Teaching?

[Mr. Macrophage]

Hi all, how is a full-time teaching position in public schools viewed in medical schools apps? I've made all the necessary arrangements and am choosing between teaching full-time for two years, and an AmeriCorps position doing something similar. I would not be doing this only for medical school apps, as I genuinely enjoy teaching, I'm just wondering which would be viewed better.

I know teaching would technically be classified as Paid Employment, but is it viewed similarly to community service (Which is what AmeriCorps would be classified as)?

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[wysdoc]

Hi all, how is a full-time teaching position in public schools viewed in medical schools apps? I've made all the necessary arrangements and am choosing between teaching full-time for two years, and an AmeriCorps position doing something similar. I would not be doing this only for medical school apps, as I genuinely enjoy teaching, I'm just wondering which would be viewed better.

I know teaching would technically be classified as Paid Employment, but is it viewed similarly to community service (Which is what AmeriCorps would be classified as)?

A full time teaching job will build lots of communication and organization skills, as well as being a living wage. There’s nothing wrong with paid work.
I know Americorps is always listed as an altruistic endeavor, but it is pretty hard to get by on what they pay and relocating

 

[Mr. Macrophage]

A full time teaching job will build lots of communication and organization skills, as well as being a living wage. There’s nothing wrong with paid work.
I know Americorps is always listed as an altruistic endeavor, but it is pretty hard to get by on what they pay and relocating

Would medical schools find it weird that I won't be engaging in research for these 2 years? I currently have ~1400 hours and 2 pubs so I assumed anything else would be overkill.

 

[KaiBuzz]

Medical Schools love Teach for America applicants…….

 

[Mr. Macrophage]

Medical Schools love Teach for America applicants…….

I would be teaching outside of that program. Do medical schools love teachers in general?

 

[LunaOri]

I would be teaching outside of that program. Do medical schools love teachers in general?

No more or no less than any other job.

 

[Mr. Macrophage]

No more or no less than any other job.

Really? I would have thought teaching in underserved public schools would be viewed very positively.

 

[LunaOri]

Really? I would have thought teaching in underserved public schools would be viewed very positively.

I think it depends on how underserved the school is, and how well you tie this into your “journey to medical school” narrative.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Employed FT teaching is always positively received, especially if you show commitment like TFA/City Year does. It used to be that you would get an automatic deferral if you got accepted to medical school while contracted with TFA... not sure now.

Sure, it matters if you taught at a Title 1 public school over an elite private school, but the younger generation is full of challenges (IEPs) that burn out seasoned teachers, such as mental health and learning challenges. Working with limited resources also is a growth experience.