Pre-medical experience: Gap-Medics - personal experience?

Original post by Atham

Hello,

I am looking for pre-medical experience, and I have came across this Gap-medics organisation. I would be looking at the under 18's pre-medical placement option in either in Poland or Tanzania.

What I would like to ask is if anybody used this as pre-medical experience and I would like to ask if it was beneficial to you when applying to UK medical universities. I am from Slovakia, and since you cannot do pre-medical work here, I am looking for other options.

Another question that I have is if I should Poland or Tanzania, and which would be more beneficial for medical experience.

Thanks,

~Atham

You don't need that. Just get some basic work experience in a hospital/gp setting. If you have the money and want a nice holiday where you can gain some experience in healthcare as well go for it.

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Reply 2

OP

The thing is that in my country you cannot gain experience in a hospital or a gp setting due to the law here (only medic students can do this), which is why I am looking for places outside of my country.

I also want to ask if the universities perceive it as "holiday" as well.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 3

Original post by Atham

The thing is that in my country you cannot gain experience in a hospital or a gp setting due to the law here (only medic students can do this), which is why I am looking for places outside of my country.

I also want to ask if the universities perceive it as "holiday" as well.

Really? That's odd. But anyway medical schools here often prefer community work such as in a care home or volunteering a youth centre helping out disabled children. That is worth far more than gp work experience etc in that you can give a better insight as to how this has motivated you to study Medicine.

Those students who mention GapMedics style experiences may find it difficult to explain what they really learnt since its sort of like a holiday too. That doesn't mean it's bad to go on such a thing, you just need to be able to explain what you learnt from it all, because that's all they care about.

Reply 4

OP

Yeah, the laws in my country are really weird.

I worked with DePaul with the homeless in Slovakia, and I am currently working with the Red Cross. I just don't have the medical experience or insight into hospital work. I am just curious to know if the universities look poorly on GapMedic, since I don't want to spend money and not have proper hospital work experience. Even if I were to go, I am not planning to do this as a holiday.

You seem quite knowledgeable in this area. Do you have some personal experience?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 5

Original post by Atham

Yeah, the laws in my country are really weird.

I worked with DePaul with the homeless in Slovakia, and I am currently working with the Red Cross. I just don't have the medical experience or insight into hospital work. I am just curious to know if the universities look poorly on GapMedic, since I don't want to spend money and not have proper hospital work experience. Even if I were to go, I am not planning to do this as a holiday.

You seem quite knowledgeable in this area. Do you have some personal experience?

I did a week of GP surgery, months of volunteering at a Care home, coaching martial arts, 2 weeks at a pharmacy and 2 days in a hospital with a consultant(it's hard to get hospital work experience).

My friend did GapMedics and thoroughly enjoyed it. But it's not necessary and you should only do it if you wanna combine a holiday with a bit of work experience.
It varies from uni to uni as to how they look at it, but it's not something they'd view poorly. Its just they would likely view something you organised yourself better than something you paid money for to get organised for you. So I'd say they'd prefer other things.

They don't expect you to have any sort of clinical experience, they only want to know about what you learnt. You can have any sort of relevant experience whether it be in a clinical environment or administrative.

For example at my interview I talked about my GP work experience and how doing the paperwork made me realise the harsh reality of lots of administrative work to be done, however my motivation has still stayed on track because it's just a part of the job that has to be done etc. I then also talked about specifically how I've learnt about patient confidentiality and empathy observing how a doctor treated the patient etc.

Reply 6

Ronove

18

Original post by TechRaid3r

Really? That's odd. But anyway medical schools here often prefer community work such as in a care home or volunteering a youth centre helping out disabled children. That is worth far more than gp work experience etc in that you can give a better insight as to how this has motivated you to study Medicine.

Those students who mention GapMedics style experiences may find it difficult to explain what they really learnt since its sort of like a holiday too. That doesn't mean it's bad to go on such a thing, you just need to be able to explain what you learnt from it all, because that's all they care about.

It's really not odd. Only the UK seems to require shadowing work experience for med school.

I tried to set some up at a GP surgery in Germany and they were like 'wtf no, why would you sit in on consultations?'. I've also never heard of it being a thing in Denmark where I now live. People can get experience doing healthcare assistant work in care homes and in the community though, though that only gets factored in in applications for 10% of the places on the medical course at my university, the rest are exclusively grade-based.

The OP should be aware that caring experience seems to be more important than shadowing experience though - I'd have thought they could get some care home type work in Slovakia to boost the other stuff they've done (homeless/Red Cross).

Reply 7

Original post by Ronove

It's really not odd. Only the UK seems to require shadowing work experience for med school.

I tried to set some up at a GP surgery in Germany and they were like 'wtf no, why would you sit in on consultations?'. I've also never heard of it being a thing in Denmark where I now live. People can get experience doing healthcare assistant work in care homes and in the community though, though that only gets factored in in applications for 10% of the places on the medical course at my university, the rest are exclusively grade-based.

