Volunteering Abroad

[Ultimakey]

Hello, I have a question about volunteering abroad. I constantly see the idea of It attacked by people and hear that It is insubstantial to your application. I really want to volunteer in an African country because I respect their people and want to learn a bit about their culture and see what their people would like to offer to teach me about themselves (I’m Egyptian, so not truly “African” with how people imagine Africans). I would not be living in a volunteer building if I have the chance to live with natives. I would volunteer with one of the programs that are a couple of hundred dollars with an additional plane fare, insurance, etc. It wouldn’t be medical related, but It would be helping to build houses/community centers/schools/etc.

I’m just going to add that I’m very passionate about helping minorities and those in need (I currently tutor underserved at Mt Sinai and teach civics in a Harlem middle school to minority students).

Would It still be recommended that I don’t go? Would It also be preferred if I did something similar, but in America? Sorry for the long post and thank you for reading!

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[Ultimakey]

Extra note that I forgot: this would be about a month long or about 5 weeks during the summer.

 

[Planes2Doc]

I’m just going to add that I’m very passionate about helping minorities and those in need (I currently tutor underserved at Mt Sinai and teach civics in a Harlem middle school to minority students)

If you say this, an ADCOM will counter you with a pretty legitimate response... If you're passionate about helping minorities and the underserved, why not here in your backyard? They will ask why you didn't do habitat for humanity? I realize it's not as fun here versus going somewhere exotic. Anyway, I went on my honeymoon to Bali with my wife. We had a two week vacation with our private tour guide. It was $3400 for each of us. We had way more fun doing stuff we wanted to do instead of having to do volunteer activities. If you want an exotic getaway, I recommend just going somewhere fun in the world and do things on your own terms. You'll probably end up actually helping more by vacationing versus volunteering with an organization, if you genuinely care about these people of course.

Do you remember hearing about Kony? If the name doesn't ring a bell, that makes it better. Here's my take a few years ago on volunteer trips: Volunteering Abroad, Joseph Kony, and Why You Shouldn't Do It

 

[Ultimakey]

If you say this, an ADCOM will counter you with a pretty legitimate response... If you're passionate about helping minorities and the underserved, why not here in your backyard? They will ask why you didn't do habitat for humanity? I realize it's not as fun here versus going somewhere exotic. Anyway, I went on my honeymoon to Bali with my wife. We had a two week vacation with our private tour guide. It was $3400 for each of us. We had way more fun doing stuff we wanted to do instead of having to do volunteer activities. If you want an exotic getaway, I recommend just going somewhere fun in the world and do things on your own terms. You'll probably end up actually helping more by vacationing versus volunteering with an organization, if you genuinely care about these people of course.

Do you remember hearing about Kony? If the name doesn't ring a bell, that makes it better. Here's my take a few years ago on volunteer trips: Volunteering Abroad, Joseph Kony, and Why You Shouldn't Do It

Yes, that was the thread I was referencing in my post. Thank you so much for your advice and I think it’s very legitimate, I want to say I’m currently (and will continue) helping the underserved in my community. I’m currently waiting for my background check to get completed so I can go teach at Riker’s Island. I admit that wanting to go abroad has some selfish desire for me to go out and learn for a relatively cheap price (1k max which I’ll have to save up myself because my parent’s can’t afford to pay that). Would you say it’s preferable to keep all my underserved community volunteering limited to the U.S?

 

[Planes2Doc]

Yes, that was the thread I was referencing in my post. Thank you so much for your advice and I think it’s very legitimate, I want to say I’m currently (and will continue) helping the underserved in my community. I’m currently waiting for my background check to get completed so I can go teach at Riker’s Island. I admit that wanting to go abroad has some selfish desire for me to go out and learn for a relatively cheap price (1k max which I’ll have to save up myself because my parent’s can’t afford to pay that). Would you say it’s preferable to keep all my underserved community volunteering limited to the U.S?

I think ADCOMs want to see it in the US for most part. There are exceptions though. I had a few Mormon students at my medical school and then medical students who rotated here that went on multi-year mission trips. If you went back to Egypt to help there, that might actually look fine since you have a connection. I think there is more of an issue with spinning a globe, stopping it with your finger, and then volunteering where the finger lands.

 

[Ultimakey]

I think ADCOMs want to see it in the US for most part. There are exceptions though. I had a few Mormon students at my medical school and then medical students who rotated here that went on multi-year mission trips. If you went back to Egypt to help there, that might actually look fine since you have a connection. I think there is more of an issue with spinning a globe, stopping it with your finger, and then volunteering where the finger lands.

