Healthcare Students Thar Lear is a student-led society run by the clinical year medical students of University of Galway. Founded in 1977 by Dr. Dom Colbert, it sends groups of medical students on electives to hospitals in Malawi and Zambia each summer to learn from their experiences and gain clinical experience. These students fundraise throughout the year for the partner hospitals to procure medical supplies for the hospitals we attend.
If you're interested in getting involved, get in touch!
Since its foundation, more than 400 medical students have been sent overseas as healthcare volunteers, bringing with them funds to develop and support healthcare delivery in the areas they are working. These places have most recently included areas of Zambia and Malawi, and in the past Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Peru, Ecuador, Belize, Vietnam, the Philippines and India.
Throughout the year, events and as many fundraising activities as the calendar will allow, take place. Our volunteers raise funds through their own endeavours as well as big events such as our annual Hospital Bed Push and world famous pub quizzes.
Every summer, after looking their exams in the eye, groups of students set off to their chosen destinations where they will spend 4-6 weeks. This time is spent on placement in the partner hospital, honing their their own skills, meeting with hospital administration to agree on equipment to purchase, and gaining personal experience in challenging healthcare environments. Each student participant pays for ALL of their own travel and accommodation expenses, in addition to reaching their own personal fundraising target. This means every euro, cent, and whatever else we find in our buckets, goes directly to the clinics, hospitals and communities in question. 100%. These funds, in discussion with the partner hospitals, is ALL used to buy vital medical equipment and supplies.
We meet up whenever we can so get in contact with one of us in the committee and we'll bring you along to our meetings. Our meetings are normally held in the Clinical Science Institute.
Individual events as per the committee emails. Join the mailing list and follow our instagram page to keep up to date!
Healthcare Students Thar Lear, Clinical Science Institute, Costello Road, Galway.
Instagram: hstsoc_ug
Email: hst@socs.universityofgalway.ie