How much does overseas volunteering help?

[aoum86]

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I am wondering about how much spending a summer volunteering in an African hospital is going to help my application. I am planning to go this summer, but as I only have one summer left and then I must apply, I am wondering if I should put off the overseas volunteering until the summer after I graduate from college, if there is something else I can do that will be a bigger boost to my application? Would continuing my research work be a stronger EC, if it led to publication over the summer? I realize this post may make it sound like I am doing the volunteering just to try to help myself get into school, but honestly, I want more than anything to go to Africa and work; I just feel like I'd rather postpone it for a year if something else will give me a better shot of getting into medical school. Right now my major focus is getting in! After that I know I will have many oportunities to help people.

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if anyone has any experience or advice as to how much an experience like this will bolster my application. Thanks so much.

 

[deuist]

Don't do it just for the application. Adcoms will see right through the ploy---especially if you have to pay for the trip. They'll see it as a resume-builder for the wealthy. There are lots of volunteer activities right in your neighborhood. Just call the local United Way to find something that you're interested in.

I'm not going to tell you what the best EC is since you haven't stated your goals. If you want to go to a top 20 research university, you'll certainly need to do some quality research---and possibly get a publication like you mentioned. I'm more concerned that you're going through the motions of research and volunteering as a way of strengthening your application. What do you really want to do?

 

[Agent Splat]

Doing what you LIKE (unless it involves cocaine and women of ill repute) will be what bolsters your application. Doing things just because they LOOK good won't DO you any good. Sorta like those tasty mushrooms in the dark parts of the forest. They look good and eating them sounds good, but in the end you just feel funny. And impotent.

 

[andi_cvr]

If it is something you really want to do, it can only help you. I have been asked about my work trip to Haiti at every one of my interviews.

 

[riceman04]

I am wondering about how much spending a summer volunteering in an African hospital is going to help my application. I am planning to go this summer, but as I only have one summer left and then I must apply, I am wondering if I should put off the overseas volunteering until the summer after I graduate from college, if there is something else I can do that will be a bigger boost to my application? Would continuing my research work be a stronger EC, if it led to publication over the summer? I realize this post may make it sound like I am doing the volunteering just to try to help myself get into school, but honestly, I want more than anything to go to Africa and work; I just feel like I'd rather postpone it for a year if something else will give me a better shot of getting into medical school. Right now my major focus is getting in! After that I know I will have many oportunities to help people.

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if anyone has any experience or advice as to how much an experience like this will bolster my application. Thanks so much.

So if you did not feel this obligation fluffing your application, would you still volunteer?
just curious

 

[Will Ferrell]

It can be your hook. You can base your whole personal statement, secondaries, and interviews on it! 👍 Say it inspired you to help sick and poor people and is the beginning of a lifelong commitment to altruism.

 

[TheMightyAngus]

The more unique and impressive experiences you have, the better your chances are. I volunteered overseas for awhile and it's come up in every interview. However, I wouldn't say it has been regarded higher or lower than my other research/clinical/academic experiences.

It's hard to center an entire medical school application over a summer of volunteering abroad, unless you do something spectacular (i.e. start your own NGO or foundation, earn a fulbright grant, or make some significant contribution).

A summer abroad is small potatoes compared to someone who served in the peace corps or was stationed overseas in the military.

 

[LizzyM]

Say it inspired you to help sick and poor people and is the beginning of a lifelong commitment to altruism.

I strongly disagree. An adcom will see right through this is you make the trip after 3 years of pre-med coursework but claim that it inspired you to help the sick. (if so, why were you pre-med before the trip?) On the other hand, you can say that your desire to care for the sick motivated you to make the trip to Africa.

When I read your question, "how much will it help?" I thought that you were asking how much you, as a pre-med, could do to help people in need. At this point in your career, you won't be able to do much (the saying, you get more than you give, is true) but you must not think of this as the trip of a lifetime but the first trip of a lifetime of service.

 

[baylormed]

I strongly disagree. An adcom will see right through this is you make the trip after 3 years of pre-med coursework but claim that it inspired you to help the sick. (if so, why were you pre-med before the trip?) On the other hand, you can say that your desire to care for the sick motivated you to make the trip to Africa.

