Teaching abroad while applying?

[TehTeddy]

Hello SDN,

I'm facing a bit of a dilemma. I'm to take 2 gap years between now and med school. My plan was to apply to english teaching fellowships abroad (fulbright, JET, EPIK, etc.) for my second gap year, because I have a few more credits to finish for the fall semester. This would mean getting interviews (hopefully) while abroad.

As such, I have a couple main concerns:

1) The school year starts in September, so working around the program is unavoidable given when interviews requests occur. I'd have to fly back for interviews, and could not be out above a given interval (2 weeks off usually, although some give more). Is it feasible to manage everything within this interval? And how accommodating are schools with scheduling?

2) If I were to postpone interviews for a later date, in order to attend everything in a span of a couple weeks, would my odds of acceptance go down as if I applied late in the cycle? From what I understand, applying late decreases one's chances, but its been unclear if that's to get an interview or secure acceptance post-interview.

Of course, there's no guarantee of being accepted to the fellowship in the first place, but I wouldn't try if it means shooting myself in the foot for my career.

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[Nalsjewels]

It is possible, I did it. But it's definitely not easy and it's a little anxiety inducing. I found the majority of schools to be fairly accommodating. My AMCAS was not verified until late August and I submitted secondaries from Sept/Oct so I had the cursing or blessing, depending on how you look at it, not to receive any IIs until late December. The good thing about that was that it allowed me to schedule all my interviews over my school's winter break. Once I got my first interview, I emailed all the school's deans/directors (don't just send the email to the general email) and explained my situation. I said I would be in the States from these dates and if I was going to be offered an interview this time frame would be ideal because I'm abroad, etc. You have to be very proactive and persistent. I was also regularly updating schools with updates and letters of interests when I emailed the deans about my schedule. After my first II and sent these emails, I got four more within the next couple of weeks which allowed me to do all my interviews within a 3 week time span. If the dates offered on the calendar didn't work for me, I would just talk to the scheduler and they always got me a date that worked. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!

Edit: it is risky to do all your interviews in late Jan/early Feb because most schools are rolling, but so far I've been accepted to 3 of the 5 schools I interviewed at and waiting on the other 2. So like I said it's not impossible, but be prepared for A LOT of additional stress so I would also hope the school you are potentially working at is a little flexible with you missing some work. Otherwise you might be setting yourself up for an enormous headache. But for what it's worth, all of the schools I interviewed at were super interested in my work abroad and I think it really helped set me apart from other applicants. Working at a school for an underserved community and being able to connect to other activities on your app is a huge plus I think.

 

[kraskadva]

1) The school year starts in September, so working around the program is unavoidable given when interviews requests occur. I'd have to fly back for interviews, and could not be out above a given interval (2 weeks off usually, although some give more). Is it feasible to manage everything within this interval? And how accommodating are schools with scheduling?

Which school year are you talking about? Because most American academic years start in August, Korean and Japanese school years start in March and the Fulbright is variable depending on country.
So if you you did, say, EPIK, the your contract would run Feb-Feb or Aug-Aug. If you started that before/during med school apps, then you're either away for the majority of the cycle (so better have all pieces in place before you go) or you're running up on orientation dates for most med schools (if you get in). Also, the way your vacation time falls for that, you'd either need to have late July/early Aug interviews (which are rare) or late Jan/early Feb interviews, (which are more risky with rolling admissions).

As @Nalsjewels said (and showed) it's possible, but that doesn't mean it would be easy.
I did EPIK years ago (before being pre-med) and my husband works in Japan, so I don't have the experience of how it would mesh with an app cycle, but if you have questions about the program or the timing of things, let me know.

 

[TehTeddy]

@Nalsjewels Right, I recognize the stress aspect of the whole situation. The question would be if the downsides are bad enough to dissuade me from applying. It sounds like schools were flexible on your account, which is good to hear. I'll just need to stay on top of things like you said.

Which school year are you talking about? Because most American academic years start in August, Korean and Japanese school years start in March and the Fulbright is variable depending on country.
So if you you did, say, EPIK, the your contract would run Feb-Feb or Aug-Aug. If you started that before/during med school apps, then you're either away for the majority of the cycle (so better have all pieces in place before you go) or you're running up on orientation dates for most med schools (if you get in). Also, the way your vacation time falls for that, you'd either need to have late July/early Aug interviews (which are rare) or late Jan/early Feb interviews, (which are more risky with rolling admissions).

As @Nalsjewels said (and showed) it's possible, but that doesn't mean it would be easy.
I did EPIK years ago (before being pre-med) and my husband works in Japan, so I don't have the experience of how it would mesh with an app cycle, but if you have questions about the program or the timing of things, let me know.

I meant the programs start around that time (August technically), although I see now that EPIK also has the Feb-Feb option. The fulbright would probably be in eastern Europe or Asia, I haven't decided.
How did you like the EPIK program? Also, did you or the other fellows have any substantial connections with Korea prior to applying? I don't have any connections or knowledge of the language, although I'd be very interested in learning (and of course I'd do research prior to applying). I'm a little worried my application won't be taken seriously because of it though.

 

[TehTeddy]

Also would an adcom be able to comment on what effect, and to what extent, postponing an interview from September/October to December/January would have on the competitiveness of admission?
@Goro @gyngyn

 

[gyngyn]

An applicant strong enough to receive an early offer to interview is unlikely to be significantly disadvantaged by a December or even January interview.

