Medical Projects Reviews 166

My week in Brasov with Medical Projects was an amazing eye-opening experience, one which I do not regret at all. I went with the purpose of getting work experience as well making sure I have made the right decision in choosing medicine. I left the course motivated and 100% sure I want to pursue medicine. I highly recommend it both people like me who are unsure if medicine is the right choice as well as those who are as there is still a ton to be learnt.
Of the program itself, I had my doubts when applying and researched a few other similar options, however I'm really glad I choose this one. It is completely legitimate and really well organized. One of the best parts about the course was that not only did we get hospital work experience, but the organizers also managed to cram a ton of information regarding medical ethics, interviews and general advice throughout the week while also giving us most of the evenings to wander the city and go out to eat. It felt like both an educational experience as well as a bit of a holiday and it always felt like we got a lot done in a day.
The environment was really friendly as was the cozy hostel in which we stayed. The group of students was quiet small with 8 of us total and 3 staff members, 2 of which were medical students, which allowed for closer and more personal contact with everyone.The staff were really great, super supportive and organized, even managing to fix the issue of me missing the plane and arriving outside the arrival window.
We were all quite sad to leave, 2 weeks would be great, however if like me and time doesn't allow for that, going for 1 week is enough for an amazing experience. I left with a small notebook almost completely full of notes taken while shadowing as well as during clinical debriefs, ethical debates, and mock interview feedback - a ton of which I had no idea was necessary to know.
A big thanks to all the staff in Romania, Mark, Jack, and Mel, as well as Eleanor who helped plan the trip and answered any questions I had.
Overall, it as a great week spent and if given the choice would without a doubt choose to do it again.

One of, if not the most amazingly valuable, enjoyable and life-changing experiences I've ever had. Having the opportunity to do and see some of the things we did at 17 was incredible and I would do the whole thing again given the opportunity!

Medical Projects was one of the best experiences I have gone to. It has helped me see the difference in healthcare abroad and similarities it has with the UK. This experience has also helped me improve my interview skills as well as gain tips for being a future doctor. I would greatly recommend anyone to use Medical Projects as a step towards becoming a doctor.

Great medical work experience and mock medical interviews. Made new friends, experienced a different culture, and had a brilliant time!

As soon as you get to India, you will be introduced to the rest of your group and the group that is leaving. I found this particularly useful because I was able to find out more about the hospital and brace my self for what was to come. As you can probably tell, I was very nervous. However, you can rest assured that India and the people I had gotten to know were amazing!

After the nights rest in the hotel (which was very nice I must say!) we left and headed for the train station. Something I would recommend to those who are going to India, is to take lots and lots of photos, and grasp the culture with two hands because the things you see in India are absolutely mind blowing, and you won't want to forget them. From what I experienced, I realised that a lot of people on the streets and in the shops are social butterflies! You will not see a single street corner without a person going about there day or children playing games. It's honestly so good to experience something different to the UK.
The train ride was an experience in it's self. Completely different to the UK. You'll see people hanging off the sides of trains and if the train stops on route, people literally get off and have a wonder until it gets going again (which sounds mental, but some of the scenery in rural India is extraordinary, so I really don't blame them). We were in a carriage with a group of women on a pilgrimage, so we were able to hear a Hindu chant/prayer which was really interesting. We travelled in the three tier A/C carriage, which was an adventure in it's self trying to get the second bed down and get onto the third bed ;p. This was the time when my group really bonded, so much so, an 8 hour train journey (due to a technical issue) felt like a short hop to your local (without the booze ;p). I would definitely recommend trying the train food- especially the fried chicken and rice (so so so good!!!).

As soon as you arrive, you will be shown to your room. They are clean, spacious and luxurious compared to the Indian standard home. Later on in the day, the guys who left to go on the weekend trip arrived back to the accomodation (that some call home, even after a couple of days of being in India) and met the newbies. Unfortunately, I will not be able to comment on the weekend trip, because I only stayed for a week, but apparently it was really good. I would definitely recommend staying for at least two weeks. The wifi connection is good, but I would recommend going onto the balcony for better connection. The balcony is great, it's massive, you'll always find someone to have a good old natter with whilst your out. The food is also bomb, vegetarian, but never the less, absolutely great and the guys who serve you are top blokes. Once you've finished placement for the day, you can chill on the balcony or in your room, or go outside the hospital campus to the chicken or fruit stand (or if you've brought any sari's you can get them sorted for you at the tailor shop), or go to the sports complexes. They all deserve a good visit by the way.

The leaders are easy to get along with and know their stuff! As current medical students, they understand the struggle premedical students go through and they really go above and beyond to help you succeed. At the end of a busy day on placement, they will go out of their way to explain anything you didn't quite understand (Aoife's analogies were out of this world ;p) ,and the chin wags during dinner at the end of each day were not ones to be missed!

As for interviews, as long as your prepared and you've practised you'll be fine. Practice interviews really do help you in the long run and it's good to go into them confident and not too nervous if you can help it, because you want to show your true self.

