Does extensive world travel experience make one stand out?

[slight365]

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You would have to show that you did something related to the career at the time. Anyone with money can just travel and stay in some place for a few months.

In my case, I went to Germany and decided to go to med school while I am here. I guess that's my qualification.

 

[Siverhideo1985]

You would have to show that you did something related to the career at the time. Anyone with money can just travel and stay in some place for a few months.

In my case, I went to Germany and decided to go to med school while I am here. I guess that's my qualification.

Which university?

 

[coldweatherblue]

Not everyone's parents can pick up the tab for flights across the country or around the world...

I spent more than a year in Europe, took a mission trip to Peru, and paid for it all myself.

 

[sarahg]

If that is true then you were a rare commodity and your work was worth more than working for free.

I think you have the right idea with the cost being associated with letting someone else doing the planning. Taking this a step further could mean you create your own opportunities, international or at home.

I apologize if I offended anyone when referring to the price some of these agencies put on international medical missions. I feel these missions focus entirely on the person traveling to a developing country, and are inefficient at truly helping the underserved. This is just my opinion and not a personal judgment of anyone who has volunteered in a medical mission abroad.

You didn't offend me at all 🙂 I just wanted to let anyone who might be reading this and wanting to volunteer know that there are ways to truly help a community and not waste a ton of money doing it. I agree that those particular trips are generally a waste -- often there is a glut of volunteers in the nicer areas that those trips take people to, and thousands of dollars go to the agencies in Europe or the US that arrange the trips while only a small portion of that goes to the local economies. I just didn't want anyone to get discouraged from volunteering abroad if that's something they're interested in. I feel like the general attitude on SDN is that volunteering abroad is a waste because most people's exposure to it comes in the form of overpriced voluntourism, and I want people to know that you can volunteer abroad in a meaningful way, truly help people, and not be ripped off financially while doing so. You'll just have to use a skill you already have (like English, or physical labor skills to build houses or work in parks) as opposed to medicine which is a skill that premeds typically don't have, and you have to find your own opportunities.

 

[unsung]

I disagree, there are really only 4 countries that I would want to visit. These countries are Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the UK. I am not willing to risk the lawlessness, disease, and third worldness of much of the world. I am also not willing to spend all of the money to travel to countries that are very similar to mine.

Ignorance is bliss ? No wonder we have the stereotype of the arrogant, dumb American who is oblivious to the existence of the rest of the globe. That's actually pretty insulting, to imply that except for those 4 countries, the rest of the world (some with culture spanning thousands of years) is not worth visiting.

 

[NotAndrew]

Ignorance is bliss ? No wonder we have the stereotype of the arrogant, dumb American who is oblivious to the existence of the rest of the globe. That's actually pretty insulting, to imply that except for those 4 countries, the rest of the world (some with culture spanning thousands of years) is not worth visiting.

I defy you to name one country worth visiting.

Not to mention Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the UK are similar to the U.S. in terms of culture, contradicting his statement about not wanting to travel to countries similar to his own

I said that there are about 4 countries that I would consider visiting, and that these countries are so similar to mine that it is not worth it to visit them. Therefore if I want to travel I will go to Wyoming or something.

 

[NotAndrew]

Does...not...compute

By would want to vist I mean I would feel safe in.

 

[bunnity]

Absolutely a committee should consider the circumstance of someone who worked through school. Having to spend huge chunks of time working and having to worry about money does make it harder to do well in school. For me, it meant that while my grades were good, I had very few EC's because I couldn't spend my time being in a club when I had bills to pay. I rode the shuttle home weekend nights at 11 pm when I got done with my job, and it would always be filled with drunk students having fun. It's a different world in college if you're there to learn and have fun versus learn and work for a living. In addition, the committee knows that you can function under pressure and minimal time.

To the comment about welfare and a bigger loan, there are limits on loan amounts. When you're paying for all your rent and stuff as well, it may not cover what you need. If you are out of state or considered a dependent or make a small amount of money, you can't just go on welfare. And even if you can the money you get from the state is nowhere near enough to cover tuition.