Aspiring eye surgeon's career plan changed by scheme

Mr Shah career path changed after going with his granddad to an eye appointment

A student said he was inspired by a charity's hospital volunteering scheme to change his intended career.

Southampton University student Raahat Shah was studying pharmaceutical chemistry but accompanied his granddad to an eye hospital appointment and he became interested with ophthalmology, the study of eye conditions.

A pilot Volunteer to Career programme in the NHS helped him secure medical training and he hopes to become an eye surgeon in the future.

The scheme is run by charity Helpforce, which hopes it helps to tackle persistent recruitment problems in the health service.

Across England, 48 different NHS organisations have taken part in Volunteer to Career.

Mr Shah, from London, was studying at Queen Mary, University of London when he went with his granddad to the Moorfields Eye Hospital in the capital.

"There was just something about the hospital environment and especially ophthalmology that really appealed to me," he said.

"No one in my family had been a medic and it seemed like a closed world to me – I had no idea how someone from my background could get into it. But I saw an opportunity here and I grabbed it with both hands," Mr Shah said.

Through Helpforce's scheme, Mr Shah volunteered at Moorfields once a week for a year, helping patients, doing admin work and watching staff work.

"It was amazing. I knew there and then that I wanted to be an eye surgeon. Volunteering in a specialist eye hospital gave me a real insight into that field of medicine," he added.

"It convinced me that a career in medicine was what I wanted. and ultimately a career in ophthalmology."

After finishing his first degree, Raahat is now in his second year of accelerated graduate medical training in Southampton and is currently on a surgical placement at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital.

Helpforce's chief executive, Amerjit Chohan, said its scheme has had a "significant" impact.

"Together with our partners in NHS trusts and other organisations, we've helped people like Raahat to gain valuable experience before applying for paid roles," he added.

"Through expertly designed and structured pathways, volunteers can find their niche without the immediate pressure of employment, while being upskilled and given confidence to take into job interviews."