going abroad

[MrJosh9788]

i really would like to go abroad and volunteer for a month....i've hear people talking negatively about doing this, though. comments? I mean I really would like the experience, I believe it would be very eye-opening.

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[UCDavisISokay]

i really would like to go abroad and volunteer for a month....i've hear people talking negatively about doing this, though. comments? I mean I really would like the experience, I believe it would be very eye-opening.

one month won't help ur application much, if u are looking for a way to pad it

 

[Revenant]

Dunno, some adcoms tend to be naive enough to suck that bullcrap right up apparently.

 

[Revenant]

I believe it would be very eye-opening.

Translation: Pictures of dead African babies = Instant Acceptance


Save your BS for the adcom, you're going to need it

 

[bluesTank]

Translation: Pictures of dead African babies = Instant Acceptance


Save your BS for the adcom, you're going to need it

Get rid of the douche bag attitude. You won't need it if you ever want to be a doctor.

 

[Revenant]

Get rid of the douche bag attitude.

I feel terrible. You've....you've definitely caused me to reevaluate the way I think and carry myself.

ROFL....next will come the "you'll need to change if you ever want to be a ..."

You won't need it if you ever want to be a doctor.

Oh.




Nighty-night moral compass

 

[ZacharyMD]

Get rid of the douche bag attitude. You won't need it if you ever want to be a doctor.

Really bro, loosen up. You will need to if you ever want to be a doctor.

 

[riceman04]

i really would like to go abroad and volunteer for a month....i've hear people talking negatively about doing this, though. comments? I mean I really would like the experience, I believe it would be very eye-opening.

why not immerse yourself somewhere you would not think about visiting for a month in this country...try parts of appalachia (oh you would have a very eye-opening experience)

 

[pukuhouse]

i really would like to go abroad and volunteer for a month....i've hear people talking negatively about doing this, though. comments? I mean I really would like the experience, I believe it would be very eye-opening.

i don't think that doing something like that for a month will really enhance your application significantly. however, if you feel that you will really enjoy it and learn a lot from it, then by all means go ahead.

this summer, i volunteered in a foreign country for a little over a month. i did not do it expecting that it will make or break my medical school chances. i didn't even include it in my amcas application. but an experience like that could be good when you're interviewing and you want to talk about somethign that the interviewer cannot tell from amcas.

 

[hermit]

Lame

 

[hp540]

i really would like to go abroad and volunteer for a month....i've hear people talking negatively about doing this, though. comments? I mean I really would like the experience, I believe it would be very eye-opening.

It's a good experience definitely. I combined volunteering with travel a while back and it motivated me to do a lot more travel afterwards.

Do what you want to do, not what other people tell you or how you think it might influence your application.

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

I would highly recommend it only if it really interest you.

I am addicted to traveling!

I helped with a church growth project in Argentina

Worked with African orphans and school kids in Africa- no dead babies, or life saving- just playing and I also learned some about economics of small business and the ideas involved with starting foster homes in Mozambique

Traveled to Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Czech Republic) on holocaust study abroad earned 9 hours

And will be doing Marine Biology in Belize in May!!!

But I didn't even think about it as padding my application going to Africa or any of those- I have been doing volunteer work since I was very young- it is something I truly enjoy doing

 

[8744]

Really bro, loosen up. You will need to if you ever want to be a doctor.

Amen.

 

[MrJosh9788]

thanks, idk why people are always so negative. what's the deal with that? haha

 

[Vera18]

Translation: Pictures of dead African babies = Instant Acceptance


Save your BS for the adcom, you're going to need it

Why are you judging the OP like that? Stop being so skeptical of everyone's true intentions; they may be sincere. What the OP is really asking, though, is whether or not volunteering abroad for only a month may hinder his chance of getting in. There's a possibility that the adcoms might consider it just 'fluff' like everyone else has already said. But if he sells it well enough, I think it will only benefit him.

BTW I think you say the above crap ^ because you're just steamed that he's done more than you have

 

[riceman04]

Why are you judging the OP like that? Stop being so skeptical of everyone's true intentions; they may be sincere. What the OP is really asking, though, is whether or not volunteering abroad for only a month may hinder his chance of getting in. There's a possibility that the adcoms might consider it just 'fluff' like everyone else has already said. But if he sells it well enough, I think it will only benefit him.

BTW I think you say the above crap ^ because you're just steamed that he's done more than you have

the truth of the matter is that most premed are very shallow and very goal oriented

 

[MrJosh9788]

I love volunteering and traveling. I don't care what you think, but I truly want this experience to better myself. You ignorant ****.

