Well, the last time I wrote I was looking towards getting started as a HCA at the hospital. And of course still waiting to hear from my application to study medicine… Little did I know how the last few days of 2012 were going to be for me! I did start as a HCA, but it was only for a day; I knew I should’ve trusted my gut instincts, the work wasn’t the problem, the problem was the 12.5hr shifts and the occasional 50hr week! For a complete novice, it was more than an overwhelming surprise when I was merely talked at when discussing my hours and I had no say what so ever. The staff weren’t very welcoming, they sort of just ignored me for the first hour or so. And their attitudes weren’t very nice either, you’d think that people whose jobs are to be nice, would be more friendly; but no!
I think it’s safe to say that I’d decided in the first half an hour that I didn’t want to be there. And the cherry on top was when some of the staff told me how horrible everyone else was, one senior member even told me of how a colleague would make people cry. I knew that after hearing all of that, I had to get out. Of course, me being me was too polite to just run out of my shift and so I completed the whole 12.5hrs; with an incredibly sore back! And to top off one the worst days ever my dad didn’t show to pick me up and my phone battery died, but luckily my mum had got my uncle to come and pick me up.
The entire experience made me realise that I didn’t want to work with such stereotypical people, and that I wanted to do something more academic. But the biggest change was something that I had been feeling but didn’t really acknowledge; I now know that if medicine don’t want me this year, I’m defaulting to teaching. I loved working for Aimhigher, and I love learning; the last few days I’ve spent revising A level maths with my brother, and it made me realise how much I miss all of that. So, with 2013 I’m now a woman with no plans for once in her life.
So, here’s to the future. May it be a lot brighter than the year before 🙂
Ramblings of a Muffintop 