GREETINGS

GREETINGS, GAP MEDICS ALUMNI

We love to keep in touch with our previous students—learning of the extent

to which you have advanced in your knowledge and experience is one of the

most rewarding aspects of our day-to-day activities. After hearing so much

from you about developments in your lives and careers, we wanted to take the

opportunity to let you know how Gap Medics has grown since you were last

with us. This is our first alumni newsletter, and it is our hope that you will be as

excited by our future as we are about yours!

SUMMER NEWSLETTERSEPTEMBER 2014

PROGRAM UPDATES

TANZANIATHE NEW HOUSE IN MOROGOROIn 2014, we launched our first programs tailored specifically toward high school students, designating our Morogoro base as one of two destinations for students under the age of 18. Over 350 students were slated to join us in Morogoro for the summer, and we wanted to do something special for them. Work on the brand new Gap Medics Forest House began in early 2014. By mid-June, we had completed construction on a gorgeous property in one of the most sought-after residential areas of Morogoro. Within a 20-minute walk from our major partner hospitals, the Forest House is—appropriately—surrounded by woodland! Offering stunning views of the Uluguru Mountains, our students got their first look at the Forest House in June. They celebrated the launch with traditional tribal entertainment and a feast! THE NEW KILIMANJARO SUMMER PROGRAMWe opened our second under-18’s destination in the city of Moshi, which rests at the foot of the famous Mt. Kilimanjaro—on a clear day, you can even see the mountain from the Kilimanjaro House! Our main partner hospital, St. Joseph’s, is only 10 minutes away by foot. We have also partnered with the smaller Kibosho District Hospital, which is set in a beautiful rural area in the mountains. Our first group of students arrived at the Kilimanjaro House in June, and over 200 students in total joined us on this spectacular summer program! OUR FLAGSHIP PROGRAM IN IRINGAOver the summer, 270 students from around the world joined us at our flagship destination in Iringa, which was recently designated as an over-18’s destination. Their visits were characterized by a multitude of charitable donations. One group of students donated three boxes of equipment to Dr. Manyama, which they collected before they arrived in Tanzania. The boxes included hand sanitizer, gloves, goggles, and surgical masks—things that we often take for granted, but that our partner hospitals need desperately. Russell Cherrington donated another huge bag of supplies, and Arjun Patel and Youssaf Rehman both donated scrubs. Other students left their surplus supplies for Gap Medics staff to donate to our partner hospitals on their behalves.

THAILANDCHIANG MAIOur Chiang Mai destination was also designated as an over-18’s destination this year, playing host to over 250 students throughout the summer. The Jungle House will be undergoing some new construction as we extend the dining area and build a brand new kitchen. We have also forged a new partnership with the Rajanagarindra Institute of Child Development, a center that provides care for children from all over Thailand who suffer from developmental and behavioral disorders.

STAFF UPDATES

As our programs flourish, so does the Gap Medics family. This

year, it was our pleasure to welcome staff members, both old

and new, into positions of trust and responsibility at our facilities. IRINGASam, formerly the student placement manager at our head office in the UK, has joined Mdoe and the Iringa team for the summer. She is currently serving as our program manager and has been busy ensuring that student placements are well organized and that students are having a great time. MOROGOROGilbert, previously our placement coordinator, has taken the helm of our Morogoro program as the new program manager. He has been very active in overseeing the construction of the Forest House. Ruth, originally from the UK, joined the operations team in Morogoro. She has been assisting Gilbert in the day-to-day running of the program, making sure that students are settling in well.

