Overseas during year after applying--Bad idea?

[karakanvas]

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App is all ready to go, LOR's on file, transcripts sent, clinical/extracurricular/etc. stuff done--I really wanted to do some volunteer work out of the country and was looking at a year long program that would end in July 2008. Is this a good idea? Or would it be too difficult to coordinate/schedule flying back and forth out of country between the volunteer program and the (potential) interviews.

I feel like there might be some potential conflict that I'm not aware of, but I don't know if it's absolutely necessary to wait around for a year in my home state at a less interesting/motivating job. What do you think?

 

[uhohspaghettio]

I was going to go on this mission trip but decided not to. I would hold it off until you get an acceptance first unless, you have superb stats (3.8/35)

 

[LizzyM]

App is all ready to go, LOR's on file, transcripts sent, clinical/extracurricular/etc. stuff done--I really wanted to do some volunteer work out of the country and was looking at a year long program that would end in July 2008. Is this a good idea? Or would it be too difficult to coordinate/schedule flying back and forth out of country between the volunteer program and the (potential) interviews.

I feel like there might be some potential conflict that I'm not aware of, but I don't know if it's absolutely necessary to wait around for a year in my home state at a less interesting/motivating job. What do you think?

Two problems:

• getting and submitting supplemental material may be difficult while you are abroad, particularly if you are in an area that has spotty internet and even worse mail service

• you will severely limit the window during which you can be interviewed if you plan to be back in the states for a few weeks during your year abroad. Come back too early and some schools may have not yet read your application. Come back too late and some will have already filled all their interview spots. And there just may not be enough days in the week to fit all the interviews (some schools limit interviews to just 2 days per week and many interview visits are designed to chew up the entire day so you can't manage two in the same city in one day).

If you could go from January to July, you'd avoid most of the supplemental/interview problems and still have a substantial experience.

 

[notdeadyet]

If you have lots of money and no responsibilities in this program, I'd go for it. Otherwise, don't.

Flying back for interviews is going to get expensive and unless you're a $hit-hot applicant that can demand when you'd like to interview, it will make it pretty hard to maintain any consistent duties with wherever you're going. But if it's more vacation than job and you can afford it, why not?

 

[karakanvas]

How far in advance will med schools let you know of your interview date?

 

[LizzyM]

How far in advance will med schools let you know of your interview date?

Early in the season it can be 3 weeks notice and your choice of 6 dates spread over 3 weeks (so 6 weeks at the most if you pick the most distant date).

Later, it can be more spread out such that the available dates are 4-6 weeks away and then, at the end of the season it is compressed again where you might get 2 weeks notice and a choice of only 2 dates.

Schools are pretty good about arranging rescheduling for unanticipated events (snowstorm, emergency hospitalization) and if you are hot stuff they might read your application in August and honor your request of an interview in January but if your application isn't seen until late November, the next available date may be in February and you'll be passed over.

 

[smq123]

How far in advance will med schools let you know of your interview date?

It isn't just the interviews that are difficult - it will also be the secondary applications. Many schools screen before they will send you a secondary application, so you have to wait around for those. Since, nowadays, most secondaries are done online, you have to be somewhere with good internet access and use a computer with good hardware/software capabilities. [Not to mention a computer that is exclusively yours - you don't want someone to have access to your application, with your SSN and personal info on it!] Some secondaries even have further requirements that may be difficult to coordinate from where you are.

I agree with LizzyM - if you could go from, say, January/February to July, that would still be a sizable experience, but would avoid many of these problems.

 

[karakanvas]

I have a laptop, and the site has an internet connection; it's actually in the US Virgin Islands, so it's pretty populated. The year long deal has days off, so I was thinking I could use those for my interview dates (not reschedule) to fly back if I knew my interview dates beforehand.

 

[drzuggie]

I think if the experience is worth possibly not getting into medical school that round, then go for it. You would regret it otherwise. If not, then focus on getting accepted to medical school and plan a trip before you enter school. Life is a long game, just decide what is important to you and go for it if you really want to do it!

 

[LizzyM]

I have a laptop, and the site has an internet connection; it's actually in the US Virgin Islands, so it's pretty populated. The year long deal has days off, so I was thinking I could use those for my interview dates (not reschedule) to fly back if I knew my interview dates beforehand.

The deal is going to be something like this:

August 24 you get an e-mail inviting you to interview in a specific US city on one of the following dates: Sept 15, 18, 22, 25. These are all weekdays. The interview day begins at 7:30 or 8 or 8:30 a.m. and finishes sometime after lunch (sometimes not until 2 or 3 p.m.). These trips almost always require an overnight stay the night before the interview.

A strong applicant often applies to 10-20 schools and interviews at 7 or more. (some stop interviewing after they have 1 offer but to do that means to settle for a lower ranked school because some of the top schools such as Harvard & Hopkins don't have rolling admissions but release all of their offers in March).

 

[rlwebb]

I did it. I'm studying in N. Ireland this year.. flew home Christmas and early January for interviews. It was packed but got it done and have some offers. I had to reschedule these interviews for later dates than originally offered. This may have affected my admissions chances but i'm doing well... batting 500 on offers... It can contribute to your interview, probably outweighing the scheduling negatives. Plus it's awesome.