Studying Abroad VS Research

[KHBUOY]

Hi everyone, I am new the community but have been following advice from these threads and the general website for a couple years now.

I will become an undergraduate senior next semester, and I had a couple plans for the summer. My first plan was to do research and join this graduate school preparatory program, but I was not accepted. BUT thankfully I applied for studying abroad in Beijing, China for a language intensive course for the summer also.

So I want to apply to medical school this summer and matriculate in 2012. The thing is, I was looking at the MSARs, and many of the applicants had "research" on their application. I was wondering if I should get some research done this summer instead (because I have, virtually, no research experience outside of lab courses). My grades are average, and I am taking my MCATs in June (before I go to China).

I know there are a lot of informed students in the forum, I wanted to know what your opinions are. Should I try to find a research position (it's kind of late for it right now), or should I go to China and continue my interest in the Chinese language? (I ultimately want to serve in Southeast/East Asia in the future, so I have been learning Thai and Chinese, and is already fluent in Vietnamese).

What do you think?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[acb88]

I say 100% go to China. You will gain so much more from that experience than from doing a little bit of research. I think studying in China will stand out more to adcoms than research.

Advice for everyone: if you ever have the opportunity, go abroad. It is an amazing experience. It will mean so much more to you in the future than any possible activity that you do solely to make you look better on a medical school application

 

[hmockingbird]

Take the opportunity to go to China. You won't regret it and like acb88 said, you will gain so much more personally from going abroad.

 

[KHBUOY]

Thank you for your advice! I definitely will prepare to go to China then.