Study T Levels at Harrow College - find out more from one of our students!
Student: Melika Gavahi
Subject: NCFE T-L3 Science
Placement: Charing Cross Hospital (Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust) - Medical Device Library
My placement was at Charing Cross Hospital in the Medical Device Library – loaning out medical equipment across all 15 floors of the hospital. Working with staff, I learned about the different types and brands of equipment, how to open a loan, deliver equipment within a deadline, and scan the hospital once a week using RFID (radio frequency identification) to monitor the items loaned out.
I wasn’t sure about T Levels at first because I didn’t know much about them, but I spoke to my tutors about it and came to the Open Day. I knew I wanted to do science and had looked at A Levels, but when I realised it was all three sciences and had a 315 hour placement, I realised it was a better option for me.
I really enjoyed my placement - it was a great opportunity to go into the different departments of the hospital, and talk to different people and learn about the different areas. It’s a lot better to have the information first-hand and it’s made me re-think what I want to do at university.
I was going to train in physiotherapy, but when I learned more about the different areas, I realised I was really interested in something like radiography or sonography – if I hadn’t done this placement I would never have known.
It’s great to have a placement that’s not just a week, and that you have a couple of months to really get to know the organisation and the work it does. The placement has also led to a second placement in Critical Care (Intensive Care Unit) so I should be able to complete my placement hours in my first T Level year.
It’s also really good to have on your CV - it puts you one step ahead of people who haven’t got this kind of experience, and you also get training in practical areas like data and ethics. You have more of an understanding of what they expect from you in the job after a placement like this - you get the knowledge and the experience.
I would definitely recommend doing the T Level to other people and I am really grateful to Charing Cross hospital and for all the support I’ve received at Harrow College.