Work experience is a fantastic way to gain an insight into a wide range of career opportunities and we have many exciting options available within the Trust. They can help build your confidence and give you an understanding of the attitudes, behaviours and values that are expected in a healthcare setting. Work experience will help you to make informed choices on your future career options.
To access a placement within the Trust, students must complete a work placement application form and health questionnaire. We will do our best to identify a suitable placement for. Applications are individual to each opportunity on offer.
Medical professionals observation placements
At Medway NHS Foundation Trust we want to support your medical career by offering you admission to specialist areas within Medway Maritime Hospital via our UCAS work experience. Our bespoke observation / shadowing placements will give you an opportunity to experience what happens within specialist clinical areas and meet professionals within their working environment. It will also give you an insight into the varied job roles vital to the NHS. You will be fully supported and supervised during your placement. We hope your placement will also provide insight and experience to help support your UCAS application to university so you can start your journey towards a healthcare career.
These placements are aimed at giving you a first-hand view of the healthcare profession, with potential areas for observation/shadowing that may include (depending on business needs at the time of placement):
- Emergency Department
- ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat)
- Medicine
- Orthopaedics
- Paediatrics
- Prehabilitation
- Radiology
- Research and Innovation
- Respiratory
- Rheumatology
- Theatres
Due to the high demand for placements, we use a shortlisting process to review applications which ensure that placements are offered to students whose academic achievements and career goals align with these opportunities. This process can take up to eight weeks. Please be aware, if you are unsuccessful we are unable to give feedback.
Placement availability is limited, and unfortunately, not all applications will be successful. If your application is successful, please be aware that your preferred area of interest may not be guaranteed due to business needs. However, we will make every effort to offer a placement that enhances your NHS experience, which may include exposure to a variety of departments to provide a broader understanding of healthcare careers.
Entry Criteria
To be eligible for the UCAS Observation Placements, you should:
- be studying towards and expect to achieve the qualifications that will enable you to start a career in medicine
- from 16 to 18 years old
- are educated or live in Kent with preference given to candidates from Medway
- be committed to apply to a UK medical school within the next 24 months
- have gained or predicted at least five GCSEs at grades 9 to 8 in Mathematics sciences
Please apply from the 1st of the application month to be considered. Applications sent outside of these allocated windows will not be considered.
- Apply in November 2025 for placements in February 2026
- Apply in February 2026 for placements in May 2026
- Apply in April 2026 for placements in July 2026 and August 2026
- Apply in June 2026 for placements in October 2026
For example you can’t apply in April to be placed in October.
Completed forms should be emailed to medwayft.workexperience@nhs.net
Clinical professionals observation placements
Clinical professionals work experience (Nurse, Midwife or AHP) is a observational shadowing professionals work experience programme for school or college students wanting a career as a clinical professional. This programme is designed to help you build confidence, knowledge, and an understanding of nursing, maternity and CSW careers within the NHS, supporting your future applications for university or healthcare roles.
Due to the high demand for placements, we use a shortlisting process to review applications which ensure that placements are offered to students whose academic achievements and career goals align with these opportunities. This process can take up to eight weeks. Please be aware, if you are unsuccessful we are unable to give feedback.
Placement availability is limited, and unfortunately, not all applications will be successful. If your application is successful, please be aware that your preferred area of interest may not be guaranteed due to business needs. However, we will make every effort to offer a placement that enhances your NHS experience, which may include exposure to a variety of departments to provide a broader understanding of healthcare careers.
Entry Criteria
- from 16 to 18 years old
- are educated or live in Kent with preference given to candidates from Medway
- applicants must be considering a career in one of the areas that full under clinical professionals and can demonstrate this in your application. Please note these areas are Nurse/midwife and AHP.
Please apply from the 1st of the application month to be considered. Applications sent outside of these allocated windows will not be considered.
- Apply in November 2025 for placements in February 2026
- Apply in February 2026 for placements in May 2026
- Apply in April 2026 for placements in July 2026 and August 2026
- Apply in June 2026 for placements in October 2026
For example you can’t apply in April to be placed in October.
Completed forms should be emailed to medwayft.workexperience@nhs.net
16 to 24 years with EHCP
Supported internships
Supported internships with us are currently paused and under development.
Further information can be found from local specialist providers:
Please email medwayft.workexperience@nhs.net for any further information
T-Level Industry Placements
We host T-Level industry placements for those over 18 years old within healthcare. We provide a minimum 45-days placement within the hospital to support the new knowledge, skills and behaviours taught in college.
Visit the MidKent College website for more information on T-Levels.
Are you a parent or carer?
For enquires regarding T-Level placements at Medway, please email Lucy Mason.
Clinical Attachments
Clinical attachments are a useful way for international medical graduates to get a taste of the working lives of doctors in the NHS. You can observe a consultant in a relevant specialty without having the responsibility of patient care.
Attachments usually last between two and 12 weeks and cost £350.
During the attachment, you are not given any responsibility and are not able to make clinical decisions or give clinical advice. The experience you gain will be relevant to your GMC application for registration. It will ask for details of all your work experience from the last five years both medical and non-medical.
Experience shows that it is advisable to do a clinical attachment shortly before taking part two of the PLAB test or after you have passed it. This ensures you will get the most out of it.
Please email our Medical Staffing team for more information.
For medical student electives / medical student clinical attachments, please email our Medical Education team.
University Student Placements
Student nurse placements
We offer placement opportunities to students studying with our university partners – Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Greenwich and London South Bank University. It is important to note that these placements are organised through the university that the student nurse is studying at which means that no student should contact us directly to organise a placement. If a student has any placement requirements, they should contact the placement office at the university they are studying at.
The exception to this is if a student is interested in undertaking an elective placement within the organisation and is studying at a university which is not one of our usual partners. Please note, that to undertake an elective placement, we will require confirmation and approval from the student’s own university, and we will not be able to accept any student who is in the final placement of part 1, 2 or 3.
If you are interested in undertaking an elective placement at Medway, please contact our Nurse Education Team: