[JoJo:)]

Heyy

I'm having to do a gap year next year because I got 4 regections for medicine. I had a look on the internet and found Gap Medics. It looks really good and looks like it would be fun to go for a few months. Its just I can't find any reviews or anything on it except on their website.

I just wondered if anyone has been or knows anyone whose been and could let me know what it was like and whether or not it was useful and worth the money????

Thanks
xxx

[wishful]

(Original post by JoJo:))
Heyy

I'm having to do a gap year next year because I got 4 regections for medicine. I had a look on the internet and found Gap Medics. It looks really good and looks like it would be fun to go for a few months. Its just I can't find any reviews or anything on it except on their website.

I just wondered if anyone has been or knows anyone whose been and could let me know what it was like and whether or not it was useful and worth the money????

Thanks
xxx

im actually going to have a gap year too..
i just typed gapmedics on google, and i found the site..it looks cool..
but im not sure if im gonna do it..cuz this adventure kinds of things kinda makes me scared abit..but actually who knows.. i gotta enjoy life right??
but anyways, i kinda have a plan..to maybe go to egypt and learn arabic or something..
hmm..now i gotta think it through..

[evilzadi]

i'm in the same situation, i got rejected from all my choices so i'm taking a gap year. i'm trying to find some good placments but the cost so much. i would love to get experience through gapmedics but i cant pay 1500

[wishful]

(Original post by evilzadi)
i'm in the same situation, i got rejected from all my choices so i'm taking a gap year. i'm trying to find some good placments but the cost so much. i would love to get experience through gapmedics but i cant pay 1500

yeah same..
btw does ur last name happen to be 'zaidi' or something? just curious..

[evilzadi]

(Original post by wishful)
yeah same..
btw does ur last name happen to be 'zaidi' or something? just curious..

nope why

[Caponester]

(Original post by JoJo:))
Heyy

I'm having to do a gap year next year because I got 4 regections for medicine. I had a look on the internet and found Gap Medics. It looks really good and looks like it would be fun to go for a few months. Its just I can't find any reviews or anything on it except on their website.

I just wondered if anyone has been or knows anyone whose been and could let me know what it was like and whether or not it was useful and worth the money????

Thanks
xxx

I've been in touch with them about travelling to Namibia for 5 weeks between graduation and the start of my pharmacy pre-registration year and they've been nothing but helpful thus far.

It is expensive and you're looking at adding on another £800-£1000 in flights but I like the idea of a structured placement, a nice place to live with other students and of course, the chance to actually do some non-medical stuff on the side.

Give them an email just explaining your position. They'll be happy to help.

Regards

[wishful]

(Original post by evilzadi)
nope why

ur screen name has the word zadi, so i just thought..
just was wondering, thats all

[PercyChatsworth]

A UK-based placement with NHS experience would probably serve you better with your reapplications. Obviously less 'fun' but it depends what you are after.

[OrmondDrone]

I hate these gap year schemes - all they show about you is that you have access to a credit card. Do something that requires a bit of initiative and commitment and has a bit of selectivity about it, rather than something that just requires you to pay money to a company.

I agree about the NHS experience too - that or volunteering in a hospice will do far more for your application than patronising some poor people in a developing country.

If you want gap year fun then do it after April - when you've hopefully got some offers. Buying work experience overseas won't help your application.

[vutterman]

(Original post by JoJo:))
Heyy

I'm having to do a gap year next year because I got 4 regections for medicine. I had a look on the internet and found Gap Medics. It looks really good and looks like it would be fun to go for a few months. Its just I can't find any reviews or anything on it except on their website.

I just wondered if anyone has been or knows anyone whose been and could let me know what it was like and whether or not it was useful and worth the money????

Thanks
xxx

rip off

dont' do it.

[krisblade]

To be honest, these things are probably fun but cost a bomb and I don't think they really provide that much you couldn't achieve in the UK. You'd be better off working as a HCA to get some experience and money to put towards med school than wasting thousands jetting round the world on expensive gap yahs...

