Shadowing (i.e observing) a medic and/or another healthcare professional holds paramount importance when applying to medical school in the UK. It provides direct insight into healthcare, helping students understand routines and patient care intricacies. This experience showcases commitment, genuine interest, and a practical understanding of the medical environment. Moreover, it aids applicants in formulating informed motivations for pursuing medicine and articulating their dedication in their personal statement and interview.

Ascent Prep acknowledges the challenges students face in securing shadowing opportunities in Hong Kong. We facilitate Shadowing experiences for our students. We take the initiative to arrange and coordinate job shadowing opportunities on behalf of the students, ensuring they gain valuable insights into their desired fields. Our aim is to assist students in accessing practical exposure that aligns with their aspirations, contributing to their academic journey.

Clinical Shadowing Programme (7-day programme)
While we arrange medical shadowing for students, if a student expresses a preference for shadowing a specialist doctor, we will make efforts to accommodate that request. While we aim for a smooth experience, it's important to recognise that certain surgical doctors, owing to the nature of their work, might have unpredictable surgeries affecting their availability. In such cases, we will endeavour to arrange an alternative doctor for the shadowing experience. Participants are required to provide their resume as well as preferred dates and time for matching with clinics/doctors/counsellor.

When should I take the programme?

Anytime

How many hours?

Total 21 hours (6 hours of Nurse course and 15 hours of shadowing)

Other Related Courses

Health Science Admissions Programme

Minimum Hours: 11
Ascent Prep extends our support beyond medical shadowing experiences. We offer Industry Exposure (Shadowing) for students interested in allied health professions, such as Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Optometry etc. We understand that gaining acceptance into university programs for these fields goes beyond just shadowing; it involves crafting compelling personal statements and performing well in interviews.

Interview Training

Minimum Hours: 6
The student will learn how to approach MMI/Panel interviews, including interview format, expected knowledge, group discussions, time management and practice.

Knowledge Building

Minimum Hours: 10
Subject Exploration emphasises the importance of going beyond the standard school curriculum to acquire specialised knowledge that distinguishes students. This is achieved by delving deeply into subjects related to their chosen field, guided by our tutors. Students engage with essential readings, articles, and academic theories to gain a comprehensive understanding. They participate in advanced discussions, enhance critical thinking, and prepare for challenging interview questions. This knowledge empowers them to create exceptional personal statements, showcasing passion and curiosity, and demonstrating qualities like self-motivation and dedication.

Personal Statement Enhancement

Minimum Hours: 6
The process begins with mapping out all aspects of the student's profile. This includes: From this point, the guidance provided will assist the student in crafting refined reflections on their academic accomplishments, aligning with the expectations of esteemed UK universities. Lastly, a specific period of 2-3 hours will be set aside for creating and revising the document. This will continue until the content is well-balanced and written in excellent academic English until it is ready to submit. When should I take the course? May – August How many hours? Typical Student Booking: 10-20 hours in conjunction with Subject Exploration

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) Preparation Course

Minimum Hours: 15
Our curriculum covers all the essential areas students need to excel in the UCAT exam. Start with an introduction to the test format and take a mock diagnostic test to gauge their current level. Dive deep into UCAT Abstract Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning, building the skills and strategies necessary to tackle each section with confidence. Practice makes perfect, so we provide ample opportunities for past paper practice, allowing them to familiarise themselves with the exam structure and refine their timing.

Individual lessons or Forming a group

Contact us to book a lesson! Students of similar ability are welcome to join us as a group and enjoy a moderate price!

Ready to Hear Success Stories? See Why Ascent Prep is a Student Favourite!

Find out what our customers say ...
Michelle C.
Desire Subject Medicine
Programme University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) Preparation Course
Hours Attended 15

Michelle has excelled in academics since she was young and has been determined to apply to medical school since her third year of junior high school. She attends a local traditional girls' school that offers British A-Level courses. To lay a solid foundation for her dream of studying medicine, Michelle chose challenging subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. In the summer vacation after completing the IGCSE exam, Michelle interned in a cardiologist's clinic for five days through our arrangement. During her internship, she deeply realized the busy schedule of doctors and their sense of mission for the recovery of patients, which made her more determined to become a doctor.

