Non-medically relevant study abroad

[cloudmurder1]

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So I'm about to go abroad very soon to complete a core degree requirement and acquire more credit towards a minor (in either history or sociology), but I've kept thinking about whether it would be seen as a negative by an Adcom. It is a program in Western Europe, and one major intent of the program is to enjoy oneself while experiencing cultures of eastern and western Europe (along with people of many majors/minors to get credit toqard degrees), but having read some other posts, I'm just a bit worried it'll be seen as negative. Has anyone done a non-medical study abroad and thought that it didn't hurt their application?

 

[Dinitrophenol]

I spent a semester in London solely because I wanted to enjoy living and studying abroad. This wasn't a medical program, though I was enrolled in the Biology department. I actually highlighted that traveling and meeting new people was one of my mainly motivations for going abroad. In the end it was a fun little thing to talk about and I had a pretty successful cycle.

 

[cloudmurder1]

I spent a semester in London solely because I wanted to enjoy living and studying abroad. This wasn't a medical program, though I was enrolled in the Biology department. I actually highlighted that traveling and meeting new people was one of my mainly motivations for going abroad. In the end it was a fun little thing to talk about and I had a pretty successful cycle.

That's good to know then, thanks. Do you think the educational factor in my case is valid? I chose this program because it offered a wide array of classes to let me fulfill core degree requirements and to let me get ahead on my degree even if I changed my major (which I did end up doing).

 

[NeuResurgens]

It's not a negative - it's good to give you perspective about the world.

 

[Dinitrophenol]

As long as those core degree courses are not pre-med requirements you should be fine.

 

[cloudmurder1]

As long as those core degree courses are not pre-med requirements you should be fine.

They aren't.

 

[DokterMom]

So I'm about to go abroad very soon to complete a core degree requirement and acquire more credit towards a minor (in either history or sociology), but I've kept thinking about whether it would be seen as a negative by an Adcom. It is a program in Western Europe, and one major intent of the program is to enjoy oneself while experiencing cultures of eastern and western Europe (along with people of many majors/minors to get credit toqard degrees), but having read some other posts, I'm just a bit worried it'll be seen as negative. Has anyone done a non-medical study abroad and thought that it didn't hurt their application?

Yours is completely different -- You aren't pretending to 'save/serve the poor'. You're there to experience a different culture. That's a positive. Just don't try to spin it into something it's not. It's a fun learning experience, not a service experience.

 

[Dr Stephen T Colbert DFA]

Just because you're not taking premed courses or working in a clinic doesn't mean that you aren't learning anything. Studying abroad involves overcoming homesickness and culture shock so you can relate to another culture and hopefully broaden your worldview. The fact that you can succeed outside your comfort zone during this international experience is a positive, not a negative.

 

[Lannister]

Not everything has to be about looking good to medical schools. Why would you give up the opportunity to travel around Europe because it might have a minor negative impact on your med school app (which I don't think it will, by the way)?? If you want to study abroad, study abroad. It's an incredible experience, and you will learn a lot about yourself and how to overcome challenges.

 

[Tappinfool66]

As everyone has already said, it's fine. Better than fine, actually. It's seen as a great experience. I spent 6 months in Spain and didn't take any science classes - I was actually a Spanish major and all of my classes were Spanish language, literature or culture classes - and almost all of my interviewers loved hearing about it. I even had an interviewer start speaking to me in Spanish 😉

 

[ryanr]

I studied abroad in Amsterdam and traveled around Europe all summer and had a great time, one of the best experiences of my life.

I would highly recommend doing it, don't be overly concerned with how it will look, just do it because you want to. Can almost guarantee you'll have interesting things to talk about if it does come up in an interview, and that it will be viewed in a positive light if anything because it will broaden your cultural lens and perspective on certain things

 

[cloudmurder1]

Thanks everyone for addressing my concern. I'm greatly looking forward to it and I think I'll enjoy myself quite a bit.