Should I volunteer abroad this summer?

[mnicole120]

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I'm interested in volunteering with Vida Volunteer this summer for two weeks in Guatemala. It looks like a good opportunity to gain clinical experience but I want to make sure that it's a good idea to go, especially during this year. Thoughts?

 

[Goro]

We consider this to be "medical tourism"

 

[Catalystik]

I'm interested in volunteering with Vida Volunteer this summer for two weeks in Guatemala. It looks like a good opportunity to gain clinical experience but I want to make sure that it's a good idea to go, especially during this year. Thoughts?

You are not giving enough context about your situation, what the opportunity entails, and your other ECs to tell you if this will hurt your application, be neutral, or (rarely) "look good," but aside from all that, this doesn't seem like the best of times to plan international travel.

 

[KnightDoc]

I'm interested in volunteering with Vida Volunteer this summer for two weeks in Guatemala. It looks like a good opportunity to gain clinical experience but I want to make sure that it's a good idea to go, especially during this year. Thoughts?

It's a bad idea due to the pandemic. Other than that, it's fine if it's something you want to do, but, no, it's not a respected activity that will help your application.

The duration of the trip is too short to have a meaningful impact on the community, and the opportunity is generally limited to people of means, so adcoms just don't give it a lot of respect or weight. If you are interested in having an impact, there are a ton of opportunities in or near your community, no matter where you live. You want to do something impressive abroad? Join the Peace Corps.

If you want to take a trip to Guatemala, have fun! But, if you want to enhance a med school application or impress an adcom, a two week trip abroad through an organization like Vida Volunteer is not the way to go. JMHO as a fellow premed who has received this advice repeatedly since beginning my journey.