Gap Medics - Medical Gap Year Program in India
If you can't decide between trying to gain experience for a future career in medicine or a trip abroad, why not do both?
Join Gap Medics and you can obtain valuable skills in the medical field in India! The Gap Year program in India has participants volunteer in the local hospital in the city of Jodhpur, where they will get exposure to a number of different fields.
Additionally, Gap Medics volunteers get to explore the exciting Indian culture as well as foster meaningful relationships with fellow participants. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to take a Gap Year in India! Learn more on the Gap Medics website!
Reviews
80%Overall
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100%Overall
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I spent just one week in India in August 2012 and it was the best week of my life.
I started at the airport by myself but by the time I reached Delhi had already met 10 other students also on the programme. As soon as we arrived in Jodhpur we were whisked away to our house. The house was very spacious and cool, considering the outside heat!
The food wasn't great as it was curry for practically every meal but I didn't mind as we tended to go out for meals as it was very cheap and we wanted to be out in India!
I was with the paediatrician at the Kamlar Nagar hospital which meant that the majority of the time we watched him check children (like a GP) who all seemed to have the same illness, so we went for a look around the hospital and spent some time in the A&E room (yes, room!). I would recommend that anyone interested in children's nursing to maybe go for the midwifery programme instead and they were involved in the deliverance of babies and I didn't really get to be involved with treatment of children apart from one morning on the ward rounds.
India was just incredible, it's really got a place in my heart now and I probably want to move out there when I am older.
Overall the experience was something I will never forget and I wish I had gone for at least 2 weeks as it would have made it better value, including flights etc it was around PS2,000 for the week.
I would definitely recommend gap medics, and the support before and during your trip was exceptional as there was a girl from england who worked for GM who was in the house with us.
Critical Feedback:
Make it cheaper! And as there were 3 hospitals everyone was at, some people were actually treating patients with injections etc whereas at my hospital I didn't even touch anyone - not very consistent throughout the hospitals.
100%Overall
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I went to India, as it is somewhere Ive always wanted to go but always thought I would never go alone. However, you make your decision, if you choose Jodphur in India, I can tell you right now it wont be one you'll regret.
A bundle of nerves as i got off my plane, I was instantly greeted by Deya, the manager in India and from that moment on I knew I was in safe hands.
The house is gorgeous. You are not short of space if you want any alone time and there is plenty of room to mess about it and relax together as a group. The town itself has the amazing market in the clock tower, which you could spend every afternoon of your stay in and have a different experience, the palace, the fort, the dozens of delicious restaurants, the gardens and the temples... its safe to say youre never short of stuff to do- and guided with solid advice the whole way by the staff!
we spent monday to friday 10-1 on placement in the hospital under the guidance of lovely mentors. The hospital is busy, full of life and extremely different to those under the NHS! Each mentor was different, each with an extensive knowledge on their topic and eager to teach you and answer any questions you have. the more the better!!! The hospital is completely mental to be honest, but it works well and the staff are welcoming and friendly and the patients in awe! You will not feel uneasy or in anyones way here, you may just feel like a celebrity for the time you spend there! each afternoon you are given a clinical session on a specific topic, which gives you the insight in to a condition and how it is tested and treated. these are very useful too and get the brain working in a clinical way! If youre not there, you are free to head to surgery, where you can witness anything from 1-10 surgerys in a couple of hours!yet again you will be guided through the process and all questions answered.
After this, the day is your own. i did yoga in the house for my stay and it was a great finish to a busy hospital day and a good tough work out! ruby is a well known teacher in Jodphur and as felxible as a pretzel!
The food in the house was good, it was varied enough and the staff are always keen to hear sugestions and be taught any recipes you know!
My time in India was honestly one of the best times of my life, each housemate was unique and lovely and I know I have made some true friends. My experience was unquestionably priceless! from what i learned in the hospital to the time i spent with the locals on camel safaris and on trips around town with a few of the doctors, India was everything I wanted it to be and more. The colours, the lifestyle, the food and the people have formed a bundle of memories i never want to forget.
If you want a life changing experience as well as an amazing medical placement where you will experience and learn more than a year in medical school as well as jumping into a culture that is so different and so fantastic to witness, choose India. It will not fail to meet any level of expectations, infact, I have no doubt, It will exceed them all!
100%Overall
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India was a fantastic opportunity. After raising all the money to get there through bake sales and alike I really made the most of the experience. I was able to shadow doctors in 4 different hospital departments, watch 16 different surgical procedures including 2 open heart surgeries and experience a fantastic culture. I would throughly recommend this experience to anyone interested in medicine or any other of the services that gap medics offer. It was the best thing I ever decided to do.
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Alumni Interviews
Meet Beckie Deeks, Gap Medics Alum in India
GO: Why did you decide to participate in the Gap Medics program in India?
