The Importance of Shadowing in UK Health Science 2025
Shadowing provides students with the opportunity to observe and participate in the daily work of professionals, gaining insights into the practical aspects of the profession. In healthcare and medical fields, shadowing allows students to learn about therapists' expertise and skills, as well as their thought processes and medical techniques in different situations.
Shadowing Experience
1. Observing and Participating in Initial Diagnoses
- Students can watch how therapists conduct initial diagnoses, such as gathering patient history, performing physical examinations, and assessing conditions. They learn how to ask patients questions, observe symptoms and signs, and carry out preliminary diagnoses.
2. Participating in the Treatment Process
- During shadowing, students can observe and engage in treatment processes, learning how therapists develop and implement treatment plans and collaborate with patients to achieve treatment goals. They can also see the techniques, equipment, and tools used by therapists and learn how to evaluate treatments and adjust plans.
3. Learning Medical Record Keeping and Documentation Management
- Shadowing allows students to understand the importance of maintaining medical records and managing documents. They can observe how therapists document medical histories, treatment plans, and progress, and learn how to ensure the accuracy and confidentiality of medical files.
4. Following Up with Patients and Assessing Treatment Outcomes
- Students can see how therapists follow up on patient progress and evaluate the effectiveness of treatments, including regularly checking patients’ statuses, reassessing treatment plans, and making adjustments as needed.
5. Learning Ethics and Communication Skills
- Students observe how therapists communicate with patients and other healthcare team members, gaining insights into building good therapeutic relationships, respecting patient privacy and values, and effectively collaborating and communicating.
Importance of Shadowing for University Applications
1. Personal Statement
- In their personal statement, students can describe their shadowing experiences, detailing their time with therapists and the knowledge and skills they acquired. This showcases their interest in healthcare and their motivation for pursuing a related career.
- Students can discuss observed interactions between patients and therapists, the care and professionalism displayed, and how they applied their knowledge to solve medical problems. Such descriptions help highlight their learning ability, interpersonal skills, and professionalism, showcasing their potential contributions to the medical field.
2. Interviews
- During interviews, students can use specific examples and stories to illustrate the experiences and insights gained during shadowing. They can share challenges encountered and how they adapted and grew from them. Students can also express their enthusiasm for healthcare and their plans for future career development. This allows interviewers to better understand the student’s motivations, adaptability, and potential fit for the field.
3. Reference Letters
- Throughout shadowing, students have the opportunity to build strong relationships with therapists and demonstrate their learning attitudes and professional abilities. Therapists can mention the students’ observations and performances in their reference letters. These references provide an external perspective, affirming the student’s learning attitudes, professional capabilities, and interpersonal skills, and recognizing their potential in healthcare and medical fields.
Extended Readings
Guide for Hong Kong Students Pursuing a Law Degree in the UK
Key to Enhancing Admission Chances for Oxford, Cambridge, and G5 Universities
Complete Guide to Applying for Oxbridge Universities in 2025
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Ready to Hear Success Stories? See Why Ascent Prep is a Student Favourite!
From a young age, Jessie was passionate about sports, especially football and competitive jump roping. An injury during a jump roping competition that required physical therapy piqued her interest in the profession. Jessie chose Biology and Chemistry as her subjects, and her predicted DSE scores met the entry requirements. However, she had doubts about her suitability due to her petite stature and introverted nature, fearing these could be obstacles to becoming a physical therapist. Despite Jessie's excellent grades, her father was also concerned about her career choice, worrying that Jessie was blindly following a trend without truly considering her interests and abilities, as choosing this field would mean committing to a career as a physical therapist.
Our education consultant recommended the shadowing program by Ascent Prep, the only official preparation program recognized by AEAS, offering students clinical internship experiences and professional mentorship. Seeing it as an opportunity to resolve her doubts and increase her chances of being admitted to higher-ranking universities, her father enrolled her in the program.
During the shadowing process, she gained in-depth knowledge of a physical therapist's daily duties, including assessing patients, developing treatment plans, and guiding patients through rehabilitation exercises. Though challenging, she found the work meaningful. Throughout this period, Jessie had the opportunity to ask many questions, particularly about her concerns. After completing the shadowing program, her determination to become a physical therapist was strengthened.