KILIMANJAROThe talented and well-liked Jerry, formally our program manager for Morogoro, has joined the Kilimanjaro program as our new program manager. He has been hard at work organizing hospital placements and making our students smile. Emma is new to Gap Medics and has joined us from the UK. As a member of the operations team, she has been assisting Jerry in his daily activities, making sure that our students are having a fantastic experience. Joshua, who previously worked with us in Iringa, has joined us as a caterer at the new Kilimanjaro House. He’s been busy cooking up a storm over the summer, and has—of course—been treating our students to his famous samosas. Jessica, who used to be a night supervisor in Morogoro, has also made the journey to Kilimanjaro. She is currently serving as our housekeeper, making sure that everything is neat and in order. CHIANG MAITik, our program manager, and Siobhan, a valued member of the operations team, have welcomed several new staff members to the Jungle House. Pang, Mike, Gai, Ji, and Jenny have all joined us as placement coordinators. Pook will be taking up the role of catering assistant and Nong has joined us as a housekeeping assistant.

WHERE DID YOU HEAR ABOUT GAP MEDICS? One of my friends went to Iringa last summer and had a ton of good things to say about the hospitals, the Gap Medics staff, and the country! WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO APPLY TO OUR PROGRAM?I wanted an experience with medicine that would confirm my decision to go into the field, but also to pick up some skills, meet new people, and experience a new culture. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN HEALTHCARE?My dad is a doctor, so I grew up hearing about his cases and his patients. Medicine has always fascinated me, and I wanted to grow up and be able to make the kinds of improvements in patients' quality of life that he did! WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE IRINGA AS YOUR DESTINATION?I thought that I'd get the most out of the program in Tanzania because, out of all the destinations I had to choose from, it was definitely the one that was most different from the US. I really wanted an experience that would put me a little outside my comfort zone. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE?It's so hard to choose, but I'd have to say the people I met: the Gap Medics staff, the other students, and the doctors at the hospital. They’re what made my experience so awesome, and I miss them already! WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST MEMORY FROM YOUR TIME ABROAD?Again, so hard to pick! Dancing with my friends and some of the staff at Shooter's was so fun, and so was climbing Gangilonga Rock for the sunset—and the barbecues at the house!

AUDREY KELLYPRE-MEDICINE PROGRAMIRINGA, TANZANIAJUNE 2014

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

WHAT WAS THE MOST EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE YOU HAD WHILE ON OUR PROGRAM?On my very first day of placement, a little girl was brought in with severe malnutrition—she was two years old and barely 13 pounds. I'd seen pictures of malnutrition before, but I was definitely not prepared. I have little cousins around her age, which made her condition especially hard to see. I got updates about her throughout my time in the hospital from the doctors that were looking after her, and she got healthier and healthier. I visited her in the pediatric ward right before I left, and didn't even recognize her at first because she'd gained so much weight—it was a really emotional experience. WERE YOU SURPRISED BY THE DIFFERENCE IN HEALTHCARE COMPARED TO HOSPITALS AT HOME?I applied for the program knowing that the systems at home and in Tanzania were going to be different. I wanted to get a sense of how medicine is practiced without the benefit of some of the expensive equipment doctors in the US have. Of all the things that were different—besides a lack of equipment and often understaffing—I think that the social views surrounding healthcare and treatment were especially interesting. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE?Obviously, I took away a lot of practical knowledge about procedures and diagnosis in particular, but I also learned a lot about what is universal about good doctors and what a great doctor looks like when you take away expensive equipment and facilities. I also got a great, immersive experience with culture and healthcare in the Third World. DO YOU THINK YOUR PLACEMENT HAS PREPARED YOU FOR YOUR FUTURE CAREER?Absolutely! I learned a ton from the outpatient department about diagnosis and dealing with emergencies, and got to see so many procedures in the surgical department that I definitely wouldn't have been able to see at home in the US. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE IN REGARDS TO PURSUING MEDICINE?I still have two years to go in undergrad, but I plan to attend medical school in the fall of 2016, hopefully at NYU or Tulane University, and eventually specialize in neurology/neurosurgery. I'd also love to go back to Iringa and to Tosamaganga Hospital to help out—I promised a lot of doctors I'd be back!

CONTACT USGap Medics, One Market Street, Spear Tower,Suite 3600, San Francisco, California 94105, USAinfo@gapmedics.com 1.415.361.4076

VISIT US ONLINEWWW.GAPMEDICS.COM

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