Placement it self was very interesting, and not one day was boring or the same in any sense (The doctors and nurses are legends!) As you go on a different ward each day, you experience literally everything. Each morning a leader will take you into the hospital (which is about a two minute walk) and introduce you to your doctor, so there is no need to feel nervous about that. My personal favourite was Obs and Gynae. I was able to see a c-section take place, monitor women in labour, listen to a baby's heart beat, take a pregnant woman's blood pressure and have a lovely chat to one of the patients, who happened to be a physiotherapist in the same hospital- all in one day! I also think we benefited from being placed in groups of two instead of larger groups, because it allowed us to be in conversation with the doctor instead of lecture type learning, to ensure we fully understood what was happening to the patients. Whilst on placement, you'll really notice the similarities and differences between UK and Indian hospitals and really start to appreciate the NHS.

I went on a dental outreach programme, which was unbelievable. It was absolutely fantastic. It really made me appreciate the information we have access to in the UK and the importance of Health Promotion. We went to three separate primary and secondary schools and met around one hundred students. It was mind boggling to see how many students didn't understand the importance of brushing their teeth and taking care of their teeth. Around 6/100 children did not have caries, however, it was wonderful to see the positive enthusiasm dentists have towards their patients as most of the people do have a phobia of dentists. Getting to know the Indian schooling system and seeing Indian children of different ages really ignited my love for different cultures and seeing individuals health improve.

After this long exciting day, we went and had a lovely adventure to Sawarde- the local town village with little shops going around the road. Sawarde was were I bought fifteen bracelets for friends and family, a few saris and a box of henna cones which all came to the grande total of £10. That's another thing I love about India, how cheap everything is. It's great ;p

I think it is safe to say that Medical Projects India is brilliant and I would recommend it to anyone (Even those who don't want to do medicine, nursing or midwifery ;p because it really is an adventure of a lifetime.) although instead of having the holiday blues you'll literally have the medical projects blues ;p

Many Thanks to Eleanor and Mark for setting up Medical Projects India and putting up with me, and thanks to Annie, Aoife, Alex, Tom and the French girls for just being top lads! and I hope everything goes well for you in the future, you all deserve it!

This is a great experience for those that are interested in studying medicine. It showed me an interesting perspective on a different healthcare system while also giving me an understanding of basic universal hospital workings. The teachers/leaders are all very helpful and gave me really good advice on university applications and interviews. The questions they posed in ethical debates and within the hospital are also really engaging and I learnt a lot.

I had and an amazing experience with Medical Projects for a week this summer. By shadowing doctors, I learnt about parts of medicine that I was not aware of before. The Medical Projects team was welcoming. The mock interviews conducted really helped me get an insight of the actual interview that is required for entry into medicine. Through the outreach programme, we were able to step outside our comfort zone and do something for the community living there. We spent each day in a different department of medicine, through this I was able to gain knowledge about each sector which has helped me in my decision.
Although I stayed only for one week, at the end of that week I felt like I should have stayed longer. This definitely was a wonderful experience and I hope to come back soon.

I've only recently returned from my trip to the medical projects India site, and it was an amazing two weeks, I would honestly recommend this to anyone interested in a medical career.
The medical projects team were fantastic, friendly and attentive, and they were all really good fun! It was incredibly useful being able to talk to current medical (and dentistry) students that were running the placement, they gave useful advice and teaching sessions, as well as running mock interviews, which provided an insight into the application process, making me aware of my personal strengths and weaknesses with different types of questions. The experience of being in a busy hospital environment was invaluable, I was able to spent time in multiple departments that would be incredibly difficult to access in the UK, including surgery, pathology and radiology.
The weekend trip was a welcome break, and really allowed us to appreciate and further experience Indian culture, I know for sure that this won't be my last trip to India.
I'd just like to thank the medical projects staff for such an incredible experience, and for working so hard to ensure everyone had the best placement they could. I'm already planning my next trip to India, and I couldn't be more excited for a future in medicine. Thank you!

Medical Projects allowed me to get invaluable work experience in India. I saw a whole range of specialities in the hospital from orthopaedics to general medicine to oncology. On top of that, I got to participate in the outreach programme visiting families in the more rural parts of the town doing general health check ups. I couldn't recommend Medical Projects enough, the staff were all very friendly and gave invaluable advice on many of the aspects of applying to medical school from personal statements to interview techniques.

I had an incredible time doing Project India - not only did I gain some valuable, and very eye-opening, experience, but the leaders were amazing and I formed some great friendships with the others, too. I'd highly recommend the project to anyone who wants to enter the field of medicine.

It will be helpful if you can give a list of common abbreviation before we start the placement but apart from that everything was great. I am more confident with the interview. All the staff and doctor are very kind and helpful.The things I get to see and experience are phenomenal- nothing in the UK can compare. Also I learn how to perform examinations on patients and how to look up patient's files.

I spent a week in India with Medical Projects and the whole experience was amazing. We shadowed doctors every day on different wards and departments in the hospital. The doctors spoke very good English, were helpful and willing to answer any of our questions about medicine and what it is like being a doctor.
The interview practice during the week was really helpful and it was good having an English doctor and medical student as part of the team who would answer our questions.
I would highly recommend this trip to anyone considering medicine.

