Medical Should I do study abroad or medical volunteer abroad?

[MusicDOc124]

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I'm currently trying to decide whether to do a global medical brigade trip or a regular study abroad. For reference the global medical brigade is one week of medical volunteering in panama and would cost roughly $1700 and the study abroad would be taking a neurobiology class in the Netherlands and would cost about $5000 for a month. Which do you think is more worth it and why?

Study abroad. 1 week global medical brigade won't give you a lot of exposure to all that much, and long term volunteering has more weight - medical or not. You'll see a small, short term glimpse of another culture. In the latter, you'll be living in another country for months and it'll be a great learning experience from that perspective in addition taking classes. There are many ways to do medical volunteering here and abroad other than a GMB, but fewer opportunities to actually study abroad while it counts for the degree you're already working on.

Just my .02.

 

[Goro]

Study abroad. 1 week global medical brigade won't give you a lot of exposure to all that much, and long term volunteering has more weight - medical or not. You'll see a small, short term glimpse of another culture. In the latter, you'll be living in another country for months and it'll be a great learning experience from that perspective in addition taking classes. There are many ways to do medical volunteering here and abroad other than a GMB, but fewer opportunities to actually study abroad while it counts for the degree you're already working on.

Just my .02.

Agree 100% with my learned colleague.
Medical missions are considered medical torurism.

 

[MusicDOc124]

Agree 100% with my learned colleague.
Medical missions are considered medical torurism.

I call voluntourism lol

 

[Goro]

I call voluntourism lol

I learned the term from a Pathologist colleague of mine.