How do I make the most of work experience?

Medicine is unique, in that at 17 you are effectively having your job interview. Thus, it is only fair - to both the medical school who may train you and for yourself and your future patients - that you put yourself in an informed position of the career you are embarking upon. 

The quantity is not the important factor, but what you take from it. Experience caring for old people at an old people's home will often teach you more than seeing some flashy surgery. Keep a journal and write down at the end of each day not only what you saw, but how it made you feel, what you learnt (not the technical bits) about the role of a doctor or healthcare. Little snippets of insight, like the time you had a conversation with X patient, are what will teach you about healthcare, not just the hours clocked up in a ward. Hvaing said that, being able to show commitment to volunteering or some activity is encouraging for a prospective medical school to see.

Your work experience is an opportunity for you to learn more about life as a doctor and hopefully enthuse you on your chosen path. Universities want to hear what you learnt from work experience, and how you developed. Ask the doctors about the challenging bits of their job, if you show interest they are more likley to give you a fuller insight to their life. By the end of your work experience you should be able to draw examples of the different qualities you expect to have as a doctor. This can form a useful basis for thinking about interviews and personal statement.