When I read your question, "how much will it help?" I thought that you were asking how much you, as a pre-med, could do to help people in need. At this point in your career, you won't be able to do much (the saying, you get more than you give, is true) but you must not think of this as the trip of a lifetime but the first trip of a lifetime of service.

A question specifically for LizzyM:

I have noticed many pre-meds use the "I want to help people" argument in many instances when asked when they want to be doctors, but as you said, I am afraid adcoms see right through this, precisely because everyone says this and few people really mean it.
My motivation for medicine is simply a strong attraction for the profession, for treating illnesses and problem-solving...I also want to help my patients, but my primary reason is the fact that I enjoy working in a clinical setting.
Do you think this is the answer I should give when asked "why medicine?" during interviews? I am afraid if I leave altruism out the interviewers might think I don't have a passion for patients and therefore am not qualified.
How do you perceive the answers students give to that question, and what exactly is the interviewer looking for when he/she asks this?
I'm sorry if this is a bit long or confusing, I have just always wanted to ask this question to someone who knows the process.
Thank you!

 

[Will Ferrell]

I strongly disagree. An adcom will see right through this is you make the trip after 3 years of pre-med coursework but claim that it inspired you to help the sick. (if so, why were you pre-med before the trip?) On the other hand, you can say that your desire to care for the sick motivated you to make the trip to Africa.

When I read your question, "how much will it help?" I thought that you were asking how much you, as a pre-med, could do to help people in need. At this point in your career, you won't be able to do much (the saying, you get more than you give, is true) but you must not think of this as the trip of a lifetime but the first trip of a lifetime of service.

i was being sarcastic 🙂 . i've read personal statements from a book at Barnes and Noble and from the examples i've seen, those people are milking those experiences badly. Do you see that all the time?

 

[baylormed]

i was being sarcastic 🙂 . i've read personal statements from a book at Barnes and Noble and from the examples i've seen, those people are milking those experiences badly. Do you see that all the time?

Yeah, that's what I was talking about earlier...I mean, I want to be a doctor, but I sure am not a saint and can't stand people who try to make it look like medicine is all about "helping people." Most of those essays are B.S., because few people really mean what they say. I just would like to be able to say what's on my mind and not have to come up with a sugar-coated story of my volunteering experiences.

 

[Rafa]

We all play the game. But if you do this, I'd do my best to get something out of it - something meaningful. As in, enjoying it while you're there, and not filling the AMCAS EC box in your head while you do whatever you're doing.

Then again, the money it would take to fly there and back (as well as food, lodging, etc.) would almost certainly do a lot more to help the people than your actual presence there. Which is why I have a generally ill opinion toward long-distance volunteering. If it takes you $1k to spend Spring Break cleaning up New Orleans, you'll have done $100 worth of work, and $900 worth of hypocrisy. If you really wanted to do good, you'd just send the $1000, and volunteer at a local kitchen/shelter/etc over the break. I'm not talking about you, OP. But this happens so frequently I just felt like commenting on it. It's flashier to travel and say "look how far I came to help those poor poor people". But it's bullsheet. And it doesn't help nearly as much as you'll allow everyone to think it does. It's a shame so much charitable work is like this these days (professional athletes, corporations, college-bound ladder-climbers, med-bound schemers, etc etc).

The only winning move is not to play.

 

[MNsocsci]

I disagree with you guys who are giving the OP a hard time. To me it sounds like the OP really wants to go to Africa for genuine interest reasons, but is just wondering if he/she needs to do some research in order to be competitive.

My advice is to go to Africa because it's what you really want to do AND because it will help your application. My volunteering abroad experiences have provided the most interesting things to write about in essays and talk about in interviews, not to mention that they were the coolest, most rewarding things I've ever done. As far as research goes, it definitely helps to do some (I've done clinical but not bench research) but I don't think it's absolutely necessary. This is just based on my experience, though, and you should probably try to discuss it with a premed advisor for a more informed opinion.


my experience:
http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=5044

 

[anon-y-mouse]

My opportunity helped immensely. I based my personal statement on it, and I was asked about it at every interview I went to...

of course, it wasn't one of those "pay x, get medical internship" type deals, I set it up on my own, and really got a lot out of it.

I think there is a difference between branded "go to africa to save hiv/starving/diseased people" while paying $x thousand to do so, through an agency which has a flashy website... and a low key opportunity set up on one's own.