Medical gap years abroad

Spurious work?

The debate about the usefulness of gap years kicked off in August 2007 when VSO warned young people about taking up “spurious work in developing countries.” Suddenly it seemed that many gap schemes offered little more than costly “voluntourism.” Stories abounded of experiences that paid lip service to the hyped up promises of placements. It seemed that not everyone who pitched up in developing countries, eager to put their medical training to use, had been given the chance to develop their professional portfolio.

Overnight, doubt was cast over what had become a rite of passage for many young medics. Is the gap year, that chance to make a difference while seeing the world, all that it's cracked up to be? And, by implication, if it's not, what does it do to the continuity of training within the NHS?

Leaving the NHS for a year could have enormous implications for your career path. This, according to Ruth Grearson, VSO's director of marketing for health, is worrying when considering the benefits of good placements.

Time out of training

“One problem that VSO has,” she says, “is that doctors think that one year is a long time out of the NHS. Yet you are building skills and experience and gaining, abroad, what it could take years to develop within the NHS. Clinical practice, training skills, and leadership are all a part …