My Favourite Experiences

Posted by: Rachel Coldbeck - Posted on:

I am now approaching the very end of my NHS Graduate Scheme experience and in around 3 weeks will be starting my new role. I thought for this blog I may do a list of some of my favourite experiences in the scheme. 

1. HSJ Patient Safety Congress

I used my conference allowance to go to the HSJ Patient Safety Congress. There were a couple of reasons I chose this but mainly because it spanned both clinical and management forums. There were also some amazing speakers who talked about their very personal experiences regarding patient safety. I would suggest this conference to anybody.

2. Action Learning Sets

You get to know your action learning set members so well and hopefully our action learning set will continue past the end of the graduate scheme. We have one action learning set left in July.

3. Experiential Learning

These are all really interesting and different (largely residential events) in a local City. I have had mine in London and it has been nice to get to know the group of peers in my experiential sessions.

4. Ambulance Control Centre

During the first month orientation period I was able to spend some time in the emergency centre for the local ambulance service. It was so interesting to hear the massive pressures within the ambulance service in the run up to winter. I wish I could have gone back a few times.

5. Observing Surgery

A few weeks back I was able to observe some orthopaedic surgery and watched two hip replacements. I found this fascinating to see how different teams performed in the theatres.

6. The Welcome Event

Finally the first day!

7. CQUIN repeat attenders project

This was a project I did in the first year with a colleague and I loved doing this. It was patient level and very patient centred. It really felt like we could make a real difference to people’s lives and the exact reason I started within the NHS.

8. EMLA careers day

EMLA careers day was a graduate arranged event focussing on our further careers. EMLA graduates invited a number of senior managers to come and do some mock interviews. Whilst it was a nerve-racking experience, it was so useful to take forward to further interviews. I would strongly suggest other graduates arranging similar events.

9. HFMA Finance Game

A great experience and well worth the 4am start!

10. Flexi Placement Experience

My flexi placement experience really evoked a passion in student wellbeing and the impact of education on wellbeing. This is something I have now gone on to do some primary research on within a local primary school.

If anybody has any questions around my experience or the NHS Graduate Scheme please do not hesitate to contact me via twitter (@HSCRachel). 

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