Medical Gap Year
What is a medical gap year
If you are planning on embarking on a medical career or you're looking to get further 'hands on' experience during your studies, then a Medical Gap Year could be a valuable and rewarding option to consider. Gone are the days of ploughing your way through year after year of studies, in fact prospective students are now encouraged to take part in volunteer medical programs by medical schools as a way of maturing and preparing themselves for their course. The Gap Year experience will also allow you travel the world, as well as potentially earning you some money!
Volunteering on a Medical Project could take you to many different countries, and you don't need to be an aspiring brain surgeon to sign up. Placements could include Nursing in Africa, Midwifery in Asia, Dentistry in South America or Physiotherapy in Australasia, the world is your oyster, and luckily there are a number of specialist gap year companies on hand to help you plan the experience no matter what your level of qualification or your desired medical profession.
Medical gap years are a good mix of learning and giving something back. You'll be learning valuable new skills to take forward into your future studies and beyond, as well as providing huge benefits to the local community by giving vital aid to those that need it most. Many companies offer varying lengths of placements depending on your trip criteria, so whether you have a spare month or whole year, you can be sure to find a project to suit you.
Once you return from your project, be sure to update your CV and notify your desired Medical School or Healthcare employer. It's important they understand you spent your gap year in a medical environment and by providing them with examples of your hands on experience, you'll be giving yourself the best opportunity of securing that dream job or course placement.
Popular Medical Gap Years:
Conservation and Community Projects Employer: Worldwide Experience A once in a life time opportunity to get involved with our hands on projects around the globe. Get close up to wildlife, become a Game Ranger, help support those less fortunate than you, coach football or join in on our Wildlife Filmmaking project. Conserve, Develop, Teach… Make a Difference! | Medical Projects Employer: Global Medical Projects Are you looking to gain useful and practical medical experience in hospitals and clinics around the world? Placements available for pre-university and medical students in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We also arrange placements for those interested in dental, nursing and physiotherapy experience |
Global Volunteering Employer: Lattitude Global Volunteering Lattitude Global volunteering is an international youth development charity specialising in long term, adventurous and rewarding placements. Opportunities available include; teaching, conservation (environment and wildlife), medical, community work and caring as well as outdoor education. | Volunteer on over 150 Overseas Projects Employer: Kaya Responsible Travel Join one of 180 Kaya Projects across Asia, Africa and Latin America to help improve lives and environments in the world’s developing nations |
Affordable Short-term Volunteering in Africa Employer: Agape Volunteers Volunteer in Africa from £190. Volunteer for as long as you want, when you want, from 1 week to a year. Fit a short placement into a vacation or break. Teach in a school, care for orphans, coach sport, help combat AIDS or volunteer as a medical student and gain experience to help your degree | Affordable African Volunteering Placements Employer: International Volunteer HQ International Volunteer HQ offers a wide variety of very affordable volunteer placements throughout Africa. Over 5000 volunteers travel with IVHQ on their volunteer programs annually working in a variety of placements such as orphanage work, teaching, surfing, construction and medical placements. |
Volunteer Abroad Starting £140 Employer: Volunteering Solutions Volunteering Solutions provides reliable, safe and affordable International Volunteer Abroad Programs in 19 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin/South America to serve the local and needy communities. Our mission is to provide meaningful and fully researched volunteer and internship programs. | Short Term Volunteer PlacementsEmployer: International Volunteer HQ Looking to travel and work in a variety of countries? IVHQ's low cost and short term volunteer placements are designed with the gap year traveller in mind. Travel to a variety of countries and work for as short as one week or as long as six months! |
Frontier: The experience of a lifetime Employer: Frontier Frontier specialises in offering gap year expeditions for adventurers of any age. Our ethical tours are perfect for providing you with a fantastic experience before going to university or starting a job. Whilst away on a Frontier project, you can also volunteer abroad and you will be able to make... | Affordable Medical Placements in AfricaEmployer: Agape Volunteers Medical volunteering from £190. Gain valuable experience towards your degree in a clinic or hospital. Responsibilities are rounds, prescribing medicines, diagnosis, dressing wounds and assisting births. Flexible programs from 1 week to a year mean you can make the most of your skills and your time. |
Ghana Employer: Projects Abroad Volunteers in Ghana work on a wide range of projects including Teaching, Care, Community including Building and IT Projects, Medical & Healthcare Projects – including Medicine, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Midwifery and Dentistry, plus Journalism, Veterinary Medicine, Sports, and Human Rights | Affordable Gap Year Volunteering PlacementsEmployer: International Volunteer HQ Want to make the most of your gap year but not spend a fortune? International Volunteer HQ is the world's most affordable volunteer organization, hosting thousands of gap year students as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Every year over 5000 volunteers travel abroad with us- join the team |
Medical, Orphanage And Hospital Volunteering Employer: African Impact Make a difference! Kenya's health care and provision suffers as much as any other public service sector in the country. Whilst structures are in place for an effective heath service, there is an enormous deficit in terms of staff and resources. Which is why the volunteers' help is very much needed | Incredible Volunteering in IndiaEmployer: Volunteering Solutions We have volunteer work programs in India which include; working with orphans at an orphanage,with kids at day care centers, women empowerment programs, HIV/Health programs, helping and supporting street children and teaching English. |
Experience Front Line Aid WorkEmployer: Agape Volunteers Volunteer with Agape Volunteers and provide crucial aid to refugees in Kenya. The refugee camp in the Central Rift Valley lacks the essentials of food, water and medical supplies. Agape Volunteers is currently the only aid organization operating there: help us to make a lasting impact.
| Affordable Latin America Volunteer PlacementsEmployer: International Volunteer HQ Volunteer abroad in Latin America with the world's most affordable international volunteer organization. International Volunteer HQ offers a wide variety of very affordable volunteer placements in Central and South America. Over 5000 volunteers travel with IVHQ on their volunteer programs annually. |
Affordable Asian Volunteering PlacementsEmployer: International Volunteer HQ Volunteer with hundreds of others on one of IVHQ's incredibly affordable gap year volunteer projects. Over 5000 volunteers travel with IVHQ on their volunteer programs in Asia annually participating in programs such as panda conservation, orphanage work, medical work and teaching English to monks. | Affordable Volunteering in AfricaEmployer: Agape Volunteers Volunteer in Africa from £190. Choose from different programs in four African regions. Teach in a school, care for orphans, coach sport, combat AIDS or volunteer as a medical student. Volunteer for as long as you want, starting when you want and experience front-line aid work with a UK charity. |
Affordable Volunteering Gap-Years in AfricaEmployer: Agape Volunteers Volunteer in Africa from £190. Explore an exciting new country, volunteer in projects including schools and hospitals whilst making the most of your stay. Take a safari, white water raft the Nile, quad-bike the Sahara and go ape-trekking in Uganda. Stay as long as you want, starting when you want. | Affordable and Rewarding Medical Placements Worldwide Employer: Love Volunteers Gain incomparable medical experience and knowledge with Love Volunteers and our partner organizations. Shadow local doctors and nurses, assisting them and learning by observing their work at clinics and hospitals with hands on work dictated by experience. All levels of experience are welcome |
Get Work Experience Abroad on Volunteering PlacementsEmployer: Kaya Responsible Travel Join one of 180 Kaya Projects across Asia, Africa and Latin America to help improve lives and environments in the world’s developing nations, whilst developing your CV | Volunteering Employer: Real Gap Fancy helping with teaching work in Malawi, rehabilitating monkeys in South Africa or caring for disabled children in Vietnam? You can make a real difference to hundreds of projects around the world, whether you want to save the planet, protect a species or impoverished youngsters a better future. |