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senor said:
So I have spent a lot of time lurking around various Peace Corps threads, but I have a few specific questions for RPCV's who have since entered or finished medical school. Peace Corps is something I have wanted to do for a long time; significantly longer than I've been sure I wanted to go to medical school. I don't really need it for an admissions edge (solid stats/MCAT/EC's from a top school), so the key deciding factor for me is whether or not I'll regret it, or if it's the best way I can do something meaningful abroad. I also have a good amount of experience working in developing countries, often along side Peace Corps volunteers, so I think I'll be able to handle the commitment and the things not working 90% of the time.

I've been lucky enough to have recently been offered a position to teach secondary school science in Mozambique and I just wanted to get a little input before committing.

My main questions boil down to:
1) Are you happy that you waited to start medical school until after doing Peace Corps, or did you kind of wish you were like those 22 year-olds in your M1 class, instead of in your mid 20's?

2) Do you think that the experience was more worth while, both to you and to the communities you served, than waiting until after you had your MD, or while you were a med student, to engage in international service work?

3)Do you feel that the Peace Corps has directly influenced your path as a med student/physician? How so?
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My main concern would be the MCAT expiring b/c Peace Corps is a 2-year commitment.

What region are you thinking of? I spent a summer in Indonesia, and while there met some Peace Corps members from neighboring Thailand, they pretty much couldn't speak more highly of it. Advice I was given when I asked whether I should spend a year teaching before going to Medical School was to go for it, because international service/teaching opportunities will never be more feasible than they are now. Once you're in Medical School, you're on a one-way track to being a doctor, and that's year and years of requirements to fill.

Basically, I don't feel like you're going to have time to pack up and volunteer in Moldova for 2 years until you're like...60. So if it's something you've always wanted to do, an MCAT retake might be worth it (unless you're submitting through TMDSAS which allows 5 years for old MCATs before expiring)
 
I'm not a RPCV but I am a non-trad career changer (late 20s) who has worked professionally in the field (both literally and metaphorically--international development work in developing countries), and both of my roommates are RPCVs. I also seriously considered pursuing the Peace Corps after college and completed the application process before deciding to accept a different position I had been offered with another NGO.

So I can't answer all of your questions, but I can offer my perspective. Personally, I'm extremely happy I waited to start medical school until after I pursued the work I did before. I totally didn't get it when I was 20, but now I'm starting to understand what people meant when they told me that 2 years is really not that long in the scheme of things. If you want to serve in the Peace Corps, don't let the 2 years hold you back. I have absolutely zero regrets that I'm not a 22-year-old right now; I'm very glad I'm not.

As far as making a difference in the community you're serving, don't plan on it. The Peace Corps will make this abundantly clear to you during the application process, but the major benefit of the Peace Corps is giving *you* skills and perspectives that will make you a better doctor. As gyngyn said, your impact will be much greater as a doctor than as a PCV. This absolutely doesn't mean the PC is worthless; far from it. But one of the biggest problems they have is people coming into it thinking that they're going to make a difference and getting really frustrated when they realize the reality.

The PC is also good for those who have been killing it in college and need a little break before med school. As you've noted, there's lots (and lots and lots) of sitting and doing nothing when trying to get any work done in developing countries, so you'll have plenty of time to chill and travel and explore. My friends who have done the PC between college and med school noted that benefit. They also say that where you get placed will have a gigantic impact on your experience. For example, the Kenyan PCVs have a reputation of being a drinking bunch who want a 2 year party. Other locations have different reputations. You get to choose the area you want to go to, and I'd recommend really giving the area some serious thought, both for your personal happiness and your personal goals, because those around you can really affect the tenor of your time there.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful! It sounds like you can't go wrong either way. Good luck!
 
gyngyn said:
If you can get into a good school now, why not consider the NHSC instead?
Your skills and impact will be so much greater.
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I have considered this as well, and might end up deciding this is the path for me even after Peace Corps. However, I would really like to go abroad, as well as take a little time off from academia and do something practical and helpful before spending MS1 & 2 hitting the books again.
Also, though NHSC's mission resonates with me, especially being from a lower income family myself, I don't feel that I currently have enough exposure or knowledge to justify dedicating my life to primary care before setting foot in medical school and exploring the various faucets of medicine.


EasternMer said:
My main concern would be the MCAT expiring b/c Peace Corps is a 2-year commitment.

What region are you thinking of? I spent a summer in Indonesia, and while there met some Peace Corps members from neighboring Thailand, they pretty much couldn't speak more highly of it. Advice I was given when I asked whether I should spend a year teaching before going to Medical School was to go for it, because international service/teaching opportunities will never be more feasible than they are now. Once you're in Medical School, you're on a one-way track to being a doctor, and that's year and years of requirements to fill.

Basically, I don't feel like you're going to have time to pack up and volunteer in Moldova for 2 years until you're like...60. So if it's something you've always wanted to do, an MCAT retake might be worth it (unless you're submitting through TMDSAS which allows 5 years for old MCATs before expiring)
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I would be teaching in Mozambique, but we don't know what part of the country until after the initial training period. The fact that I won't be able to spend such a significant time in another country or culture until I'm retired, if ever, is definitely one of the big reasons that I am attracted to Peace Corps.
Also, I've checked the policies of all the schools I want to apply to, and it looks like they will all except the January 2015 MCAT for the 2017 application cycle, which is a relief because I don't particular want to go through that again, especially with the stress of accomplishing a repeat performance.

jamcat said:
The PC is also good for those who have been killing it in college and need a little break before med school. As you've noted, there's lots (and lots and lots) of sitting and doing nothing when trying to get any work done in developing countries, so you'll have plenty of time to chill and travel and explore. My friends who have done the PC between college and med school noted that benefit. They also say that where you get placed will have a gigantic impact on your experience. For example, the Kenyan PCVs have a reputation of being a drinking bunch who want a 2 year party. Other locations have different reputations. You get to choose the area you want to go to, and I'd recommend really giving the area some serious thought, both for your personal happiness and your personal goals, because those around you can really affect the tenor of your time there.
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It's great to hear about your own experience as well as that of your friends. To me it seems like an awesome opportunity for all the reasons you have outlined. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being overly optimistic about thinking I wouldn't care that I was one of older folks when I got to med school.
 
I know one person really enjoying it, and two people who quit midway through. I think it will be a mixed experience, depending both on you and your community
 
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