 

[kraskadva]

...I meant the programs start around that time (August technically), although I see now that EPIK also has the Feb-Feb option. The fulbright would probably be in eastern Europe or Asia, I haven't decided.
How did you like the EPIK program? Also, did you or the other fellows have any substantial connections with Korea prior to applying? I don't have any connections or knowledge of the language, although I'd be very interested in learning (and of course I'd do research prior to applying). I'm a little worried my application won't be taken seriously because of it though.

JET should also have a Feb-Feb option (+/- a month) since their academic year is the same as Korea's.

My feelings on EPIK are a little complicated - there were a lot of things I didn't like about it, but the majority of that stems from the fact that I just never jived with Korean culture. Which is a personal issue, not a program issue. However, do be prepared to deal with a lot (A LOT!) of seemingly meaningless bureaucracy.
As far as TEFL contracts go though, it's a pretty good one. And they hold up their end of the bargain (whereas a lot of independent language schools in Asia don't). Same for JET. Due to COL differences, as long as you're not in Seoul or jetsetting to Bali every other weekend, you'll bank more money working in Korea than in Japan.

I did not have any prior connection with Korea - had never been to Asia at all - and didn't speak any Korean. In the 2 years I was there, I only knew one person who had a connection (Korean mother) and a solid handful who really learned Korean.
Most people don't, which is actually kinda the point of the whole program. It was started to not only teach English to the kiddies, but also to make them less hostile to foreigners and so, presumably, better able to go into international business. So having a parade of folks who force them into English immersion and expose them to different cultural norms is the stated goal. The practice varies a bit province to province (the more rural, the less the parents want you filling their kids heads with 'foreign propaganda', but that's side issue) but in general, EPIK isn't looking for you to know anything about Korea. They will actually give you a primer on Korean history/culture during orientation and teach you enough of the language to be polite and acquire food. Beyond that, in your 9-5 you're expected to speak English only to the kids.
If you have any teaching experience, or TEFL certifications, or a Masters, that would help make your app more competitive, but not knowing Korean doesn't make a difference.
And as far as I know, from talking to other EFL teachers who did it, JET is the same way.

 

[TehTeddy]

JET should also have a Feb-Feb option (+/- a month) since their academic year is the same as Korea's.

My feelings on EPIK are a little complicated - there were a lot of things I didn't like about it, but the majority of that stems from the fact that I just never jived with Korean culture. Which is a personal issue, not a program issue. However, do be prepared to deal with a lot (A LOT!) of seemingly meaningless bureaucracy.
As far as TEFL contracts go though, it's a pretty good one. And they hold up their end of the bargain (whereas a lot of independent language schools in Asia don't). Same for JET. Due to COL differences, as long as you're not in Seoul or jetsetting to Bali every other weekend, you'll bank more money working in Korea than in Japan.

I did not have any prior connection with Korea - had never been to Asia at all - and didn't speak any Korean. In the 2 years I was there, I only knew one person who had a connection (Korean mother) and a solid handful who really learned Korean.
Most people don't, which is actually kinda the point of the whole program. It was started to not only teach English to the kiddies, but also to make them less hostile to foreigners and so, presumably, better able to go into international business. So having a parade of folks who force them into English immersion and expose them to different cultural norms is the stated goal. The practice varies a bit province to province (the more rural, the less the parents want you filling their kids heads with 'foreign propaganda', but that's side issue) but in general, EPIK isn't looking for you to know anything about Korea. They will actually give you a primer on Korean history/culture during orientation and teach you enough of the language to be polite and acquire food. Beyond that, in your 9-5 you're expected to speak English only to the kids.
If you have any teaching experience, or TEFL certifications, or a Masters, that would help make your app more competitive, but not knowing Korean doesn't make a difference.
And as far as I know, from talking to other EFL teachers who did it, JET is the same way.

Great, that makes me feel more optimistic about applying. Especially considering the interviews can be managed, albeit with some stress. I think I'll go for it.

Thanks for all the answers!

 

[kraskadva]

Great, that makes me feel more optimistic about applying. Especially considering the interviews can be managed, albeit with some stress. I think I'll go for it.

Thanks for all the answers!

No problem. Glad it's helpful for you. Let me know if you have any other questions about EPIK.

 

[momo_in_homaha]

It looks like you guys have already settled this, but I also definitely recommend going abroad if that's something you're interested in. I did it and had a successful cycle. But there are a few things I'd recommend keeping in mind:

1) Submit EARLY. I mean, as early as possible. I submitted my primaries the first possible day and all my secondaries within a week of receiving them. This meant I got early interview offers and had more flexibility in rescheduling them all, as I saw fit, into a two-week time frame. Every single school was very accommodating about letting me reschedule, so that wasn't an issue.

2) I was in Central America, within a five-hour plane ride from the States. I do think this made a big difference - I flew in on a Thursday night and had to interview at a top-5 school (my first interview!) the next morning. I don't know if the interviews would have gone as well if I had to deal with major jet lag! The flight costs were also fairly reasonable. If I had to make a trip or two back from Africa or Australia or something, I don't know if I could have afforded it, and it's possible the exhaustion of how long those trips are would have affected my interviews.

That being said, going abroad was an incredible decision, and I think too many people rule it out due to "inconvenience" in your application cycle. But you'll never have this time or freedom again once you start med school. Just be smart about what location you pick and how the cost/distance/internet access/etc will play into your year when you end up needing to come back for interviews.