Gap Year Internships

Medicine

Why a medical placement?

A medical placement as part of your summer holiday, gap year or medical degree will make you streets ahead of the competition. You will provide invaluable help in often understaffed hospitals and clinics, and work along side qualified health professionals. You will also have the chance to learn about the traditional medicines of the country you visit, for example, in India, you could study the ancient practice of Ayurvedic medicine. Finally, you will be able to experience injuries and tropical diseases rarely seen in the West, like yellow fever, leprosy and landmine/war injuries and help cure and rehabilitate the sufferers.

During college or sixth form:

Some gap companies are now offering short trips away for students considering medicine as a career. These special excursions, usually around two weeks in length, will see you observing doctors in various different settings, such as a paediatric ward or a burns clinic. These two week trips not only look fantastic on your application to university, but will allow you to confirm with yourself that medicine is the career for you.

As your gap year placement:

A medical placement on your gap year will obviously be much more involved, as you will spend several months shadowing doctors in a major hospital. Usually, you will take on an observatory role (although in many places, once trust has been established between the volunteer and the doctor, more hands on opportunities may arise) and closely follow a doctor in various different departments for roughly a fortnight each. Asking questions and showing initiative are highly encouraged, as you gain invaluable experience and confidence.

During your degree – medical electives

As a third year (or more) medical student, you will be trusted to perform hands on tasks. Elective placements are tailored to get you as much experience as possible of the specialisation of your choice. Interpreters will be provided by your gap company, to make sure you get the most out of the time by being able to converse fully and safely with the doctors and patients.

Other types of placement

Planning a career in healthcare but don’t want to be a doctor? Don’t worry! There are plenty of other related placements you could take part in. Physiotherapy, dentistry, occupational therapy, nursing and midwifery are all offered in a similar way, so check with your gap company.