Somehow
I always managed to drop out of our school's administrative net completely by accident. It was great for stuff the was compulsory and shit (like cross country - ugh) but eventually I decided that work experience might actually be a good thing to get some of. So, that summer holiday I signed up for two things.

I spent one week in a hospice shadowing the doctors and nurses. I mainly helped the nurses though, as they were the ones who were pretty much doing everything. Doctors took histories when the patients came in, then vanished. Instead, I learnt how to mix the various cocktails of drugs needed for effective palliative care, how to open those dangerous glass vial thingies the drugs come in with a flick of the thumb, how to use the bathing machine to bath old people, how to give old men enemas (o.0) and how to make lots and lots of tea. No, no, it wasn't for others. We all made lots of tea to keep us awake. I'd never had the stuff before and I was still nodding off in staff meetings. Patients dying on you takes it our of you.

The next week I worked at a barristers' inns of court in Temple. I read through all the cases, helped look up old cases, sat in while we met the clients and sat in on court while the opposition put forward their case - their lawyer showed up late and looked like he'd just got out of bed and had forgotten when he'd left his porrigde oats. I also ended up checking all their cases for medical inconsistencies. I got offered a job there if I ever did decide to be a lawyer...

Then, in 'real' work I did that ridiculous 72 hour care shift, worked as a cleaner, and worked for a year part time as a dishwasher. Ah, the joys of student life! But it's all ok, I'm doing an art degree, so when I graduate I can...um...ah well.

Met the barrister I worked for a couple of months back. He still thinks I should join them. Hum.
( Hampster Squared has stuff at www.tilla.co.uk, Wed 16 May 2007, 0:43, Reply)