Our Gap Year Program is a pre-exposure internship with the purpose of providing an unique firsthand experience of the medical field, aiding in the decision-making process for future studies.
The requirements for joining the Gap Year Program placement are as follows:
Age Requirement: Participants must be above 18 years of age.
No Prior Hospital Experience Needed: There is no necessity for prior experience in a hospital setting. The program is designed to accommodate individuals with varying levels of experience.
Observational Nature: The program is purely observational, offering participants a firsthand experience in the medical field. Learning outcomes are derived from interactions with medical professionals.
These requirements ensure that the program is open to individuals interested in exploring the medical field, regardless of their previous experience, and provides a valuable opportunity for observational learning, .
Our Medical Student Program is designed for individuals currently enrolled in medical studies, including Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, or Dentistry.
This program provides a unique opportunity to acquire clinical experience abroad, enhancing your understanding of global healthcare.
Given that supervised clinical hands-on experience is a key component, it is crucial for you as a student to reflect on your own boundaries and effectively communicate your level of knowledge to your assigned mentor throughout the internship. This ensures a meaningful and beneficial experience for both the student and the mentor.
It is often possible to integrate the internship with a clinical course at one's university.
No, all hospital mentors and Try Medics staff speak English.
As a starting point, we recommend a high school level of English. However, you'll be shadowing your mentor with at least one fellow participant, so in case you miss anything, you can ask your fellow participant or have your mentor repeat.
Participants are typically between 18-24 years old, with those in our Medical Student Program often being in the upper age range.
Certainly, but it's not necessary. You'll quickly form new friendships.
We experience the program evolves into a small community of like-minded young individuals with a shared interest in healthcare.
The numerous shared experiences during and around the internship contribute to the rapid formation of strong bonds among participants. Most join on the program without knowing other participants beforehand.
Usually, there are 16-25 participants on each placement period. A positive group dynamic tends to develop quickly, allowing participants to share their experiences.
Our placements offer flexibility, ranging from 4 to 12 weeks. Most participants opt for our foundational 4-week placement to ensure a rewarding experience.
For an extended experience, an 8-week combination is recommended, with 4 weeks in Uganda followed by 4 weeks in Zanzibar, providing the best of both destinations.
The key factor in choosing the duration is to listen to your intuition and select what you're most comfortable with.
Safety is our top priority for participants. We consistently monitor travel advisories and local news in Uganda and Zanzibar. Each location has a dedicated Try Medics team on ground to ensure a secure and structured experience.
We recommend early enrollment for smoother travel preparations and potential cost-saving opportunities on flights. Our internship placements operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and many periods fill up well in advance most often 4-6 months prior to the placement start date.
To secure your spot, a $500 USD deposit is required within 7 days of enrollment, while the remaining amount for your placement is due a month before your selected placement starts.
You can cancel your placement and receive a full refund up to two months prior to your chosen start date. Cancellations with less than 60 days notice prior to the start are not eligible for a refund.
Yes, many choose to extend their gap year adventures after completing the program, whether staying in the same destination or exploring another country.
The entry visa provided for the placement covers visits to your chosen destination for up to 90 days.
Yes, Try Medics is a member of the Danish Travel Guarantee Fund (Rejsegarantifonden) with number 2642, ensuring customer protection.
Before the start of your placement, it's crucial to plan and book your flight tickets, as well as ensure you have the necessary travel vaccinations, insurance, and entry visa.
Once enrolled, we'll guide you through the entire process. You'll receive a comprehensive preparation guide outlining the necessary steps for your placement, along with a packing list to help you prepare adequately.
We're here to support you throughout your preparation, and always reachable by call or message to answer any question you may have.
We typically have 16-25 participants on each placement.
Being on a placement with other young individuals from around the world who share an interest in healthcare offers several advantages.
A strong bond and joy quickly develops among participants from the many experiences shared both during and outside of the internship.
As a general practice in our internship allocation, we always ensure that a minimum of two participants are assigned to the same department and mentor. This way, you always have a fellow participant to share the experience with.
You'll be invited to join a Facebook group where you can connect and interact with fellow participants who will be on the placement during the same period as you. We'll also use the group to send important messages and updates leading up to the trip.
Even though the flights to and from your chosen destination aren't included in the stay, we're here to assist.
We'll provide a recommended route, encouraging you and other participants on your chosen placement to book together if possible.
As part of the preparation process, we'll create a Facebook group for all participants enrolled in the same placement.
If you're going to Uganda, you'll fly to Entebbe Airport.
If you're going to Zanzibar, you'll fly to Zanzibar Airport (Abeid Amani Karume International Airport).
