Study Aborad?

[patrick1674]

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[magicmage88]

I studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan.. does this not already set me apart from other applicants? =] go do it!!!! looks awesome in applications, it's rly fun and so worth it! 😀

 

[avksx]

I studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan.. does this not already set me apart from other applicants? =] go do it!!!! looks awesome in applications, it's rly fun and so worth it! 😀

How did you deal with the culture shock and language barrier?

 

[Anita817]

I studied abroad in London-- no language barrier, and minimal culture shock, but it was still an amazing experience and one that I was asked ab in nearly every interview. Totally worth it IMO.

 

[magicmage88]

How did you deal with the culture shock and language barrier?

haha, well the Japanese are amazingly friendly.. so it was no biggie getting help from the locals.. however, the language barrier was freaking hard! i didn't speak a word of Japanese and to read it was impossible 😱 .. but I was going there to take a beginning japanese language course, haha.. so it worked out after a couple weeks.. I was actually having conversations in japanese and getting around pretty well on my own towards the end of my program (2 months).. but all in all, it was such a great experience! wouldn't change it for anything.. and it rly shows that doing this takes courage and determination to open ur eyes to new things.. which im guessing is a plus for med school 😉

 

[YellowDiamond]

I was wondering does studying abroad for a semester look good for medical school? )Or is it irrelevant.

Sure I know a handful of you guys will say only do it if you want to do it; well I'd love to do it. But on the same token I'd like to know if it looks good when applying to medical school?

I think studying abroad can be seen as slightly positive to very positive depending on how you choose to spend your time. If you party and travel quite a bit, its benefit will probably be fairly small. If you are able to do some quality volunteering or research, it's definitely something that sets you apart. I have talked about my volunteering experiences while studying abroad during all of my interviews so far-- the interviewers are very interested in these experiences. Medicine is very much a global subject, and I think doing the right activities abroad is one of the best ways to show you've considered the outreach you could potentially have as a physician. Go for it!

 

[avksx]

I studied abroad in London-- no language barrier, and minimal culture shock, but it was still an amazing experience and one that I was asked ab in nearly every interview. Totally worth it IMO.

Could you give more information on how you went about doing this? I'm interested in doing something similar. Thank you!

 

[Janieve]

I'm presently studying in Tokyo as well; I've been here nine and a half months and I'll be here another two months. I don't know if it's going to 'set me apart' from other applicants, but it's something I don't think I could ever regret doing. If I had to pick between a 'normal' college life + guaranteed admission to med school or studying abroad + minimal chances of admission, I'm picking study abroad.

My adviser, at least, tells me that medical schools like students who study abroad. She says they see it as an indication that the applicant appreciates other cultures and lifestyles and, assuming grades are good, the applicant handles stress well.

I agree with a few of the other posters, though:

1. Only do it if you want to do it anyway.
2. Try to get volunteer experience while you're abroad, if possible.
3. Don't fall behind on your work. It's not an excuse to do badly.

In the end, the decision is yours. But I recommend you go for it.

 

[Anita817]

Could you give more information on how you went about doing this? I'm interested in doing something similar. Thank you!

Sure! I went abroad during the spring semester of my junior year. At that point, I was pursuing a degree in communications and needed an internship since I had kinda dodged getting one my first couple years of school. IES Abroad is who I went through, and they have a pretty established program in many different countries (I discovered them though my school's study abroad office). In London, they have a very accessible internship program worked into the curriculum so you get course credits for it. I lived right in Chelsea in student housing, and traveled quite a bit on weekends and over breaks.

You might think you can't have a similar experience as a science major, and in truth, it is more difficult, but here's what I suggest: use study abroad to fulfull general education/elective credits. Don't limit yourself to "science based" programs because the options/locations are much more limited. If you can't afford to spend a semester away because of needing to fulfill major requirements, look into summer programs. They're shorter, but often equally as worthwhile. Just talk to a study abroad adviser at your school and you can get a lot more information about your school's specific options.

 

[mdeast]

Sure! I went abroad during the spring semester of my junior year. At that point, I was pursuing a degree in communications and needed an internship since I had kinda dodged getting one my first couple years of school. IES Abroad is who I went through, and they have a pretty established program in many different countries (I discovered them though my school's study abroad office). In London, they have a very accessible internship program worked into the curriculum so you get course credits for it. I lived right in Chelsea in student housing, and traveled quite a bit on weekends and over breaks.

You might think you can't have a similar experience as a science major, and in truth, it is more difficult, but here's what I suggest: use study abroad to fulfull general education/elective credits. Don't limit yourself to "science based" programs because the options/locations are much more limited. If you can't afford to spend a semester away because of needing to fulfill major requirements, look into summer programs. They're shorter, but often equally as worthwhile. Just talk to a study abroad adviser at your school and you can get a lot more information about your school's specific options.