 

[LikeClockWork]

Get rid of the douche bag attitude. You won't need it if you ever want to be a doctor.

"I can't believe your head exploded. If your head explodes, you'll never make it as a doctor."

 

[Revenant]

they may be sincere.

Wrong-O!

His true intentions are the same as everyone who takes a few week trip to a foreign country. Photo-op. Fantastic.

he sells it well enough, I think it will only benefit him

Bu.....bu....I thought he did it because it would be an eye-opening experience and he would get to help DAB's........oh wait.........nope. Just another neurotic pre-med using DAB's to pump up an app. Priceless. Why would he want to sell it? Oh wait, because that's the only real motivation for these trips in the first place.

BTW I think you say the above crap ^ because you're just steamed that he's done more than you have

So far it looks like he's done nothing, and is asking for advice. My advice would be to actually do something useful with his time and money, and help people in a practical manner, even if it means his service isn't flashy.

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

Wrong-O!

His true intentions are the same as everyone who takes a few week trip to a foreign country. Photo-op. Fantastic.

.

Ummm- I did missions in South America and Africa during HS- those aren't even going to be on the AMCAS for me cuz they were in HS... I knew I wanted to go to medical school but it wasn't something I did for the application benefit.

Some people aren't complete jerks and really sincerely want to be a doctor for other reasons that money, fame, and all the other ******ed reasons.

I just hope all the medical schools can see that cuz for me volunteering is something I would do for a career if it paid enough to live on- I just really love the feeling knowing you are doing something important!

 

[Revenant]

Ummm- I did missions in South America and Africa during HS- those aren't even going to be on the AMCAS for me cuz they were in HS... I knew I wanted to go to medical school but it wasn't something I did for the application benefit.

Some people aren't complete jerks and really sincerely want to be a doctor for other reasons that money, fame, and all the other ******ed reasons.

I just hope all the medical schools can see that cuz for me volunteering is something I would do for a career if it paid enough to live on- I just really love the feeling knowing you are doing something important!

You could join the Peace Corps if all you want to do is help people and do something important. There is a specific reason you want to be a doctor, and if it isn't money it is....

 

[gurldoc]

adcom's just look at international volunteer experience as some kid who has a ton of money and time to blow. i've traveled all over, and it didn't seem to sway my interviewers one way or the other.

 

[Sir Buckethead]

just do it and dont mention it on your app.

 

[dally1025]

I'd say go for it. Don't expect that you'll be sweeping into some country on a white horse saving the lives of all the natives or pad your app. I took an internship in Quito, Ecuador (the cost of 3 months was about $2500 including airfare-I stayed with a host family and everything is dirt cheap) and saw my experience as equally important to the internships I've held in the states. I didn't do anything super impressive but I did learn a lot of medical Spanish which is completely relevant experience. I wanted to study abroad in school not because it would help me get into med school but I thought it would be a great experience and I wanted to learn Spanish. IMO, it's always good to step out of your comfort zone. It was an incredible experience and I would recommend it to anyone as long as you go into it with the right attitude. There were a lot of annoying Americans in the country that believed they were the great savior to the Ecuadorian people and that's the type of BS that the people above are speaking of. I've always gotten really positive responses out of people after telling them of my experiences but I careful not to exaggerate my role while I was working at the clinic.

 

[8744]

I sometimes wonder how I ever got into medical school because compared to a lot of people on SDN, I have done absolutely nothing with my life. I'd rather play frisbee with my dog than do research, pass out needles, shake my head sadly at terminally ill Ecuadorians, teach under-priveleged kids how to tie their shoes, or any number of other volunteer activities.

Frisbee with dog: Hours of fun watching her leap into the air and make spectacular catches. (Not bad for a goofy black lab).

Volunteer: Spin wheels. Have no effect. Wonder if people know I'm a hypocrite.

 

[QofQuimica]

I sometimes wonder how I ever got into medical school because compared to a lot of people on SDN, I have done absolutely nothing with my life. I'd rather play frisbee with my dog than do research, pass out needles, shake my head sadly at terminally ill Ecuadorians, teach under-priveleged kids how to tie their shoes, or any number of other volunteer activities.

Frisbee with dog: Hours of fun watching her leap into the air and make spectacular catches. (Not bad for a goofy black lab).

Volunteer: Spin wheels. Have no effect. Wonder if people know I'm a hypocrite.

Isn't it obvious? You were the token normal person. They don't let too many of those people into med school, but they need one or two per class. Just for, like, you know. Diversity and stuff.

 

[Sir Buckethead]

lol i just resurrected an identical thread.

whoops.