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Does anyone know if being a participant in the peace corps greatly improves your chances of getting into medical school, particularly top 20s?
Peace Corps
- Thread starter KUNRD07
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Not NEARLY as much as Teach For America will.
Much more respectable than the PC.
www.teachforamerica.org
Much more respectable than the PC.
www.teachforamerica.org
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haha i think whether either of these activities helps you in the med school admissions process should be the least of your concerns if you are considering this path..
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Peace Corps is an extremely intense experience. If part of the reason to do it is to improve your chances of getting into a top 20 medical school, you're making a mistake. Consider AmeriCorps.
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I think this post is getting a bit off topic. Believe me, I'm fully aware of how intense the Peace Corps is and all that it involves. This isn't some deciding factor, merely a bit of curiousity. I simply want to know if anyone has had any experience with the competitiveness being a Peace Corps volunteer gives you in the admissions process. Thanks!
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I began the application process for Peace Corps and talked to a few people (pre-med advisors and Peace Corps recruiter). The sense I got is that it looks terrific on your application, but it's nothing more than a very good EC. It doesn't supercede GPA, MCAT, etc. I later decided that my desire to go to medical school outweighed my interest in Peace Corps and I couldn't rationalize taking so much time off. (I would basically have to take three years off, two for Peace Corps and then another year to apply since I wouldn't be able to fill out applications and attend interviews the year before).
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Yeah, def do it for the right reasons, although I hear mixed things for the impact on medical school admissions, since some adcoms are starting to figure out why certain students are doing it (ie myth of free ticket into medical school)...
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I'm a RPCV (returned Peace Corps volunteer) and I think it helped make up for my lacking ECs. It was particularly valuable because I was a health volunteer not an English teacher so I can speak to some aspects of international health. My experience has come up in lots of interviews so I think schools are somewhat interested in this type of volunteering. If international work/health is something you are interested in, I would recommend it.
I can't speak for the Peace Corps relative value compared to teach for America or Americorps but I would not take advice from those who have done none of the above (cough- JDovers).
I think the inclination and ability to volunteer in resource limited settings for extended periods of time (as in any of the aforementioned opportunities) says something about an applicant. I can be judgemental but I tend to scoff a little at those who tout their 1 month of international volunteering (or 200 hours of shadowing). How about 2 years in a third world country. Even if a PCV only did 40 hours a week of "work" that is almost 4,000 hours of volunteering. But of course, as a PCV, it is not just about your work week. As PC says, you are a volunteer 24/7. There is no way to calculate that or the personal, professional and life experience rewards that volunteering can bring.
I can't speak for the Peace Corps relative value compared to teach for America or Americorps but I would not take advice from those who have done none of the above (cough- JDovers).
I think the inclination and ability to volunteer in resource limited settings for extended periods of time (as in any of the aforementioned opportunities) says something about an applicant. I can be judgemental but I tend to scoff a little at those who tout their 1 month of international volunteering (or 200 hours of shadowing). How about 2 years in a third world country. Even if a PCV only did 40 hours a week of "work" that is almost 4,000 hours of volunteering. But of course, as a PCV, it is not just about your work week. As PC says, you are a volunteer 24/7. There is no way to calculate that or the personal, professional and life experience rewards that volunteering can bring.
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1. It is no free ticket.
2. It is a pretty awesome EC.
3. You don't have to take 3 years off. If you look on some other forums (can't remember the names) you will find some volunteers who are applying from their PC country. Of course that takes a little more finagling and effort on the applicant's part but it is doable. Many volunteers apply to grad schools and such while abroad. I believe that a currently serving volunteer who has posted on SDN said that he was able to get med schools to accommodate his limited travel schedule. I think the limiting factor in this case would be the extra accommodations needed and the financial aspect. (no dough in PC).
2. It is a pretty awesome EC.
3. You don't have to take 3 years off. If you look on some other forums (can't remember the names) you will find some volunteers who are applying from their PC country. Of course that takes a little more finagling and effort on the applicant's part but it is doable. Many volunteers apply to grad schools and such while abroad. I believe that a currently serving volunteer who has posted on SDN said that he was able to get med schools to accommodate his limited travel schedule. I think the limiting factor in this case would be the extra accommodations needed and the financial aspect. (no dough in PC).
