Has anyone heard of "Loop Abroad"?

[skipsbarryimage]

I came across a facebook ad for a summer study abroad in Thailand . It is geared towards undergraduates interested in veterinary medicine and I think it would be an awesome experience for future summers.

Has anyone ever heard of it? I'm wondering how "legit" it is.

Here is the website:
http://www.loopabroad.com/content/college-veterinary-service

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[shortnsweet]

That is insanely expensive for 2 weeks.

ARK is legit though....I know vet students who have worked with them.

 

[Hannah1107]

Another option for volunteering in Thailand is through the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand ( wfft.org ). I volunteered there for a summer and it was an awesome experience. Definitely need to be prepared for some tough labor but I loved it. If you're interested pm me and I'd be glad to tell you more. (Much cheaper, only about $200-300 a week plus airfare)

 

[NStarz]

Another option--be a vet student at Ohio State. We have a program where you travel to Thailand with one of our anatomy professors, see the country, help out the local clinics, and visit/help out at elephant sanctuaries.

 

[skipsbarryimage]

Hannah, I am PMing you.

Nstarz, that is also an option, thank you! Do you know if someone could volunteer at the elephant sanctuaries on their own? (I'm not looking for school credit but for an experience).

Shortnsweet, does ARK have a website? I had a hard time finding them via google.

 

[shortnsweet]

http://theark-cm.uniquethailand.com/

 

[NStarz]

I'm not entirely sure. I'm sure they are always looking for volunteers, but I also know there is a lot of liability surrounding elephants.

 

[crazycatlady]

..

 

[Hannah1107]

For the one I volunteered for, the 200-300 a week you paid was for a place to stay and all of your meals, so I wouldn't really say it was a pay to volunteer it was more pay for your accommodations as all of their money resources go directly to the animals benefit. I think that some pay to volunteer places may not be the best choice, but you certainly can't expect to not pay a cent for your stay there if they are housing and feeding you.

 

[bold text]

I did this last year, it was a blast.

 

[LoopVet]

Before I became a small animal veterinarian, I spent a lot of time volunteering with various national and international animal care organizations. If you are looking for a great volunteer and travel experience, there are several terrific organizations both US and Thailand based. What's unique about Loop Abroad is the opportunity the program provides you to get hands-on, supervised veterinary experience with Loop Abroad's own personal veterinarian. With most volunteer programs, your job is determined by the shelter's needs that particular week; with Loop Abroad, the volunteer's job is to learn alongside the program's veterinarian while the whole group, vet and students, help the shelter with their needs.

As one of Loop Abroad's veterinarians, I provide daily hands-on instruction to students as they meet and care for the dogs and cats at the shelters we partner with in Thailand. High school and college students are supervised while they spend a week learning how to perform examinations, restrain companion animals, test for diseases, and even assist in surgery. During the second week, spent at an elephant rescue and rehabilitation center, students get the opportunity to observe behind-the-scenes medical care with the sanctuary's own elephant and small animal veterinarians while still being accompanied by Loop Abroad's own veterinarian. These very hands-on encounters with a veterinarian teaching you along the way offer a unique and memorable experience as well as skills you can apply in future classes and jobs.

 

[Soon2bedogtor]

Wonder if this would make a vet school application stand out a bit more? I need all the "oh wows" I can get on my application..

 

[Minnerbelle]

Wonder if this would make a vet school application stand out a bit more? I need all the "oh wows" I can get on my application..

I've spoken with a couple of faculty on adcoms while in vet school during random discussions during downtime in clinics. And this came up. At least the people I was speaking to was of the opinion that activities like these where all one needs to do is pay money to participate in isn't very impressive. It gives them something to talk about during the interview for an otherwise uninteresting applicant to assess their views and whatever. But having this type of thing on the application by itself is far from a wow factor. Plus, enough people do it that it's really not all that unique.

Medical voluntourism is something that gets discussed often (or at least used to) in the pre-allo forums, and it seems like the adcoms there also generally felt the same.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I've spoken with a couple of faculty on adcoms while in vet school during random discussions during downtime in clinics. And this came up. At least the people I was speaking to was of the opinion that activities like these where all one needs to do is pay money to participate in isn't very impressive. It gives them something to talk about during the interview for an otherwise uninteresting applicant to assess their views and whatever. But having this type of thing on the application by itself is far from a wow factor. Plus, enough people do it that it's really not all that unique.

Medical voluntourism is something that gets discussed often (or at least used to) in the pre-allo forums, and it seems like the adcoms there also generally felt the same.

Completely agree with this, I've heard the same from several schools when I was preparing to apply. That doesn't necessarily mean you wouldn't learn anything valuable, but it typically doesn't set you apart. Study abroad (without a volunteering aspect) doesn't typically set you apart either. These are opportunities that are accessible to nearly everyone.

Unless you're dead set on doing this, use the money for something else (like driving to that equine vet that's an hour away from you or something of the sort).

 

[lee chase]

I did Loop Abroad this past summer after a friend who got into vet school recommend it. I loved it! I figure everyone does volunteering at home and I wanted to stand out. I couldnt find anywhere you could volunteer abroad for free. That kind of thing doesnt exist unfortunately (ive extensively checked). and I agree its A LOT of money but in the end you get what you pay for. I also applied for the Loop Abroad scholarship and they also helped me with fundraising. It was western standards, nothing sketchy at all and we got to do a ridiculous amount of stuff that my local vet clinic would never let a student do. Im actually thinking about doing their semester program next year since I think I can get credit for it. I do recommend trying to go with a friend or making your own group of 8 just in case you dont mesh well with some of the others in the group your put into.

 

[deleted676737]

I did Loop Abroad this past summer after a friend who got into vet school recommend it. I loved it! I figure everyone does volunteering at home and I wanted to stand out. I couldnt find anywhere you could volunteer abroad for free. That kind of thing doesnt exist unfortunately (ive extensively checked). and I agree its A LOT of money but in the end you get what you pay for. I also applied for the Loop Abroad scholarship and they also helped me with fundraising. It was western standards, nothing sketchy at all and we got to do a ridiculous amount of stuff that my local vet clinic would never let a student do. Im actually thinking about doing their semester program next year since I think I can get credit for it. I do recommend trying to go with a friend or making your own group of 8 just in case you dont mesh well with some of the others in the group your put into.

You dug up five old threads to make this same post five times? Are you getting paid by them to advertise or something?

Anyway, I don't know that I personally agree ethically with pre-med/vet voluntourism, especially when there are many shelters and rescues and such in the US that are dying for more help and don't charge you for it. There's probably also a good reason that your local vet clinic won't let you do certain things, but I'm going to refrain from opening that can of worms (and I know there's been prior discussions on SDN regarding that). Do it if you want, but the cost is prohibitive for a lot of people and I don't think it will really give you that much of a leg up in admissions outside of perhaps having a couple of interesting experiences to talk about during interviews.

 

[Pugsforlove2014]

Agreed with above, I never did it since I don't care to spend over 5k on something when I had volunteer stuff I could do locally and then when I was past my freshman year of college actually work at a vet clinic. Saying that I know friends who have done it and a person who actually works at this program, all of them love it, but it isn't something that's gonna stand out all that much on your resume according to most admission personal. Volunteering far more longterm (3+ months) with organizations etc seem to catch their eyes more. Or, as said before, volunteering is great but the best thing to do is to actually get a job, that communicates with the admission staff that other veterinarians consider you competent enough to pay for you skills and work.