Summer 2025 Plan

[acrossthebridge]

Hi guys!

I'm a college freshman from Houston, Texas. I'm finding it hard to decide between two ideas for the summer, and would like some input.

a) I was offered a position to work at a school for impoverished indigenous children in Mexico for 3 months. I love teaching children & have a decent amount of experience doing so. (Volunteers do not pay nor are paid and work in an auxiliary capacity, assisting full-time teachers) Also, this would most likely allow me to advance from my intermediate level of Spanish to conversational fluency.

b) I could get EMT-Basic certification over the summer, allowing me to work/volunteer as an EMT during the academic year. This would also allow me to take classes + get clinical hours at a hospital during the summer.

In both cases, I would continue tutoring at a local community center, in-person or online.

Should I go abroad for the summer? Achieving greater proficiency in Spanish has been a long term goal of mine (and would be valuable in Texas), but I'm unsure if forgoing EMT certification would be pragmatic. Also would I be able to mention volunteering abroad on my eventual application, or would it be perceived as "voluntourism"?

Any thoughts?
Thanks!!

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[LunaOri]

Both sound like great opportunities. Tutoring at the community center, less valuable.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Both sound like great opportunities. Tutoring at the community center, less valuable.

For admissions, online tutoring is much less valuable to help your file stand out.

I think the Mexico experience is interesting, and as a rising sophomore, YOLO. You have some time to do more service orientation activities in the US.

 

[Z_C]

I'm just some person and this is just one opinion but my advice, as often, is to do what you care about!

Medical school should not be your north star, and the way you evaluate community service should stem from helping people who you genuinely care about not what you think some random doctor likes. If you want to be a doctor then you care about helping people. You do not need an MD to help people. Start working on something where you could be happy making that your career. : )

 

[AsclepiusAdvisingLLC]

Hi guys!

I'm a college freshman from Houston, Texas. I'm finding it hard to decide between two ideas for the summer, and would like some input.

a) I was offered a position to work at a school for impoverished indigenous children in Mexico for 3 months. I love teaching children & have a decent amount of experience doing so. (Volunteers do not pay nor are paid and work in an auxiliary capacity, assisting full-time teachers) Also, this would most likely allow me to advance from my intermediate level of Spanish to conversational fluency.

b) I could get EMT-Basic certification over the summer, allowing me to work/volunteer as an EMT during the academic year. This would also allow me to take classes + get clinical hours at a hospital during the summer.

In both cases, I would continue tutoring at a local community center, in-person or online.

Should I go abroad for the summer? Achieving greater proficiency in Spanish has been a long term goal of mine (and would be valuable in Texas), but I'm unsure if forgoing EMT certification would be pragmatic. Also would I be able to mention volunteering abroad on my eventual application, or would it be perceived as "voluntourism"?

Any thoughts?
Thanks!!

Medical schools want to see that you have followed a passion for a variety of different things including the opportunity to practice medicine. Going abroad is a wonderful experience, and you can always get an EMT certification later in your academic career. If you study abroad, many ADCOMS will want to hear about what you did for YOURSELF and the COMMUNITY you became apart of. Many candidates who study abroad in Madrid discuss their appreciation for the Prado, other national art exhibits, public transportation, and the ability to see the world through another culture's lens. Note that this is a fulfilling experience for the candidate, and not "I studied abroad but made sure to turn it into a cookie cutter premedical experience so that I didn't 'fall behind' other premeds who decided not to study abroad."

In short, you should pursue whatever experience is most enriching FOR YOU and work on how to leverage the experience for a medical school application later. That is what the SDN community is for! What we cannot do is live life for you, and that should be your number one priority at this stage of your academic journey.

 

[Heyigotnoclue]

Both sound like great opportunities. Tutoring at the community center, less valuable.

Why is this less valuable? I was told to go look into a service trip but I live near an area that has a dire need for help at a soup kitchen (visiting this soup kitchen is truly a lesson in humanity). Although people need help everywhere, I often wonder why it seems more valuable to go abroad for service instead of our own backyards.

 

[LizzyM]

who are the people you are tutoring at the community center? What are the demographics (age, sex, socioeconomic status, etc)

 

[acrossthebridge]

who are the people you are tutoring at the community center? What are the demographics (age, sex, socioeconomic status, etc)

I tutor recovering addicts to pass the GED exam and in digital literacy. As it's through a male-only rehab center, I only work with men, but the ages and ethnic backgrounds vary greatly. The rehab program is free & most of the men were homeless before joining.

 

[LunaOri]

Why is this less valuable? I was told to go look into a service trip but I live near an area that has a dire need for help at a soup kitchen (visiting this soup kitchen is truly a lesson in humanity). Although people need help everywhere, I often wonder why it seems more valuable to go abroad for service instead of our own backyards.

Working at your local soup kitchen is extremely valuable. Tutoring is generally not considered to be outside the comfort zone of the average applicant. In the example above, tutoring the homeless or incarcerated would be an exception.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

In both cases, I would continue tutoring at a local community center, in-person or online.

and

I tutor recovering addicts to pass the GED exam and in digital literacy. As it's through a male-only rehab center, I only work with men, but the ages and ethnic backgrounds vary greatly. The rehab program is free & most of the men were homeless before joining.

So a "local community center" and a "male-only rehab center" are two different facilities in my mind. Being a volunteer at a rehab center for recovering substance abusers and homeless is very important context. What other responsibilities do you have other than being a GED coach?

Also, because you already have a high school diploma and likely are facile in the digital universe, you are teaching from a position of a subject matter expert. Every premed teaches and tutors, so it doesn't help you stand out, though you will get credit for the communities you are helping (a different column for me). I can argue that getting a GED is critical to getting a job, but it's something else to teach someone how to navigate the unemployment filing platforms vs. passing an exam. Most traditional undergrads don't know how to file an unemployment claim or the hassle of diligently updating information for getting benefits.

 

[acrossthebridge]

and



So a "local community center" and a "male-only rehab center" are two different facilities in my mind. Being a volunteer at a rehab center for recovering substance abusers and homeless is very important context. What other responsibilities do you have other than being a GED coach?

Also, because you already have a high school diploma and likely are facile in the digital universe, you are teaching from a position of a subject matter expert. Every premed teaches and tutors, so it doesn't help you stand out, though you will get credit for the communities you are helping (a different column for me). I can argue that getting a GED is critical to getting a job, but it's something else to teach someone how to navigate the unemployment filing platforms vs. passing an exam. Most traditional undergrads don't know how to file an unemployment claim or the hassle of diligently updating information for getting benefits.

Yeah, sorry, I should've been more specific. Tutoring takes up most of my time there, as many men have major educational issues (inability to do basic math, illiteracy, etc). In addition, I advise on post-rehab plans, with some seeking to enroll in college.

 

[hommefatale]

everyone here has provided you with valuable insights! some advice coming from someone about to start applying, make sure not to neglect clinical experience before you apply! it's kind of shocking how short the timeline is to get everything for a traditional applicant, so if you don't decide to do the EMT position this summer (which is totally fine!) try and find a stable clinical volunteer/employment position shortly after.

 

[jovialmedstudent]

If your choices are
a. some volunteering but lots of clinical experience
b. an amazing volunteer experience but no clinical experience

You have to go with B in my opinion. Med schools need to know you have worked in a clinical setting, otherwise how are they going to know you want to take care of patients?