I'd second doing London. It's less of a culture shock than other places (although definitely way different than the US), but nice in that you can often speak the language (english) of anyone from London or living in London (from all around the globe). I ended up meeting a whole bunch of interesting people that I think I wouldn't have otherwise been able to... had language barriers existed.

I also did a medical/science related program and spent a great deal of time volunteering and shadowing physicians as an actual medical student in NHS health care settings. EVERY SINGLE interviewer has asked me about this and has been thoroughly interested and impressed. It also gave me a really unique understanding of universal health-care systems and many physicians I interviewed with were interested to hear what I had to say.

I think studying abroad is almost always a positive (for personal reasons and med school reasons). Fewer pre-meds seem to study abroad than other majors, and I think it helps you stand out.

 

[NNukibw77]

i studied abroad @ Oxford. Interviewers love asking about it.

 

[Ashers]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=681170&highlight=study+abroad

Read that thread.

I studied that the University of Westminster. Interviewers asked about it for residency and med school.

 

[sr9]

well the UK isn't the only other english-speaking country in the world!

i went to new zealand and it was an AMAZING experience - beautiful country and way cheaper than london. if you're at all outdoor-sy, i'd highly recommend nz

and while i was there i did a research project on maori public health. it's come up in all my interviews and i think it's really set me apart from the crowd

 

[NickNaylor]

I think studying abroad can be seen as slightly positive to very positive depending on how you choose to spend your time. If you party and travel quite a bit, its benefit will probably be fairly small. If you are able to do some quality volunteering or research, it's definitely something that sets you apart. I have talked about my volunteering experiences while studying abroad during all of my interviews so far-- the interviewers are very interested in these experiences. Medicine is very much a global subject, and I think doing the right activities abroad is one of the best ways to show you've considered the outreach you could potentially have as a physician. Go for it!

👍

 

[rjsmit2]

If you can figure out how to work around your science requirements, don't think twice about studying abroad! Regardless of whether it gives you an advantage in the admission's process, when else are you going to have such an opportunity? It's important to develop some cultural perspective, even if it doesn't necessarily pertain to differences in the medical field. I'm finishing up my study abroad in Quito right now (I leave in a few hours actually 🙁), and while it was hard to be away from my comfort zone/friends/school/etc, I wouldn't have changed the experience for anything. If you've just started thinking about the idea, you should make an appointment with one of your school's study abroad advisors; i'm sure they'd be more than willing to address any concerns that you have regarding the process.

 

[Evergrey]

食べ物と家族もそれだけが欲しいでしょう

Simply put, I only need/want food and family? Cryptic unless I translated it wrong... (My japanese is pretty bad)

 

[Janieve]

食べ物と家族もそれだけが欲しいでしょう

Simply put, I only need/want food and family? Cryptic unless I translated it wrong... (My japanese is pretty bad)

Er, well, as a Japanese major...

食べ物と家族しか欲しい物がない。 "I want nothing but food and family."

食べ物と家族だけ欲しいです。 "I only want food and family."

必要がある物は「食べ物」と「家族」だけです。"The only things I need are food and family."

食べ物と家族しか必要がない。 "I need nothing but food and family."

And so on. There are dozens of ways of phrasing it. Work on your particles and don't throw それ in the middle of a sentence unless...well, I've never heard it in the middle. Hm.

Also, it's pretty early where I am, so if there are any mistakes, so be it. 🙄

 

[magicmage88]

食べ物と家族もそれだけが欲しいでしょう

Simply put, I only need/want food and family? Cryptic unless I translated it wrong... (My japanese is pretty bad)

haha, nice job! subarashii deshou! =]

 

[magicmage88]

Er, well, as a Japanese major...

食べ物と家族しか欲しい物がない。 "I want nothing but food and family."

食べ物と家族だけ欲しいです。 "I only want food and family."

必要がある物は「食べ物」と「家族」だけです。"The only things I need are food and family."

食べ物と家族しか必要がない。 "I need nothing but food and family."

And so on. There are dozens of ways of phrasing it. Work on your particles and don't throw それ in the middle of a sentence unless...well, I've never heard it in the middle. Hm.

Also, it's pretty early where I am, so if there are any mistakes, so be it. 🙄

wow.. last place I was expecting to be receiving Japanese help 😛

でも、本当にありがとう！がんばってね！

 

[Evergrey]

I would write a reply in Japanese, but my stupid language toolbar is broken which happens occasionally, GRRR windows xp you fail.

 

[Janieve]

I would write a reply in Japanese, but my stupid language toolbar is broken which happens occasionally, GRRR windows xp you fail.

STILL better than Vista. 😉

 

[MilkIsGood]

is there a section to write where you studied abroad on the app?

 

[Ashers]

is there a section to write where you studied abroad on the app?

Usually found in transcripts for which classes you took there.