Gap Medics: Pre-medicine programs

This trip was so awesome it's almost impossible to describe it in words. I learnt so so much from the staff the doctors and the people around me. It was truly invaluable. You discover a side of medicine that you never see in developed countries and gain very valuable and necessary insight into the profession. To be honest Gap Medics and my trip to Tanzania was the main reason I got all four interviews and my offer for my favourite university this year. The universities were so intrigued with my experience with gap medics. People GO on this trip it was the best two weeks of my life and because of it I will be going to med school!!!

Like any aspiring pre-med student, I was desperately looking for work experience. Being only 17, Gap medics seemed like the perfect organization; All through the booking process, the Gap medics team was very helpful and patient, eager to answer all of questions, however trivial they were.

Upon arriving in Dar Es Salaam, I was greeted by M’doe who was very excited to see me. The next day, after meeting two other students, we took the bus up to Iringa.
The Gap medics house was brand new and very homely; I was introduced to the students who had been there for a while. We then had a delicious homemade pizza made by our very talented cook, Debora.

During a typical hospital day we would always work in pairs and ward rounds began at 9 am. We’d arrive in time to meet the doctor who would go from patient to patient whilst he explained in detail what was wrong and what the appropriate treatment of. My favourite placement was in surgery. We mainly observed surgical procedures which were explained fully as the operations continued. On one occasion I plucked up enough courage to ask Dr Simkoko, the attending in OBS/GYN, if I could scrub in on a procedure. Twenty minutes later, I was helping the doctor hold clamps, swab and I even cut the umbilical cord during the C-section!

At two o’clock, after lunch, one of the doctors would give us a one hour lecture on any given subject, may it be post/op procedures or how to deal with a trauma patient. On one occasion during a lecture we practiced stitching on a leg of beef. After the lecture, we would usually go to the internet cafe or the Neema cafe for a delicious slab of cake.
Not only did I meet some incredible people, the experience gave me the opportunity to travel to travel on safari and to Zanzibar. From a more academic point of view this trip will definitely enhance my personal statement and give me a “hands-on” insight into what a medical career would be like. The whole month was unforgettable and has pushed me to work even harder towards becoming a doctor. I am looking forward to returning next year for an even longer stay.

Going to Tanzania was one of the best decisions I've made. The experience in the hospital was so good: I got to help out in surgery and circumcisions. I have gained valuable knowledge and skills that will undoubtably help me in the future. The staff are all really friendly and willing to offer help whenever you need it. I have made friends for life and I will never forget the amazing time I had out there!

Anyone considering a career in medicine should 100% go to Iringa!

My month in Iringa was the best month I've ever had. It allowed me to see far more than what I would've been able to see in a British hospital, without a specific contact. I was able to observe arm amputations, C-sections and natural births. It gave me a valuable insight into medicine. It also allowed me to compare my experiences in the UK with those I gained in a less privileged nation.

You learn so much from the doctors that are supervising you and they are really interesting people as well. The trauma surgeon that I spent my last week with was from Italy and had worked all over Africa because he enjoyed the challenge and it allowed him to practice a wider range of surgeries. He was the most interesting person I've ever met.

However, I would not classify Gap Medics as purely a Medical Experience programme. I feel like I matured as a person during the one month I spent out there, having travelled alone. I have made so many friends from all over the world and I even met my girlfriend too! The best things is that everyone knows how tough it is to get into medicine; everyone is interested in the things you get to see at the hospitals and you are nearly guaranteed to make good friends with others because you're living with eachother. In just one month, it'll feel like you've known some people for years!

The staff who look after you are brilliant, they will allow you enough freedom to feel independent but they will do anything for you. I can't say enough good things about them.

All in all, if you can find the money and think you want to do medicine, Gap Medics is the place to go.

"September 15, 2011.
Today I leave Iringa and head down to Dar, and I cant help thinking about that 17 year old kid I met at the market on the way to neema's. He was my age, and he was standing in front of a small stand no bigger than my arms length. He came upto me and asked me to buy something from him, and without a second thought I said no. then he said please buy something from me with all desperation, and carried on to say, I have a family to support, and i want to goto school, please buy something it will help me alot.
It gets you thinking, people back home in Saudi regard education as a joke compared to these people, constantly ditching classes, dying to do anything to miss a day at school. and over here people are dying to get an education..."
thats one entry from my diary.
The only regret i have from the trip is that i should have stayed longer. People over there are Amazingly friendly, the food is amazing, its an experience, but in the end of the day it is what you make of it.

The house we stayed in was lovely and right in the centre of the town and the staff and the food were great too.

A weekday consisted of going to the hospital for about 7.30, listening in on the morning meeting and then doing ward rounds or watching surgery ( operations such as c-sections, amputations and tumour removal)with the doctor until 1.00. The doctors are all really friendly.

At the weekends, we went on safari and stayed in
lovely lodges and spent time at the orphanage.

The town itself was really safe and there are lots of places and shops to explore.

It was the best 3 weeks of my life and I met some wonderful people and would love to go back!!

The Gap Medics experience in Tanzania was THE greatest thing I have ever done. Everything felt perfect; from social arrangement in and outside the house, too the hospital placement, it was all great! My placement was in January and I completed two weeks of placement. The first was in surgery and the second was in internal medicine. Both departments was incredible.

Before I left, I couldnt help but to have high expectations, and I honestly have to say that the actual experience topped my expectations.

All the Gap medics staff were very friendly and made the experience more enjoyable. Also, chef Akiba cooks some of the best dishes I've had.

I could go on for paragraphs tell you how much I loved the experience. And when I look back, I smile and feel a sense of accomplishment. I've already recommended too all my friends.

I went on a 4-week placement to Iringa, Tanzania with Gap Medics. My working time was spent at the hospital from 7.45 to about 13.00 shadowing doctors, observing numerous surgeries (from a C-section to a skin graft to a labrotomy) and assisting in minor day-to-day procedures. It gave me a real feel for being a doctor! It was such a social experience too, I have made friends for life, been on safari, sunned myself on a beach in Zanzibar and had some wild nights out with some great people that I will never forget. The staff out there become like your family and you become incredibly close to the people you share a room with. For anyone wanting a career in medicine, this program will give you experience, confidence and enough fantastic memories to last a lifetime!