The OP should be aware that caring experience seems to be more important than shadowing experience though - I'd have thought they could get some care home type work in Slovakia to boost the other stuff they've done (homeless/Red Cross).

I'm from Denmark, I did sit in on a GP Consultation during a holiday although that was through a family connection. But yeah you're right its not really done there since the application process is a bit different too I guess.

But yes OP, it's more important to get something that shows youve learnt about empathy etc.

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Reply 8

QuidditchFan

6

I mean yeah, if I was you I would get experience in a clinical setting and if I had the money, through gap medics. I think as an international student they'd be looking for a bit more at interview maybe? Who knows. Don't quote me on that. But as the others said showing empathy etc is important. However I found my clinical work experience invaluable and showing what I learnt from that really helped me stand out in the interview stage so as long as you make the absolute most from it, I don't see the harm.

Have you exhausted all options? You definitely can't do it in your home country.? Not even through a family contact? I would also look at whether you can arrange your own WE in a foreign country if you are going to do GapMedics as it is probably cheaper.

Some people say that gap medics is frowned upon but to be honest I think it's okay as long as you have experience other than that with empathy etc. If you are applying to the UK medical school as you seem to, maybe try and see if you can find WE in the NHS somewhere though that will probably be really hard. And be very sure on the health system in your country as they could grill you on that.

So yeah, I didn't go on GapMedics but if you think it's worth it, then go as long as you can afford it. Just be sure to back it up with a more caring work experience side like in a nursing home. You don't need clinical experience to have a competitive application but I'm not sure what it's like for international students so ask around and see.

Good luck whatever you do!

Reply 9

em.d_4

17

Original post by Atham

Hello,

I am looking for pre-medical experience, and I have came across this Gap-medics organisation. I would be looking at the under 18's pre-medical placement option in either in Poland or Tanzania.

What I would like to ask is if anybody used this as pre-medical experience and I would like to ask if it was beneficial to you when applying to UK medical universities. I am from Slovakia, and since you cannot do pre-medical work here, I am looking for other options.

Another question that I have is if I should Poland or Tanzania, and which would be more beneficial for medical experience.

Thanks,

~Atham

Medical schools know what gap medics is. It won't hinder your application but i wouldn't see it helping vastly either. You'd be better to get a voluntary job in a care home or if possibly perhaps a job as a care worker.

Reply 10

OP

Yeah, I am going to be helping at a nursing home for the elderly, and I might go back to DePaul and work in their "front-line" shelters. More and more I am discouraged from GapMedic. I even checked the accommodations and it seems overpriced for what is being offered. I bet they make a lot of money off of this.

Reply 11

Original post by Atham

Yeah, I am going to be helping at a nursing home for the elderly, and I might go back to DePaul and work in their "front-line" shelters. More and more I am discouraged from GapMedic. I even checked the accommodations and it seems overpriced for what is being offered. I bet they make a lot of money off of this.

Yeah pretty much it's a business after all. Of course they provide a service but it's just unnecessary I don't think it's worth the money personally. A nursing home is great, that's essentially what I did too :smile:

Reply 12

brieftidalwave

I just want to know how did everyone manage to organise their work experience placements or volunteering in a care home? I've tried several attempts but no luck so far...

Reply 13

OP

Contacts are good to have, especially in my country, where getting any work experience pre-18 is very difficult.

Reply 14

QuidditchFan

6

Original post by brieftidalwave

I just want to know how did everyone manage to organise their work experience placements or volunteering in a care home? I've tried several attempts but no luck so far...

Contacts and being pro-active. I asked a year in advance and emailed directly. Called a lot chasing up my applications and also asked people above where they did their WE. Keep trying. See if you can find a friend of a friend. GP surgeries might be hesitant but someone in the area tends to be okay with it. Nursing homes should be fine though be warned you might have to travel a bit. Also worked at a local disabled school etc - nursing homes aren't the only place for volunteer work which will help so just look around. Good luck!

Reply 15

Last_of_us

Original post by Atham

Hello,

I am looking for pre-medical experience, and I have came across this Gap-medics organisation. I would be looking at the under 18's pre-medical placement option in either in Poland or Tanzania.

What I would like to ask is if anybody used this as pre-medical experience and I would like to ask if it was beneficial to you when applying to UK medical universities. I am from Slovakia, and since you cannot do pre-medical work here, I am looking for other options.

Another question that I have is if I should Poland or Tanzania, and which would be more beneficial for medical experience.

Thanks,

~Atham

Hey i am goin on a Gap medics placement in Tanzania and my friend is going to Poland. Its our first time. I didn't know she was going to Poland and neither did she know i was going to Tanzania. Wish i could help you - hey maybe go on facebook and see videos of people's experiences :smile:

Reply 16

Jess0__0