Cara

Where did you do your work experience?

Southampton

What did you do?

I carried out my work experience placement in the radiography department of the hospital. A radiographer met me at reception and told me about the schedule for the week. My first stop was A&E. I was so excited to see how x-rays are done. As well as seeing patients with minor injuries, I witnessed an x-ray of a man who had had several knee operations. It was remarkable to see how his knee had been rebuilt.

The radiographer explained how bones break and why the positioning of a patient is so important during an x-ray. And they showed me how the equipment works.

I also spent time in CT scanning and the endoscopy department. I watched patients have barium swallows which is an x-ray test where you drink a liquid to obtain pictures of the upper gut. It was incredible to see the inside of a body on a screen.

I also watched ultrasounds on children, although I didn't really know what I was looking at first. It looked like a fuzzy black and white mess! However, once the pictures were explained to me, they started to make more sense.

What did you enjoy most?

The highlight of my placement was on the Tuesday where I spent the day in the cardiac department. At the start of the day, I had no idea what this meant. As soon as I got there, I was told I was going into theatre where a 10 month-old baby was having keyhole surgery.

I saw the echo scan of the baby's heart. I then watched as contrast dye was injected through a cannula in their arm so the radiographer could detect and take pictures of any abnormalities in the heart.

It was truly amazing. I feel honoured to have witnessed something so incredible and to have worked with such a wide range of skilled practitioners. I learnt so much.

What did you learn?

I had a really great week, thanks to the staff in radiography. Throughout my placement, I saw and learnt much more than expected and I am truly grateful for the opportunity.

I could not have asked for a better week and the experience has definitely helped me with my career choices.

Do you have any advice for other people?

I would definitely recommend doing some work experience in the NHS. The careers adviser at my school was really helpful in setting up my placement so I would advise people to talk to their teacher or careers adviser to find out if they have any contacts with the local hospital.