete the Statutory and Mandatory NHS training (Learnpro) and issued with certificates and will complete the training required and are issued with the NHS Scotland Manual Handling Passport.
All participants who successfully complete the programme are guaranteed interviews for Healthcare Support Worker vacancies across our Board area subject to satisfactory report from placement and attendance at all sessions.
Who can apply?
Candidates who are interested in applying for this programme must not be in employment or education, be genuinely interested in training as a Healthcare Support Worker, available to be interviewed for vacancies at the end of the programme and take up employment if offered.
When do applications open?
We run programmes throughout the year and you can register your interest in applying by speaking with your Job Centre Work Coach or contacting one of our Employability Partners. We also advertise this programme at www.jobs.scot.nhs.uk.
Support Services Assistants (Domestic and Catering)
This two week programme has been developed with support from our Facilities Managers and the Facilities Recruitment and Training leads.
The programme includes Core induction sessions on NHS Policies and Procedures, Practical Skill sessions delivered by our Domestic Supervisory team in a simulated ward environment and a 1 week hospital based work placement followed by application support and interview preparation.
All training is delivered by NHS Professionals and placement activity takes place on NHSGGC Hospital locations.
In addition all participants complete the Statutory and Mandatory NHS training (Learnpro) and issued with certificates and will complete the training required.
All participants who successfully complete the programme are Guaranteed interview for Support Services vacancies across our Board area – subject to satisfactory report from placement and attendance at all sessions.
To register your interest for upcoming programmes, please use the following link: Click here
Project Search
The primary aim of Project SEARCH is to connect young people with learning disabilities and additional support needs with competitive employment. There are no formal entry requirements. However, applicants must participate in a selection process, where they may undertake assessments and interviews with a host business, and education partners, such as their school or local college to be accepted on Project SEARCH.
Interns are supported through placements within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. They get hands-on experience and are given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities while learning new complex and varied, practical and vocational skills to help ready them for the world of work.
The NHSGGC programme is open to Glasgow City Council area residents and runs for one year, delivered in partnership with Glasgow Clyde College. Other Project Search opportunities are offered by City of Glasgow College