I met some new friends, learnt a lot in terms of both medical knowledge and about India. This has been one of the best holidays of my life and I will never forget all the fun I had on the trip as well as the things I saw, which I may not get the opportunity to witness ever again (e.g. surgeries, poverty in India...)

Great fun. Great people. Great experience. Do it.

Last week I had the privilege to go to India with the medical projects team and it was a great experience. The time spent at the hospital was very unique and valuable, where I had the chance to really experience the field of medicine. The director Mark Williams is a top LAD, he makes sure that you have a great time. Shout out to Eleanor, Annabel and Dr.Laura Jones (the other supervisors) who were super cool and helpful. If someone asked me if I wanted to go to Disneyland or a medical projects placement, obviously I would go to Disneyland. Medical projects would come in at a very close second though ;)
Honestly it was Great and I do genuinely recommend.

Medical projects is a fantastic company, they offer amazing opportunities and experiences. I had so much fun on my trip to India, and highly recommend them :-)

My week with medical projects in India has been one of the most wonderful and valuable time that I will always remember.

This project had taught me many things about what life is like as a doctor, even though we were observing the work of doctors in another country it has reinforced the idea that all doctors have the same attributes and attitudes no matter where they are in the world.

Not only that, but we also learned about the culture of India and their way of life. We were encouraged to join in with the community and learn all the things that the locals have to offer (e.g. watching a school show performed by primary school children, going into town, visit a temple) The accommodation was modern and comfortable and there wasn't anything lacking in particular. The food provided was also great (I like spicy food, so - no complaints) and we also had the chance to eat out at a local restaurant for one night. There were several presentations and activities directly related to applying to medical school and the current affairs which I found very useful. There were also mock interviews with individual feedbacks that had really helped me to understand what a university interview is like and how to approach them successfully. Our timetable for the week was well balanced between time in the hospital and leisure time; we spent a couple of evenings in the sports centre to relax after a busy day.

The staffs were very supportive and friendly - including the doctors in the hospital also. Having a current medical student and a doctor on our trip gave us an insight to medicine at university and life in the job. We were taught how to take blood pressure the old-fashion way and got to test it on real patients in the wards!

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone interested in doing medicine and those who simply seek for new experiences. This trip will give you more than just time in a hospital.

I honestly loved my week in India; it was an amazing experience and I learnt so much about medicine and medical school as well as the culture and life in India. I feel more prepared for interviews and informed about medical careers now . The place we stayed was great with good facilities and a sports centre (and delicious food), it was also really close to the hospital. Definitely worth the trip!

I visited project India for a period of 4 weeks and I can honestly say it was the best month of my life. The trip was very worthwhile in terms of the knowledge I gained, not only about medicine but the application process to medical school and general life skills. I have taken away many new friends from this experience who I will continue to stay in touch with. I think that without medical projects I would not have the nessecary life experience or knowledge in order to get through the application process to medical school or have a successful interview. I found that I learned a lot about medicine from the doctors and nurses within the hospital in India; they speak very good English so are willing to answer any questions you may have about medicine or the Indian healthcare system and teach you about diseases and treatments of different patients. However I also learned a great deal from the English medical students who were in India with us as they have experienced the difference between the NHS and Indian healthcare. The medical students also have a useful insight into what you are going through in terms of the university application process because they have been through the same thing so are able to help with any questions you may have.
During my trip, we also took part in some unforgettable activities such as teaching in an English school and attending an anti natal outreach which was fascinating and allowed us to help people within the community whilst gaining a valuable insight into Indian culture. We also went on a weekend trip where we saw an array of Indian wildlife including monkeys and got to spend some time relaxing outside of the hospital in a beautiful hotel with a pool and view over the river. The weekend trip really allowed us to experience more of the Indian countryside and learn about culture and religion while taking a well deserved break and have some fun with the staff who organise the trip.
Overall, my experience In India has been life changing and if I got the opportunity to go back again I wouldn't have to think twice! I would recommend this experience to anybody looking for a career in healthcare including medicine, nursing and midwifery whether you know you want to go to university or not because the skills you acquire will be useful in any aspect of healthcare and in life. I really enjoyed my time at project India, thanks to all of the staff for their hard work and dedication to make our trip unforgettable.

I spent two weeks in India (July/August) doing the pre-midwifery placement. Overall it was a fantastic experience and worth every penny. I saw a number of births, both natural and cesarean section. It was great to read patients notes and be in the centre of the action. Doctors were helpful if you asked them questions, however obviously the language barrier made it difficult at times in particular with the nurses.
Not only did I have experience on the maternity ward we were also given the option to rotate and see different wards of the hospital, this was extremely useful for me because I realised I had an interest in other areas of medicine/nursing.
The community outreach projects were eye-opening and it meant we could see more of Indian people's lives, and there were 3 while I was there. The area we stayed in (Chiplun) was beautiful and the weekend trip was a great chance to relax and see the sites (like waterfall and temple). Also a chance to see monkeys which was a personal favourite! Interview preparation was definitely helpful and has given me an idea of what to expect when applying for universitys. The food was good, but did take a little while to get used to. Overall an amazing trip which I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to go into health care/ medicine.