Global Pre-Meds Reviews 344

Loved it from start to finish. A great amount of medical work experience accompanied by fantastic social activities.

My nursing placement in Pula solidified the reason I chose nursing and allowed me to meet others with the same passion for healthcare. If you are considering a career in healthcare or have even began already like I have, take the chance and make the time to spend even just a week abroad with GapMedics and you will not look back!

This review is written by Anna, the student who went on this placement.

I had an excellent time, made lots to friends and got loads of great experience. I chose to go for four weeks on the under-18 programme and got so much hands on experience - more than any one could expect normally, I think! The talks were generally informative though I had experience in Africa which meant that some of it was not new. Four weeks may seem like a long time, but it meant that I got to see pretty much all aspects of the healthcare in that area and got to know the country and language a bit better - I am doing Spanish as an A level.

There are a few things I would warn prospective students about: bring more insect repellent than you expect to need - you will need it! You change your gloves frequently so bring enough and to spare! Also bring lots of hand sanitiser. For your charging/electrical needs bring an adaptor and an extension lead with surge protection - there are power cuts!

To continue with my experiences, I have been in some of the poorest parts of Africa with my parents, so thought that the healthcare in DR would be better than I had seen in Africa - the public healthcare was of the same level not better! The private healthcare was about the same or better. I was surprised how much I was able to do - lots of basic observations like taking temperatures and blood pressure for example - and would recommend this placement for being a bit more active than some other countries in what you can see. This is clearly a developing economy so expect the healthcare in public systems to be relatively basic - they do the best they can with what they have and this can be eye-opening. The mentors were very supportive and even went beyond what they might be expected to do in helping us on our experiences.

We did have a problem with the local emergency number when we needed it as it seems that using overseas mobile phones within the DR, even with the correct DR prefix, would not allow us to connect to the cellphone - I rang my parents and they were able to contact the UK emergency staff who then got through to the DR staff so the problem was sorted, but this may be an area that needs looking at.

Once again, I would highly recommend this experience to anyone thinking of working within healthcare.

I had the best time on my trip to the Dominican Republic through Gap Medics, and I hope to go again next summer for a longer period. I would recommend Gap Medics to anyone.

Incredible trip of a life time!

I learnt an incredible amount from the mentors (who spoke good English). I did a week in community healthcare which involved time spent in the local family clinic, visiting people's homes (a huge eyeopener to a different way of living- the living conditions were poor!), and visiting a care home for poor people with no family/money. I then did a nursing placement- I was in a different department each day: Paediatric ED, Adult ICU, Maternity, and theatres (neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery and general surgery). The Gap Medics house was incredible and the global health tutorials were very informative. We could do what we liked in our free time- we went to the caves/rainforest, went parasailing at the beach, went to Soana Island on a speedboat/catemeran (free drinks all day), and we'd go to the colonial zone regularly/out for dinner. We could go out to bars in the evening and transport would be organised for all of our trips out by one of the staff members. The staff were very good; ensuring we settled in well. The food was very good- a mix of local cuisine and other things. Fresh fruit every morning (a part from weekends) for breakfast and pancakes and eggs. We also had the opportunity to visit a local orphanage once a week and could donate goods e.g. porridge, sanitary towels etc. The children had special needs and were so wonderfuI! I learnt an incredible amount from a country who's healthcare system is so corrupt and yet so resourceful. A huge eye opener.

Would recommend to anyone who wants to get some real hospital experience. Staff is very helpful and friendly and the house you stay in on the same level as luxury hotel (two swimming pools and a spa), and since it's 18+ program I also want to mention that there is a great nightlife with some good bars and clubs just 10 mins away from the house. (Croatia, Pula)

Gap medics was such a valuable experience; I was able to meet new people, see a new country and learn so much about healthcare in other parts of the world. The trip was incredible and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a career in healthcare

One of the most enlightening, fulfilling, and informing experiences of my life. I would do it again in a heartbeat. The hospital mentors were very welcoming, and always actively worked to not only translate, but teach the students about how the hospital runs, how procedures work, how to read xrays, the methods of running a triage, and so much more I couldn't even begin to list it all. I more than recommend it, I encourage prospective medical students to go.

One of a lifetime experience with great hands on material and excellent mentors!

Honestly had the best 2 weeks of my life in La Romana. The setting, the people, the staff, the mentors- just everything was perfect and I couldn't have wished for a better way to spend my 2 weeks there. The head office offered no end of support with any questions I had before I departed and I really appreciated that. If anyone is thinking about doing Gap Medics, I would strongly recommend for them to do it because I am all the more passionate about becoming a Doctor now than I was before.

Absolutely amazing experience.

The house was very friendly and was called a home by pretty much everyone who stayed there. The hospital was great, although they was a lot of waiting around when the Doctors had things to do (though I guess this should be expected). Overall it was a great week, with a lot to offer in the evenings.

A great experience: I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a taster of what it would be like to work in a hospital.

I had a great time at the GAP Medics Warsaw programme.
The house itself is great; the staff was always eager to help us with issues ranging from questions about our timetable to questions about which buses to take to what place.
The food at the house tasted great too, and everyone's dietary requirements were catered to.
My time at the the hospital couldn't have gotten any better in my opinion: I befriended lots of other GAP Medics students; talked to several doctors/surgeons and learned a lot about tumours and life at a hospital.
Lastly, there were also daily social events organized by the GAP Medics staff, which included paintball, go-karting, going to a trampoline park and a zoo.

Best Experience Ever!
I can not say how happy I was to attend that program and everyone was so welcoming and just amazing!

Had the best week of my life! Made so many friends, whilst learning so much at the hospital! I was so inspired by my mentor and enjoyed watching surgery. It was great to also have the time to look round Warsaw and the house and staff were lovely.

Amazing experience! My placements in Pula convinced me that medicine is the path I want to go down. The mentors were wonderful and very engaging, making students feel very welcomed. I can honestly say it was the best experience of my life! I've learnt so much from my trip and met loads of amazing people. Would 100% recommend to anyone who is considering studying medicine.

The best two weeks of my life!! I met so many nice people and had such an amazing experience, the gap medics staff were amazing and such fun to be around.

I had one of the best experiences of my life. I wasnt sure if I wanted to become part of a medical journey but thanks to Gap Medics, their amazing mentors and their organization I am now sure that dental school is made for me. I would recommend Gap Medics to anyone that wants to spend a good time in a medical area. Not only the internship is amazing but also the activities at night or during the day after the placement is amazing too. At Gap Medics you can never be bored. I went to La Romana in Dominican Republic for my placement and it was amazing! Had a lovely time

I had a wonderful time at the gap medics house were everyone was welcoming and got to know a lot of new people who i still talk to today, I really enjoyed the placement as it gave me the chance to see what surgery was like and to know if it was the right thing for (which it was) i saw a variety of surgeries and was talked through every step of the process by the great mentors.