When preparing her personal statement, Jessie tried writing it herself but felt it lacked persuasiveness. With her tutor's guidance, she realized many areas needed improvement. The tutor helped her reorganize her experiences volunteering in physical therapy, highlighting her passion and dedication to the field. During interview training, she learned how to showcase her strengths and effectively answer the interviewer's questions. For example, Ascent Prep tutors taught students how to answer common situational questions, such as:
- What do you think are the basic professional ethics for a physical therapist?
- How do you view the relationship between physical therapists and their patients?
- How would you handle conflicts of interest with patients?
Ascent Prep tutors prepared students for these ethical questions and situational challenges to test their problem-solving abilities, such as:
- How would you deal with a patient unwilling to cooperate with treatment?
- How would you respond to an emergency during treatment?
- How do you collaborate with other healthcare professionals?
Ultimately, with Ascent Prep's assistance, Jessie was accepted into the Physical Therapy program at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and also received offers from the University of Nottingham, University of Birmingham, Brunel University, and the University of Salford in the UK. Among these options, she chose the University of Birmingham and was awarded a scholarship for her outstanding performance.
This journey highlights the value of Ascent Prep, offering practical clinical experiences and professional guidance, enabling students to not only improve academically but also to find their direction in their future career paths.
Sophie is a high school student from Hong Kong who has been passionate about architecture since she was young. She excelled academically and actively participated in various architecture-related activities, such as architectural model competitions and visits. However, as the time for further education approached, Sophie began to feel somewhat lost, due to her very high standards for herself. She knew that to gain admission into architecture programs at prestigious universities like Cambridge or UCL, she needed not only excellent academic grades but also well-rounded abilities and creativity.
By chance, Sophie attended a lecture by Ascent Prep, where the instructors shared their experiences in helping students gain admission to top universities. Ascent Prep introduced her to a mentor who was studying architecture at Cambridge. The mentorship and classes were designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter and encouraged Sophie to think critically about the core of architectural studies, enriching her personal statement with diverse elements. In these classes, Sophie learned about architectural history, theory, and design. Her tutor explained complex concepts in an engaging way, making it easy for Sophie to understand.
For instance, during a mock interview, Sophie encountered a challenging question: "What do you think are the professional ethics of an architect?" She had never considered this question before, but with her tutor's guidance, she was able to articulate a well-thought-out answer, boosting her confidence for the actual interview.
The art portfolio is a critical component of university applications, and Sophie's tutor helped her create a portfolio that was both deep and creative. The tutor meticulously guided her through the selection and arrangement of her works, covering her academic research, practical experience, and personal interests. Under the tutor's guidance, Sophie revised her portfolio multiple times, resulting in an impressive collection of work.
Sophie's efforts were rewarded when she was accepted into the Architecture program at the University of Cambridge. Her portfolio showcased her unique understanding of architecture, including a sustainable design proposal that received high praise from her tutor. Moreover, Sophie performed excellently in her university interviews, demonstrating her academic abilities and personal charm.
Sophie's success story is a testament to the effectiveness of the Ascent Prep program, which is dedicated to helping students realize their potential and achieve success in their educational pursuits.
Andy attended a local Hong Kong secondary school. Despite having average grades at school, he has always been afraid of English, to the point of hesitating to speak it. Andy is a typical slow starter; when under pressure, he easily feels overwhelmed. This became even more evident after he took the AEAS test unprepared, resulting in scores far below expectations. The AEAS report recommended Andy to undertake an English course for 20-30 weeks, and the substantial cost of attending a 30-week language course in Australia, including tuition, accommodation, and student insurance, caused considerable concern for his parents. Not only were they considering the dual factors of time and finances, but they also hoped that Andy could have more opportunities to apply to his desired schools. That's when they found us, the only official preparatory course institution recognized by AEAS. In the 1-on-1 courses at Ascent Prep, students receive meticulous instruction from teachers and consultants, improving their English skills and gradually overcoming their fear of English. To the parents' surprise, the child performed excellently in the AEAS test. By achieving good results in Hong Kong, the AEAS report reduced the required language class from 30 weeks to just 4 weeks before entering mainstream schools in Australia. This not only saved money but also allowed the child to integrate into the Australian mainstream education system sooner.
