How to include volunteering aboard?

[peaceloveandmedicine]

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So to be clear, this is not a clinical/medical experience aboard. I am in Italy for two months and have been working in a food kitchen. I think I have escaped to woes of voluntourism because I am here for a long time and it is work I am qualified to do. In total, I will have worked 120 hours. I am also taking a cross cultural psychology class so it is not just volunteering.

I have other valuable things to add to my application:
~100 hours mentoring/tutoring kids in low income communities
~35 hours miscellanies activities with my premed group
~1200 hours of research with conferences and honors thesis
~150 working in a clinical lab

My point is studying abroad will not be the highlight of my application by any means. I have other things to show case. However, I really think this has been a unique and valuable experience and I want to know how to showcase that to adcoms.

 

[Catalystik]

So to be clear, this is not a clinical/medical experience aboard. I am in Italy for two months and have been working in a food kitchen. I think I have escaped to woes of voluntourism because I am here for a long time and it is work I am qualified to do. In total, I will have worked 120 hours. I am also taking a cross cultural psychology class so it is not just volunteering.

I have other valuable things to add to my application:
~100 hours mentoring/tutoring kids in low income communities
~35 hours miscellanies activities with my premed group
~1200 hours of research with conferences and honors thesis
~150 working in a clinical lab

My point is studying abroad will not be the highlight of my application by any means. I have other things to show case. However, I really think this has been a unique and valuable experience and I want to know how to showcase that to adcoms.

For the AMCAS application, you might enter the food kitchen experience under Volunteer/Community Service - Not Medical Clinical with its dates and total hours. Be sure to save the Contact information (email) for someone who can vouch for your timeframe and hours.

For the Study Abroad experience of living internationally, you can use an "Other" space to describe it and the impact you'd like to communicate. For total hours, include the time you were out in the community (not class time, which is accounted for on your transcript). Don't double count the volunteer hours. Your college registrar can be your Contact, assuming the college credit will transfer to your US institution.

 

[LizzyM]

I concur with @Catalystik but I would not use a space for "living internationally" aside from the space for the volunteer work and the coursework on the transcript. Anyone reading of the volunteer activity's location will understand that you lived in Italy for 2 months. That would be something I'd enjoy asking you about in an interview. 🙂