Beckie: I was having trouble getting hospital work experience in my home town and thought that not only would going to India be a fantastic experience, but it would also help me with the university application and selection process. The program seemed well organized and I knew I would be in good hands whilst making all appropriate arrangements and whilst I was out there.
GO: What made this experience unique and special?
Beckie: I had never been out of Europe before so travelling to India was a very special thing for me. My time in the hospital was amazing and it could not have been more opposite to that of a NHS hospital back home, for example the disposal of a body part after surgery consisted of leaving it on the side of the changing room, which was quite amusing! The people I met out there were so kind and genuine and the student supporter who was living there was so knowledgable and guided us through our time there, showing us all the greatest places to visit, from visiting the Palace to where to eat out each night. The workers at the hospital were so welcoming and went out of their way to show us how things worked in terms of their technology and general practice. There are so many things to do once you're out there that you might not have thought of before or had not been mentioned in correspondence with the GM workers. During the week I also spent time at the orphanage for disabled children which was a fantastic experience and is something that will stay with me for a long time. Also, one night two girls and I were invited into a rickshaw drivers home and his wives and daughter's gave us beautiful henna tattoos, which was a fabulous experience in itself as they were so genuinely interested in us and our culture, as we were with theirs. We also got to watch several surgical procedures (up close!) a day which was amazing.
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Beckie: This experience has definitely helped me in terms of university places as they really like you to have experience in a hospital environment in order to do nursing/medicine. I strongly believe that it has greatly assisted me in showing my determination to carry out a career in nursing, and in terms of transferable skills I have gained and can apply to my everyday work.
GO: What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering this program?
Beckie: I would suggest going on this program for at least 2 weeks, as that gives you time to experience the hospital and India itself. Once you're out there, there are trips organised to go visit the Taj Mahal, camel safaris etc, but unfortunately I didn't do these as the week simply wasn't long enough. 2+ weeks would also be better value and allow you a greater insight into the nature of the hospitals and country.
Meet Emily Kelly, Gap Medics Alum in India
GO: What inspired you to take a gap year in India with Gap Medics?
Emily: Firstly I feel it is important to note that Gap Medics is not just a program for gap years as the name may suggest. They run programs in a medical work experience setting from 1 to usually around 6 weeks. I spent four weeks with Gap Medics in India. During my final GCSE year at school I realized that a career in medicine was something I wanted to pursue. At the time I was friendly with two boys in the year above me and I asked them about what I needed to do in terms of work experience as I had heard that was a very important part of the application.
They then told me about Gap Medics which they had found out about online and we all decided to plan a trip as we thought it would really benefit out application and be a great life experience. In the early stages of planning my trip Gap Medics were really helpful over the phone and by e-mail which was really encouraging. Although they are a business they obviously were interested in our well-being, safety, and were not pushing us to book a trip unless it was what we really wanted. When I finally paid my deposit I was very excited but I knew there was a lot of work to do as we were raising all the money ourselves through baking and other activities which was no easy task but in the end we managed it just in time.
GO: What were some highlights of your travels?
Emily: Definitely the most important highlight of my travels was realizing I really did have a passion for medicine. Working in a hospital environment for 4 weeks was fantastic. I observed over 16 different surgical procedures as well as shadowing doctors on ward rounds and general clinics. One of the most memorable moments in the hospital was being invited to observe open heart surgery on a Sunday. As we were not usually supposed to go into the hospital on a weekend we felt very privileged to be invited to such a delicate procedure.
We stood in the operating theater for 9 hours and were allowed to look inside a human heart and observe a man being put on and off a heart lung machine and surviving! It was just incredible to see them almost bring him back from the dead. As well as working in the hospital we were fortunate to have the opportunity to do some traveling after our placement. I fell in love with India during my travels and if anyone taking a placement in India has the possibility to travel anywhere I would really recommend it.
GO: How has this experience impacted your future?
Emily: I will be applying for medical school this October. My experience in India really shaped me and my desire to study medicine so will form a large part of my personal statement. It has also given me an insight into medicine and has shaped the focus of my studies as I am now half way through the International Baccalaureate Diploma. I am focused on achieving the goal of getting into medical school and that is driving me to concentrate at college to get the grades I need.
Further Info
About Gap Medics
Gap Medics is a specialist company that is dedicated to arranging hospital work experience placements for students who are applying to medical or nursing school. Our Head Office is in Newcastle upon Tyne in England, but students join us from all over the world - in particular the UK, USA, Canada, Australia. Our placements offer students from age 16 upwards a genuine insight into the work of doctors and nurses in Africa, India and the Caribbean.
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things i liked:
- how there was time to interact and make new friends
- the different activities we could do
- independence we gained
- food in the house
- staff members in the house
- hospital experience
things i thought needed improvement:
- taking autos everywhere (most money spent on autos)
Critical Feedback:
maybe hire a bus so we can travel as a big group - more safe