[Caponester]

Obviously they shouldn't subsidise for work experience in the UK but if you have the money and have never done anything like this before why not?

I'm taking it as a nice relevant holiday. I've worked my arse off non-stop, worked in both primary and secondary care, will have completed a pharmacy degree and never been on a 'lads holiday' or anything similar so I think i'm going to go for it.

But like the posts above say, working in the UK should be your first port of call. Get something arranged at home then think further afield.

[Hydromancer]

I would've thought that getting a job and volunteering during your gap year would have allowed you to combine raising funds for uni and accumulating suitable experience for your medicine application. If you do want to go on this and can afford it, be sure to time it well as the whole medicine application cycle can easily stretch over 6 months from October to April.

[JoJo:)]

(Original post by wishful)
im actually going to have a gap year too..
i just typed gapmedics on google, and i found the site..it looks cool..
but im not sure if im gonna do it..cuz this adventure kinds of things kinda makes me scared abit..but actually who knows.. i gotta enjoy life right??
but anyways, i kinda have a plan..to maybe go to egypt and learn arabic or something..
hmm..now i gotta think it through..

yeah.. thats why i thought gap medics looked good cos all the other companies seem to just dump u in a hospital somewhere! I think it'd be good living with other studets and going out on weekends and stuff and it combines medicine with travelling. but its sooo expensive!! and i also probs wont get a chance to do it again...

I think im gonna stay in England till march/april though cos hopefully i'll have interviews and I have to be here for them. i was gonna get a job till then as a HCA or something and volunteer as bit this summer in a hospital to put on my application?......dunno really lol

x

[evilzadi]

(Original post by krisblade)
To be honest, these things are probably fun but cost a bomb and I don't think they really provide that much you couldn't achieve in the UK. You'd be better off working as a HCA to get some experience and money to put towards med school than wasting thousands jetting round the world on expensive gap yahs...

how do you become a HCA, I've been volunteering at a stroke ward for 8 months but all we do is give tea or serve dinner

[krisblade]

(Original post by evilzadi)
how do you become a HCA, I've been volunteering at a stroke ward for 8 months but all we do is give tea or serve dinner

Well, I would assume you have to be 18 to apply first off. I work as phlebotomist through the NHS Bank Staff system, which is basically tempory staff kinda. You don't have set hours and you don't get pension and stuff. But it means you can work whenever they need people. There are lots of bank staff who do work regular hours every week though, its just you're not guareented them. Your best bet is to look for available posts during the Summer as well as applying for bank. You just fill in an application form and have to clear Occy Health and you can start. You can apply to do anything really through bank that doesn't require prior qualifications (ie a nurse, lol).

[saab_101]

(Original post by OrmondDrone)
I hate these gap year schemes - all they show about you is that you have access to a credit card. Do something that requires a bit of initiative and commitment and has a bit of selectivity about it, rather than something that just requires you to pay money to a company.

I agree about the NHS experience too - that or volunteering in a hospice will do far more for your application than patronising some poor people in a developing country.

If you want gap year fun then do it after April - when you've hopefully got some offers. Buying work experience overseas won't help your application.

BS, it definitely helped mine this year. It depends on what you do though - i volunteered in ghana for a couple of weeks, it was actually pretty hard work, but also the most amazing experience ever

[OrmondDrone]

(Original post by saab_101)
BS, it definitely helped mine this year. It depends on what you do though - i volunteered in ghana for a couple of weeks, it was actually pretty hard work, but also the most amazing experience ever

Yeah whatever

[Smile88egc]

Use this website to find NHS jobs in your area http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/index.html

Pretty sure you only have to be 16 to become an HCA (I joined the nursing bank at 17). It's good experience and a really good earner as it pays more than minimum wage and if you're on the bank then you have flexible working hours.

[JCM89]

I loathe poverty tourism. A-level students / gap year kids don't have any unique skills that the locals don't have - they just pay to gawp and feel that they are 'helping people'. The latter I don't have a problem with but you don't need to fly half way round the world and patronise some foreign poor people to be useful.... there's plenty of relatively poor and socially marginalised people to patronise here