should i study abroad? Fall 2011

[blackarrowmoose]

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Hi everyone

im considering study abroad for my soph year (fall 2011), the two places i am considering are grenoble,france and dresden, germany.

However im in a small dilemma. My school requires me to complete 4 semesters of a foreign language and i enrolled in spanish. If i go abroad i would have to stop taking spanish in order to take the language of the native country. So im wondering if its worth the trouble to actually go. Do Med schools actually care about study abroad and consider them valuable on an application?

Thanks alot

 

[CougarMD]

Why can't you go to a Spanish speaking country and finish your language classes?


Also....the answer to "should I study abroad" is always YES.

Who cares what medical schools think. Do it because it is good for your soul.

 

[ICanHazChBurger]

Why can't you go to a Spanish speaking country and finish your language classes?


Also....the answer to "should I study abroad" is always YES.

Who cares what medical schools think. Do it because it is good for your soul.

Go to a school in Barcelona or Valencia. They are two great cities and you certainly will be able to put that Spanish to use. So your school might not have a formal program set up--go find universities online, look for contact information for the professors teaching courses you might take, and create your own plan. I guarantee it will make for a much more interesting experience.

 

[Barcu]

Hi everyone

im considering study abroad for my soph year (fall 2011), the two places i am considering are grenoble,france and dresden, germany.

However im in a small dilemma. My school requires me to complete 4 semesters of a foreign language and i enrolled in spanish. If i go abroad i would have to stop taking spanish in order to take the language of the native country. So im wondering if its worth the trouble to actually go. Do Med schools actually care about study abroad and consider them valuable on an application?

Thanks alot

Study abroad can be a valuable experience, but it certainly isn't a make or break thing. My experience abroad has come up in all of my interviews (but not really emphasized in some), so if you can talk about what you learned in a meaningful way, I think it can really help you. Plus, it's superfun.

Now the obvious question: why aren't you going to Spanish-speaking country?

 

[blackarrowmoose]

thanks for the advice guys,

the reason im not going to a spanish speaking country is because all the programs that involve a spanish speaking nation are non-science, and if i studied there i would most probably fall behind in my track to graduate in 4 years. I really want to study abroad to just simply evolve as a person, but if its too much trouble i feel like i shouldn't.

Also how do i pursue a program thats not directly instituted in my school?

I was also considering traveling/studying abroad over the summer to simply increase my awareness about medicine globally, how would i go about doing something like this?

 

[Barcu]

thanks for the advice guys,

the reason im not going to a spanish speaking country is because all the programs that involve a spanish speaking nation are non-science, and if i studied there i would most probably fall behind in my track to graduate in 4 years. I really want to study abroad to just simply evolve as a person, but if its too much trouble i feel like i shouldn't.

Also how do i pursue a program thats not directly instituted in my school?

I was also considering traveling/studying abroad over the summer to simply increase my awareness about medicine globally, how would i go about doing something like this?

Ah. When I studied abroad I took zero science and it was AWESOME. I would highly recommend it if you could. But if you really need to do a science-related program, that makes sense. Just watch out about grades transferring. All mine were pass/fail, so even if I took science, it would not have mattered.

Check out your own school's study abroad resources for other programs. Even though they are not affiliated, the school should at least have info about them or info on how to get in contact with them. Mine did about other programs. The risk of credits not transferring is much higher in those cases though.

And check out your prehealth office or adviser about summer opportunities. I'm sure you could find some programs online or from other people here on SDN too.

 

[Ursa]

Go to a school in Barcelona or Valencia. They are two great cities and you certainly will be able to put that Spanish to use.

Don't go to Barcelona for classes, they speak a completely different spanish than the rest of Spain and Mexico, so it won't help you here in the states. I studied abroad for 6 weeks in Madrid, and it was really cool. I consider myself "sufficient enough" in Spanish, and the weekend I traveled to Barca I couldn't understand a thing. So if you want to improve your Spanish, don't study in any of the Catalunyan cities (but definitely visit)!

 

[Barcu]

Don't go to Barcelona for classes, they speak a completely different spanish than the rest of Spain and Mexico, so it won't help you here in the states. I studied abroad for 6 weeks in Madrid, and it was really cool. I consider myself "sufficient enough" in Spanish, and the weekend I traveled to Barca I couldn't understand a thing. So if you want to improve your Spanish, don't study in any of the Catalunyan cities (but definitely visit)!

100% agree with this. In Barcelona and Valencia, they know how to speak Spanish, and you can certainly practice. However, they are proud speakers of Catalan (not even Spanish fyi) and will use it quite frequently, especially younger people.

After studying in Barcelona, I still sometimes have trouble understanding Mexicans, who I primarily work with. I would suggest South America (or Mexico would be the best but the drug situation is a bit concerning) if you did go to a Spanish-speaking country.

 

[blackarrowmoose]

well i could always wait until my senior year and go abroad and do one of those "experience" study abroad programs, which i wouldnt mind. however im a bit confused on how applications and senior year coincide, is it even possible to go abroad senior year if your worried about applications/interviews?

 

[Ursa]

100% agree with this. In Barcelona and Valencia, they know how to speak Spanish, and you can certainly practice. However, they are proud speakers of Catalan (not even Spanish fyi) and will use it quite frequently, especially younger people.

After studying in Barcelona, I still sometimes have trouble understanding Mexicans, who I primarily work with. I would suggest South America (or Mexico would be the best but the drug situation is a bit concerning) if you did go to a Spanish-speaking country.

Thanks for the backup! One thing I wanted to say though, be aware that there are different dialects everywhere you go. For example, my dad was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina and he says he runs into trouble every once in a while with Mexicans here in the states. Wherever you decide to go (if you decide on Spanish speaking, which I highly suggest for med school endeavors and for living in the US in general), make sure you research their language and its dialects! Good luck! (coughcoughgotospaincoughcough)

 

[Ursa]

well i could always wait until my senior year and go abroad and do one of those "experience" study abroad programs, which i wouldnt mind. however im a bit confused on how applications and senior year coincide, is it even possible to go abroad senior year if your worried about applications/interviews?

From my experience, most schools' study abroad programs return earlier in the semester than the usual finals. And seeing as the best time to apply is right when the applications open in late May/early June, you should be fine. I would just suggest that you have your PS written and edited (over and over again) before you go. You won't have the time or desire to focus on med school stuff while you are abroad, so don't try to write your PS over there.

 

[gravitywave]

not on topic

requiring four semesters of foreign language is ridiculous

/resume thread

 

[mdeast]

I will say that all my interviews consisted of talking about my study abroad experience. And, almost everyone looked upon it as universally awesome.

Many applicants do two-week mission trips, etc. but there's actually a significant dirth in the number of med school applicants who choose to study abroad for a semester or year (at least from my own anecdotal evidence talking to people on the trail). Maybe it's worry over fulfilling requirements or applying early....but definitely do it. You won't regret.

I was lucky enough to find a medically-related program and spent 7-8 months in Europe. You grow as a person, a scholar, an individual of the world. Wouldn't have traded it for anything. Plus, I think it actually helped me get into medical school.