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I am currently applying and am a former Peace Corps volunteer. First of all, congrats on considering such a great challenge as Peace Corps! I wish you all the best - it was a life-changing experience for me, but it definitely is NOT for everyone. I do feel that my Peace Corps experience has helped increased my chances of admission. The kind of real-life experience you get in PC is something not easily found in other post-college activities, and I have had the impression at my interviews that my experiences in PC have helped to highlight me and my application.
That being said, I want to echo what previous people have said about the intensity of the program. It can be a long, frustrating 2 years (+3 months!) of your life, and I seriously counsel you to think about why you want to do this. If it is merely "resume padding," or even if that's a part of it you might want to reconsider. You will be stymied in your efforts, you will have many failures, and you will often question what you are doing in some backwater corner of the world and what you are actually accomplishing.
Peace Corps carries a lot of name recognition, but there are many opportunities for intense volunteering experiences that may not be such a commitment. However, the commitment alone is one of the things that always impresses people when I mention I was in PC. I think medical schools like peace corps volunteers for this commitment, the inevitable challenges of living and working in the developing world, and the personal growth the experience often brings about in the volunteer.
I don't think, however, that the "Peace Corps merit badge" will make up for a lackluster GPA/MCAT. My stats are at the average/above-average level for most top twenty schools, so I can't say whether or not the Peace Corps experience alone has made much difference. Nonetheless, its just about the only thing my interviewers want to talk about.
I guess the take home message is, yes, Peace Corps will probably help you out in applications, and it certainly can't hurt you. If nothing else, it gives you an interesting and unique perspective from which to approach your application and interviews. But please please please don't just do this because you want to get a "free ticket to harvard," cause it isn't going to work like that and you will be wasting 2 years of your life if PC isn't something you're passionate about.
That being said, I want to echo what previous people have said about the intensity of the program. It can be a long, frustrating 2 years (+3 months!) of your life, and I seriously counsel you to think about why you want to do this. If it is merely "resume padding," or even if that's a part of it you might want to reconsider. You will be stymied in your efforts, you will have many failures, and you will often question what you are doing in some backwater corner of the world and what you are actually accomplishing.
Peace Corps carries a lot of name recognition, but there are many opportunities for intense volunteering experiences that may not be such a commitment. However, the commitment alone is one of the things that always impresses people when I mention I was in PC. I think medical schools like peace corps volunteers for this commitment, the inevitable challenges of living and working in the developing world, and the personal growth the experience often brings about in the volunteer.
I don't think, however, that the "Peace Corps merit badge" will make up for a lackluster GPA/MCAT. My stats are at the average/above-average level for most top twenty schools, so I can't say whether or not the Peace Corps experience alone has made much difference. Nonetheless, its just about the only thing my interviewers want to talk about.
I guess the take home message is, yes, Peace Corps will probably help you out in applications, and it certainly can't hurt you. If nothing else, it gives you an interesting and unique perspective from which to approach your application and interviews. But please please please don't just do this because you want to get a "free ticket to harvard," cause it isn't going to work like that and you will be wasting 2 years of your life if PC isn't something you're passionate about.
I'm also an RPCV. I left early...I only served for half a year, for a number of reasons, but it was still a huge learning experience for me.
Here's my take on doing PC before medical school. If you already know that you want to go to med school, just go! I was trying to confirm my decision to pursue medicine as well as gain a background in international health. The way I see it is that after med school, or even during med school, you're going to have gained a lot of very valuable skills that are going to allow you to be a contributing member of a volunteer team internationally. The closer you get to being a Dr, the more you're going to be able to contribute. I'm really excited about getting back to working in resource-limited settings, but I feel like I need to do med school first.
If anyone has specific PC questions, feel free to PM me!
Here's my take on doing PC before medical school. If you already know that you want to go to med school, just go! I was trying to confirm my decision to pursue medicine as well as gain a background in international health. The way I see it is that after med school, or even during med school, you're going to have gained a lot of very valuable skills that are going to allow you to be a contributing member of a volunteer team internationally. The closer you get to being a Dr, the more you're going to be able to contribute. I'm really excited about getting back to working in resource-limited settings, but I feel like I need to do med school first.
If anyone has specific PC questions, feel free to PM me!
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