My placement at Candesic Healthcare - By Amardeep Bains

My autumn one-month placement at Candesic Healthcare Consultancy couldn’t, in my opinion, have provided a better experience. I think, especially in my case being a dentist, one normally envisages a life spent drilling and filling after the DF1 and DF2 years. However, after completing my SHO year in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery I was determined to look outside the box. What better way to broaden your outlook on healthcare provision than to pursue a work placement with a leading healthcare consultancy firm? Well, that was my rational prior to taking up the position, and I can safely say that in hindsight whilst writing this review I definitely have no regrets! Under the watchful eye of Dr Chua the transition from screaming babies and ungrateful patients in A&E to the pristine, air-conditioned offices on the upper floors of New Zealand House was definitely smoother than expected. From the onset I was made to feel part of the team and no time was wasted orchestrating the first meeting and conference call. I would say I very much hit the deck running in that respect which didn’t really allow me to reflect on working in a new environment- definitely a positive. Given that the particular project I was based on was dental related meant that I could provide useful insight into the workings of the dental industry. In return, I was able to see how such information was collected, analysed and brought together in manner typical of a healthcare consultancy firm. From interviewing dentists across the UK in person and on the phone as well as contributing key slides towards the final presentation meant that I was an integral part of the team. The workings of a healthcare consultancy team are very different from what I had been previously used to. Of course, much more time is spent in front of a laptop and there were some challenges and disagreements amongst members of the highly self motivated and determined team regarding the conduct and progress of the project. However, I must add at this point that although at the time this did provide an element of frustration, it only served to enhance my team working, communication, leadership and life skills in the long run for which I am grateful. I would like to finish by sharing the highlight of my experience: interviewing the Chief Dental Officer of the United Kingdom at his DoH office. I would like to thank Dr.Chua for giving me such a fantastic opportunity as well as providing me with such an invaluable insight into the workings of a reputable healthcare consultancy firm over the one month period. I have no hesitation in recommending Candesic-Thank you. Blog By Amardeep Bains http://www.candesic.com/index.php