Healthcare

Healthcare offers various roles and specialisms, including nursing, midwifery, medicine, and professions such as occupational therapy, radiography and orthoptics. There are also opportunities to work in healthcare operations and management.

Typical jobs in this sector include:

  • doctor
  • clinical psychologist
  • occupational therapist
  • optometrist
  • pathologist.

Key skills that are useful in this sector include:

  • the ability to relate to people of all ages and backgrounds and gain their trust
  • tact, patience, and empathy
  • resilience when coping with difficult situations
  • excellent communications skills
  • ability to work well in a team and under pressure.

For job profiles and detailed information on pursuing a career in this sector, see the Prospects website:

Healthcare profile

Contents

How to get a job

To prepare for a graduate-level career in healthcare, you should research the sector carefully. You should also talk with people who are in the sector already. 

Relevant work experience is essential for many roles in healthcare. It is also required for any postgraduate course, and some universities specify a minimum amount of time spent gaining experience.

The experience you require varies from role to role – see the healthcare job profiles on Prospects for further details.

Few formal internships exist in this sector, so it may be worth making speculative applications to find opportunities.

Make a connection

To connect with people already working in the sector, consider joining Saint Connect, the University of St Andrews’ exclusive, global, online community for networking and career mentoring. See more ideas for making a connection.

Care Experienced Psychology Network (CEPN)  - this is a support group for aspiring psychologists.

Hospital placements

Some NHS trusts have organised work experience placements. See contact details on:

Volunteering

The St Andrews Community Hospital and Ninewells Hospital offer volunteering opportunities. As a volunteer, you will befriend and socialise with patients, rather than provide care. However, this can still provide valuable experience in building relationships with patients.

Other voluntary opportunities can give you experience:

  • working with vulnerable people
  • mentoring, motivating and teaching others
  • collaborating with the wider healthcare team.

Some voluntary opportunities to explore include:

Volunteering with the elderly can also provide valuable experience. Contact care homes directly to find out if they have any openings: the Care Homes website can help you locate a local home near St Andrews.

First aider

Consider gaining first aid qualifications and volunteering as a first aider. Organisations such as St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross offer training.

Part-time work

Part-time work can provide valuable experience. This does not necessarily have to be in a healthcare setting. Consider roles that involve dealing with people in stressful situations, communicating with a range of people or working as part of a close team.

Many charities offer these types of opportunity. Look at Good Moves and the charity and voluntary work sector page for ideas.

Attend events

The Careers Centre often puts on events where you can talk to employers visiting St Andrews. Visit the events page for more information.

Further study

Many graduate roles in healthcare require registration as a healthcare professional. You will also need a relevant approved first degree to register with a professional body to work in these roles.

If you haven't studied an approved first degree, you could consider a graduate-entry accelerated course to start your clinical career. Some of these will require you to have a science or health-related first degree, but others are open to graduates of any subject. You will typically need at least a 2.2 in your first degree and a substantial amount of relevant work experience to apply successfully.

For details of what qualifications you might need, you should carefully research the particular role you are interested in. For information on further study in general, see the further study pages.

If you are considering applying to medical school, the following resources may be helpful:

Finding a job

Check out our job listings for vacancies or see the resources below for jobs in the healthcare sector.

Find jobs (Careers Centre)

Jobs in the UK

Jobs outside the UK

Applying for a job

The recruitment process for careers in healthcare will depend on the role and the employer or organisation. For information on two specific programmes, see:

At some point in your medical training, you may need a CV to apply for healthcare opportunities. See the NHS and the British Medical Association for advice on preparing your medical CV.

If you would like personalised help on any aspect of applying for a job, you can book an appointment with a careers adviser.  

Applying for a job

Additional resources