Gap Medics recently ran a competition to win a free hospital placement with us this summer in Tanzania. Kathryn Corner was the lucky winner who will travel with us this summer and blog about her experiences.
Kathryn a year 12 pupil at Dame Allan’s Sixth form in Newcastle is understandably thrilled to be going on placement with us this summer and is already planning on documenting her experiences with a scrapbook detailing her time in Tanzania.
Dr John Hind, Principal of Dame Allan’s Schools is especially proud of Kathryn for winning the competition and can’t wait to hear about her Gap Medics experience next term.
We were overwhelmed by the response to the competition and extend are congratulations to Kathryn and look forward to reading all about her experiences.
Kathryn’s winning entry can be seen below and typified the benefits of a Gap Medics placement:
How a Gap Medics placement will help me on my journey to becoming a doctor
As the competition to be accepted into medical school continues to grow, pressure to stand out from the crowd in personal statements and interviews is becoming more and more intense. Becoming a doctor is a lifelong dream of mine, and I am determined to grasp every opportunity which comes my way. I believe a placement in Tanzania with Gap medics would not only be the most valuable experience I could gain to boost my application, but also exhilarating. No other placement could allow me to expand my knowledge and interest in many different aspects of medicine whilst forming potential lifelong friendships and immersing me in another fascinating culture.
The structure and security provided by Gap medics is the final touch which would make this placement, if I were lucky enough to win it, a once in a lifetime opportunity. On a rather mechanical note, it would undoubtedly add a unique element to my university application, though I understand that this is only one of many doors which the experience would open. Working closely with professional doctors in such a different environment would provide me with a more rounded knowledge of certain conditions such as malaria etc, not to mention skills which would guide me through my medical career.
The chance to explore the two worlds of culture and medicine in one is a breathtakingly exciting prospect. The combination of learning, UCAS value, safari, and African cuisine portray Tanzania to be worth months of work experience here in the U.K.
Kathryn will leave for Tanzania in August and you can keep up to date with her progress by following the blog on the Gap Medics website.