For both destinations, you should arrive on the Sunday of your chosen placement start date within 00-18 (12 AM - 6 PM)
As soon as you exit the airport at your chosen destination, you'll be greeted by us and safely driven to the Try Medics house. The drive from the airport to the house lasts only 15-20 minutes for both destinations.
The placement at both destinations ends after the last internship day on Friday of your last week. Following this, most participants choose to fly home on Saturday, allowing ample time for packing.
We recommend consulting your doctor, who can provide guidance on the recommended vaccinations for your trip.
Whether you're heading to Uganda or Zanzibar, our past participants have generally been advised to get vaccinated against diphtheria-tetanus, hepatitis A & B, and yellow fever. For Uganda, meningitis vaccination has also been recommended.
In addition, participants are advised to take preventive malaria medication (Malaria prophylaxis) throughout the duration of their stay.
Our chefs at the destinations have experience accommodating food allergies like gluten and lactose intolerance. If you're a vegetarian, our chefs can also cater to that during your stay.
For those with gluten allergies, we recommend bringing gluten-free pasta from home, which allows our chefs to better vary your diet. If you have other gluten-free products you can bring, feel free to do so, as the availability of gluten-free products is limited at both destinations.
In Zanzibar, all meat is halal-slaughtered as 95% of the population is Muslim.
If you have a food allergy or dietary preference please write to us before your start date at info@trymedics.com, and we'll do our best to accommodate it during the placement.
You should bring clothes suitable for the warm weather as both destinations are in tropical environments. As soon as you're enrolled, you'll receive a preparation guide with a recommended packing list for your placement.
In Zanzibar, for women, it's not mandatory but respectful to wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees when in the capital city of Stone Town, considering the majority of the population is Muslim. Rest assured, there will still be plenty of opportunities to wear tank tops and shorts once you're at the beach areas or the Try Medics house.
Our team at the destination will do their best to assist you if you experience illness during your stay.
Before the start of your placement, it's crucial to obtain travel insurance that covers the full duration of your trip, from leaving your home country up to your return.
As part of our preparations guide, you will receive guidance on this as soon as you're enrolled.
If you've rented workwear for your internship, you will receive it at the destination to avoid taking up space in your suitcase.
You'll have the opportunity to select an appropriate size after trying out the workwear.
There is WiFi at the Try Medics house where you'll be staying with other participants. We recommend using this as soon as you arrive at the house to inform your family that you've arrived safely.
In addition to the WiFi at the house, during the first few days of the placement, we'll assist you and the other participants in obtaining a local SIM card that you can purchase a data package for. This is the best and most affordable way to stay online throughout the trip, even when you're outside the Try Medics house during the internship or various spare activities.
Depending on your usage, we find budgeting with approximately 20 USD for data packages is sufficient for a 4-week placement. It will be possible to top up as needed if you run out of data during the trip which our team on ground can assist you with.
Laundry at the destinations is done in the traditional African way using a tub, water, and soap that we provide at the house where you'll be staying. You have the option to wash your clothes yourself or have our housekeeping staff handle it. If you choose to have them do it, a bundle of laundry costs approximately 10 USD (for a maximum of 10 pieces of clothing), and this amount goes directly to them.
It may be necessary to have local currency as pocket money if you wish to souvenir shop or participate in optional activities.
In Zanzibar, Tanzanian Shilling is used, and in Uganda, Ugandan Shillings are used.
The easiest way to obtain pocket money in the local currency is to withdraw it from ATMs at the destination.
Alternatively, you can exchange dollars to the local currency if you bring cash. However, as a general guideline, we recommend using ATMs to avoid carrying a large amount of cash.
On the first Monday of your placement, there will be an orientation where participants become familiar with the area surrounding the Try Medics program and hospitals involved. As part of the orientation, you will be shown where ATMs and exchange bureaus are located.
We recommend estimating around 100-150 USD as pocket money per placement week. These amounts are just estimates based on previous participants' experiences, and since it's solely pocket money, it's your own responsibility whether you use more or less.
You'll stay at the Try Medics house with fellow participants who have chosen the same program duration. Each placement typically has 16-25 participants.
All Try Medics houses feature spacious gardens, relaxing areas, and WiFi, allowing you to stay connected with those back home!
Rooms are equipped with bunk beds, provided with mosquito nets, and bedding is changed weekly.
Participants generally find joy in living together, sharing experiences both on and off the internship. The common goal of career development and interest in healthcare forms a strong bond quickly.
Beyond the internship, the program provides a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals from diverse backgrounds around the world.
After the completion of your internship, you will receive a certificate, which can serve as documentation of your placement. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to obtain statements from the hospital mentors you'll be attached to during the course.
Apply now and look forward to get unique firsthand exposure within the field of healthcare
