Going abroad/ interview conflicts?

[coninuteremedia]

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Hi, I was wondering whether it is possible to study abroad during one's gap year. How would one go about handling interviews in that case? I'm planning to go somewhere in Asia, so commuting back and forth isn't an option. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Barcu]

Hi, I was wondering whether it is possible to study abroad during one's gap year. How would one go about handling interviews in that case? I'm planning to go somewhere in Asia, so commuting back and forth isn't an option. Thanks in advance for your help!

I met one girl at one of my interviews who scheduled like 5 or 6 interviews in the two weeks she was home around Thanksgiving.

It's not easy. It's also not cheap. It could involve multiple trips back and forth from the US.

Delaying interviews is probably the best option but you can't really guarantee that schools can accomodate that, and it's really helpful to do your interviews asap after you get invited.

Edit: I saw that you said back and forth wasn't an option. Then the only way to do it would be to schedule all your interviews for a time you may be home. But you want to do it early in the cycle, and if you get invited to another interview later, you'll have to miss it.

Probably the best option is to wait to apply, or spend less time abroad.

 

[paul411]

You're gonna have to be at the school to interview for most schools. Try to plan your travel before and/or after interview season.

 

[coninuteremedia]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Bluepanda87]

I'm currently teaching English in Japan, and applying to medical school. The schools I've received interview invitations at have been very understanding in terms of the issues associated with scheduling an international trip, and, so far, I have had no trouble with putting my interviews dates into one large trip. Before deciding to go abroad, I also spoke with several current medical students who did the same program I am on, and none of them had any troubles with scheduling interviews. However, I don't think that not returning for interviews is really an option. While I do know that some offer skype interviews, it's pretty rare, so I wouldn't count on it as a rule.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!