Study Abroad

[Rafael Cavalcan]

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Hi all!!
I'm planning on studying abroad in Spain for one semester, I just wanted to know, from some of you that have studied abroad, how helpful was it for getting in med school. And also how far behing on your degree were you after one semester abroad?

Thank you

 

[moops]

i studied abroad in swaziland where they beat you long whips made of grass each morning and night. u milk cows 3 hours a day, and smash grapes to make wine the other 8 hours. it was a great time! the med schools ate it up- though "the mayo" was a little disgusted that i had once peed in the grapes.. but u know.. whatevah.

 

[wadoc]

My study abroad has come up in one (out of five) interviews, but I'm sure it's something that adds to your resume, especially because a big part of going abroad is learning cultural tolerance. I went to Scotland, so they asked about the socialized health care, and a little about politics (I flew out a few days after 9/11). Becoming proficient in spanish would definitely be marketable. Oh, I had to catch up by taking all science classes last fall, but it was worth it now that I'm graduating in four years.

 

[JM.]

I studied abroad, and I talked about it in all of my interviews. In fact, one of my interviewers was from the same part of Spain that I studied in.

 

[Bones99]

I studied abroad in England for a year. I don't think it necessarily helped me get into med school, however it did come up at a majority of my interviews. I got slightly off-track (because I took less classes than I should have) however I caught back up after staying for a single summer session.

You should go abroad because it interests you, not because you think it will help you get into a medical school. That being said, it was probably one of the best experiences that I've ever had (with the exception of this past spring break 🙂 )

I highly recommend studying abroad.

 

[abw]

Hey!
You're going to have the best time of your life when you're abroad!! I did a summer semester abroad through semester at sea (saw 9 countries, had class on a ship). I don't think it was a factor in me getting into medical school, and it only came up in 1 of 4 interviews. The one interview where it did come up (USUHS) i thought it was relevant because of the travel and long times on a boat related to the navy.

 

[surfdevl02]

Studying abroad is something EVERY college student should do. I went for a whole year to London to the London School of Economics and being that i am an economics major anyways, it actually helped my finish my major and allowed me to take it easy my senior year back at school. You shouldn't do it to boost your resume, but if that's your interest then yes, i did talk about it at my interviews. Mick Jagger actually went to LSE too and one of my interviewers is a big fan of his so we talked about the music, London, and the school a lot.

 

[surfdevl02]

Studying abroad is something EVERY college student should do. I went for a whole year to London to the London School of Economics and being that i am an economics major anyways, it actually helped my finish my major and allowed me to take it easy my senior year back at school. You shouldn't do it to boost your resume, but if that's your interest then yes, i did talk about it at my interviews. Mick Jagger actually went to LSE too and one of my interviewers is a big fan of his so we talked about the music, London, and the school a lot.

 

[kidsmd]

I never went abroad... but I just wanted to say, regardless of whether or not it would have helped my application, I seriously regret that I didn't. In retrospect, I think it would have been so great just for the experience of seeing a different culture and exploring a different place. 🙂

 

[Jeffy]

The highlight of my time in college will always be the 5 months I spent in Botswana studying abroad. Forget about it boosting up your resume to medical schools (although it probably will do that), just study abroad because. I honestly do not know a single person who did not enjoy their time studying abroad.

 

[Ginza]

I was told flat out by my undergrad pre-med advisor that pre-meds just shouldn't study abroad because it throws off their whole schedule. Unfortunately, I listened to her and terribly regret it. I wish I had gone abroad, and I now know that it's totally manageable. Have a blast!

 

[MolarGuy02]

Just my two cents: Studying abroad was the one of the greatest experiences of my life. I studied in london for six weeks in the summer. It was a great cultural experience, not to mention that it will be great interview material. You will distinguish yourself from other applicants this way. I wish you the best.
-MolarGuy

 

[stillpremed]

i am also interested in studying abroad - possibly england or australia (a country where i can speak english). does anyone know if it is too late for the application cycle for the 2003-2004 school year? I am contemplating delaying my application cycle for a year.
Has anyone delayed going to medical school for a year because he or she studied abroad?

 

[Asclepius]

I spent a year studying in England, and it was one of the most formative periods of my "adult" life-second to my first year of marriage. It certainly won't hurt my chances of acceptance, although I have not yet applied. My study abroad actually put me ahead of my classmates and allowed me to earn a triple major in 4 years. I, however, actually matriculated at the university rather than belonged to a specialized study abroad program. This is the way to go; the further you can distance yourself from other Americans and embed yourself in the culture the better the experience, I think. Good luck

 

[Rafael Cavalcan]

Thanks a lot guys for the replies. I wanna go at least for a semester to Spain. Even though I've lived in France for 4 years and Brazil for almost my entire life, I think to learn spanish and another culture would be awesome. My big worry though is that I'm a biochemistry major and I wanna go to Spain only after I take my MCAT, and if this would affect my entrance in med school right after my undergr I don't wanna do it. Do you guys think is possible to major in Biochem in 7 semesters instead of 8 (considering that I would use one of the 8 semesters to go to spain)?

Thanks everyone

 

[JM.]

What part of Spain are you planning on studying in? And I think that you can finish up those reqs easily. I always took more credits than average and I hfinished my degree in 7 semesters (i just counted out the whole year I went to Spain - since those credits didn't go towards my major) And I am so glad that I did it!

 

[linguo1]

have to agree with everyone else...my year spent in england was by far the best out of 4 wonderful years of college. when you live somewhere, as opposed to travel through a place, you get a totally different feeling; you're actually incorporated into a culture. when i travel back to england, it's like returning to my second home.

i was a chem major, and got almost none of my requirements out of the way. but taking a slightly more challenging senior year than most of my friends was a small price to pay for such a great experience. and, it's come up in all 7 of my interviews.

go, enjoy, and worry about everything else when you get home. all the details will work out! most everyone who goes abroad loves it!

 

[lola]

Originally posted by Asclepius
I, however, actually matriculated at the university rather than belonged to a specialized study abroad program.

i did this as well, and it saved me a LOT of money. instead of paying private u.s. school tuition for a year, i paid the international student tuition at the school, which was about 1/2 of private u.s. school tuition. i don't know why more people don't do this! forget the programs if your school allows you to.