Academically, Michelle took a UCAT preparation course during her first Christmas in the A-Level course, and learned various exam techniques under the guidance of the tutor, mastering how to quickly understand questions. She eventually scored an excellent 2830 in the UCAT exam and obtained a level 1 in the situational judgement test, which led to an interview invitation from the University of Nottingham Medical School. During the Easter period, she attended a personal statement guidance course. With the advice of her tutor, Michelle chose appropriate extracurricular activities and revised the content of her personal statement to make it more clearly express her passion and motivation for medicine. In addition, Michelle also took the BMAT exam (note that the BMAT has now been cancelled) and obtained a good score of 12.7, which exceeded the qualifying score and increased her chances of entering medical school.

To ensure that Michelle can fully express herself in the interview, we recommend arranging three targeted mock interviews to ensure that the areas that need improvement can be accurately improved. Finally, Michelle received an interview invitation from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong through the Non-JUPAS application. Her efforts finally paid off and she successfully received admission notices from the University of Nottingham and the University of Hong Kong.

After sharing Michelle's case, for students who aspire to enter the medical school, starting preparation one to two years in advance can indeed significantly increase the chances of success. Michelle's story not only inspires other students, but also proves that with planning and hard work, pursuing your dreams is achievable.

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David L.
Desire Subject Medicine
Programme University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) Preparation Course
Hours Attended 20

David attends a top secondary school in the UK and has excellent academic performance, with all 9s in GCSE and all A* predicted A-level grades. His dream has always been to become a doctor, and he has worked hard to achieve this goal. However, David unfortunately encountered a setback in the interview for a British medical school in January. The failure of the interview for his first application to a medical school made him depressed and anxious, and he began to doubt his abilities and future. At this time, his father contacted us at Ascent Prep for advice and suggestions.

We first comforted David and encouraged him not to give up his dream. Although he missed the chance to apply for medical school at a British university, the start date of medical school in Australia is half a year later than that in the UK, so he still has a chance to enroll. We suggested that he consider switching to medical school in Australia. In order to help David overcome the difficulties in the interview, we analyzed the reasons for his failure and found that although he was knowledgeable, he was flustered in the interview, especially lacking logic in judgment and problem-solving questions. We developed a personalized coaching program for him, including mock interview training and various coping skills, such as the STAR rule, responding to open-ended questions, and demonstrating passion for medicine and personal traits.

Through these intensive trainings, David's interview skills and confidence have been significantly improved. He also used the summer vacation when he returned to Hong Kong to retake the ISAT and UCAT exams and continued to practice under our guidance. At the same time, he continued to work as a research assistant at HKU, enhancing his medical experience and understanding of medical biology. Eventually, David successfully obtained admission notices from three Australian medical schools, including the University of New South Wales (UNSW). This proves that as long as you persevere, you can overcome challenges. His experience inspires other students pursuing their medical dreams, demonstrating to them the importance of persistence and hard work.

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Brian C.
Desire Subject Medicine
Programme Interview Training
Hours Attended 20

Brian is a student with a passion for medicine and his goal is to attend one of the top medical schools in the world. In order to realize this dream, he not only worked hard in his studies and achieved excellent results, but also actively participated in various extracurricular activities to comprehensively improve his abilities. Brian observed in the hospital’s cardiology department for a week and participated in the BSMS Virtual Work Experience, which allowed him to gain an in-depth understanding of the medical field through technological simulation. He not only learned the skills and qualities required to be a competent doctor, but also experienced the close relationship between doctors and patients.

After learning about Brian's goals, we encouraged him to set his sights on the University of Cambridge Medical School, whose outstanding reputation in medical research and teaching quality are impeccable. We also advised him to apply to other G5 medical schools such as Imperial, UCL and KCL. In order to improve his BMAT score and interview skills, we arranged a 15-hour BMAT preparation course ((Note that BMAT has been cancelled), which provided systematic training by experienced tutors, including problem-solving skills, test-taking strategies and time management. We also conducted several mock interviews for him, specifically targeting the interview style of Cambridge University, and designed relevant questions to help him prepare and better deal with academic and ethical issues.

Brian submitted his UCAS application in mid-October, took the BMAT in November, and received an interview invitation from Cambridge University in December. He was successfully accepted by Cambridge in January and also successfully obtained interview invitations from ICL and UCL. In order to reduce his financial burden, we encouraged him to apply for the Hong Kong Excellence Scholarship Scheme, which offers a scholarship of up to HK$300,000 and can support outstanding students to study in well-known overseas universities. In the end, Brian not only achieved high scores in the BMAT exam, but also was admitted to Cambridge University Medical School and KCL. He finally chose to go to Dowling College, Cambridge, England to pursue higher academic goals and realize his dream.

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