Can i throw away plans and go to hong kong for two weeks?

[bravofleet4]

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Hi,

I'm going to hopefully apply to medical school by late June. However, my parents seem also really bent on planning a two week vacation to Hong Kong starting August 17th to August 30th. We're going to see my grandparents and I realize that I might not get many more chances to see them but it's really interfering with my plans. I wanted to take a class in spanish and computer programming at the local CC around that time which would also help me keep my medical insurance. I also figure that this is when secondary app's will start arriving in force (is that true?). I don't have a laptop, so I can't even say I'll have regular internet access while i'm overseas. I know generally that secondaries should be responded to within a few days of recieving them to signal eagerness. How long does it usually take to fill them out? Can I prepare by writing along the prompts I find online?

My dad as usual brushes my concerns too easily saying that medical schools should understand that I might be on vacation (which I think is complete BS) and I feel is completely understimating the process. He also thinks I can just take on-line courses to keep my insurance but I think they're a complete waste of them From what I've discovered most classes also require you to be on-campus at least some of the time and I don't think they'd let me miss two weeks...

I want to say I don't want to go but I don't want to disappoint my parents. Any opinions?

 

[DrJD]

Hi,

I'm going to hopefully apply to medical school by late June. However, my parents seem also really bent on planning a two week vacation to Hong Kong starting August 17th to August 30th. We're going to see my grandparents and I realize that I might not get many more chances to see them but it's really interfering with my plans. I wanted to take a class in spanish and computer programming at the local CC around that time which would also help me keep my medical insurance. I also figure that this is when secondary app's will start arriving in force (is that true?). I don't have a laptop, so I can't even say I'll have regular internet access while i'm overseas. I know generally that secondaries should be responded to within a few days of recieving them to signal eagerness. How long does it usually take to fill them out? Can I prepare by writing along the prompts I find online?

My dad as usual brushes my concerns too easily saying that medical schools should understand that I might be on vacation (which I think is complete BS) and I feel is completely understimating the process. He also thinks I can just take on-line courses to keep my insurance but I think they're a complete waste of them From what I've discovered most classes also require you to be on-campus at least some of the time and I don't think they'd let me miss two weeks...

I want to say I don't want to go but I don't want to disappoint my parents. Any opinions?

Just so you have a frame of reference... I started a graduate program in early August last year, I don't remember the exact day, but it was earlier than the 17th. By that time I had finished and sent off EVERY SINGLE SECONDARY. (Oh, and I applied to almost 40 schools.)

Can't comment on the health insurance issue, but you should have no problem, if you are motivated, to get all of your secondaries done and submitted before you leave. There may be a few stragglers that you'd have to worry about when you get back, but shouldn't be a big deal.

Also, I took a couple online courses and you never had to go on campus and while they were academically a "joke" they still counted as units. I took two of them to delay having to begin repaying student loans and I enjoyed learning the information. They would have been easy to either work on overseas or take a short break and get caught up when you return.

Good luck!

 

[longhorn09]

For the concern on the internet access, you can easily access to internet in any of the public libraries over there. And each districts should have at least one public library, so don't worry about that.

I am so jealous that you get the chance to go back to Hong Kong =] Hvae fun!

 

[fusionx22]

How old are you and are you still in school somewhere? A new law or bill was passed in Illinois (2008) allowing you to be on your parent's health insurance until you're 26. http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/dependentstatus.htm

Check your state...

 

[DrJD]

How old are you and are you still in school somewhere? A new law or bill was passed in Illinois (2008) allowing you to be on your parent's health insurance until you're 26. http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/dependentstatus.htm

Check your state...

Most still require you to be at least a half time student to stay on your parents plan...

 

[VMSmith]

You're right, medical schools won't care that you'll be on vacation - they have thousands of other applicants.

With that said, you should be able to correspond with medical schools by internet - public libraries and internet cafes will keep you in touch with the rest of the world. For schools that do paper secondaries, you can find out what the questions on the secondaries will be (I think there are threads you can search for that list the prompts) and work on them while you're there - then when you come back to the states you can print out your responses and send them in. You should be able to work around the 2 weeks without too much trouble. And a delay of a couple weeks between receiving a secondary and sending it in is pretty normal.

I would recommend doing the online courses just to keep your student health insurance. You never know what could happen.

 

[JJMrK]

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