Egypt was actually the first country I looked at since I haven’t been there in over 10 years and all of my family (besides my immediate family) live there. It would be great to see everyone and I’d have a place to live while volunteering. However, I wasn’t able to find a program that runs in Egypt that has a solid website. The only thing that seems like a legitimate project is teaching English (which is very much needed) in Alexandria. Would spending multiple summers teaching English in Egypt be seen as a weak point on my side though due to me choosing to teach It to people outside of the US instead of those who cannot afford to stay in the education system in the US? I know my point is very nuanced and that I would love to teach English in Egypt (many people want to emigrate to America from Egypt for a better life but cannot because of their lack of English skills which makes them unable to push themselves through the list of immigration applicants). Some of my family have been trying to immigrate for years, but still haven’t been able to. Then there’s others with a solid English foundation who seem to come within a few years of applying. Anyway, my main point is if there will be a counter by the ADCOM if I present myself with 2 summers used in a different country. Thanks for all your replies so far!

 

[Ultimakey]

Forgive my lack of comma usage; I didn’t realize it would be this close to incomprehensible.

 

[MedicineN'Jazz]

Hello, I have a question about volunteering abroad. I constantly see the idea of It attacked by people and hear that It is insubstantial to your application. I really want to volunteer in an African country because I respect their people and want to learn a bit about their culture and see what their people would like to offer to teach me about themselves (I’m Egyptian, so not truly “African” with how people imagine Africans). I would not be living in a volunteer building if I have the chance to live with natives. I would volunteer with one of the programs that are a couple of hundred dollars with an additional plane fare, insurance, etc. It wouldn’t be medical related, but It would be helping to build houses/community centers/schools/etc.

I’m just going to add that I’m very passionate about helping minorities and those in need (I currently tutor underserved at Mt Sinai and teach civics in a Harlem middle school to minority students).

Would It still be recommended that I don’t go? Would It also be preferred if I did something similar, but in America? Sorry for the long post and thank you for reading!

Do what makes you happy, not what looks good on paper. I volunteered in Africa twice and that took up a great portion of my shadowing experience. Did it look good to the adcoms? Who knows, but I did get in and that’s all that counts lol. Go to Africa and enjoy yourself (esp if it’s Ghana or Nigeria!)

 

[drhop]

Do what makes you happy, not what looks good on paper. I volunteered in Africa twice and that took up a great portion of my shadowing experience. Did it look good to the adcoms? Who knows, but I did get in and that’s all that counts lol. Go to Africa and enjoy yourself (esp if it’s Ghana or Nigeria!)

Hi! You have a good question.
Before you embark upon Africa, ensure you have done enough Research , Shadowing, and leadership roles in the U.S.!
It is only after the above, that you can venture on an international journey---AND that journey must be research - based or you are contributing and teaching them with materials to empower their Life. An example would be the basics of Trauma--- You need to be atleast an instructor in it......or CPR or a certified EMT.
I hope you get the idea....
All the best!

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[candbgirl]

You seem to really want to do it so go ahead and do it. Just know that it won’t add to your application, in fact you might want to leave it off your application. If you are comfortable doing it just because you want to without regard to your med school application that’s fine.Just make sure you you do what is expected before you apply.

 

[Goro]

Hello, I have a question about volunteering abroad. I constantly see the idea of It attacked by people and hear that It is insubstantial to your application. I really want to volunteer in an African country because I respect their people and want to learn a bit about their culture and see what their people would like to offer to teach me about themselves (I’m Egyptian, so not truly “African” with how people imagine Africans). I would not be living in a volunteer building if I have the chance to live with natives. I would volunteer with one of the programs that are a couple of hundred dollars with an additional plane fare, insurance, etc. It wouldn’t be medical related, but It would be helping to build houses/community centers/schools/etc.

I’m just going to add that I’m very passionate about helping minorities and those in need (I currently tutor underserved at Mt Sinai and teach civics in a Harlem middle school to minority students).

Would It still be recommended that I don’t go? Would It also be preferred if I did something similar, but in America? Sorry for the long post and thank you for reading!

Do it ONLY because you want to do it and NOT because you think it will help polish your app, because it won't.

 

[Ultimakey]

Just to be clear, it is large fraction of the actual medical schools that "... expressed significant concern" with clinical volunteering abroad that is captured in AAMC survey data (see https://www.aamc.org/download/474346/data/clinicalexperiencesshadowingsurvey.pdf )
So, do what you desire but do not rationalize why it will be fine. Premeds forget that with the Olympic level of competition for medical school and the thousands of applications at any individual school that must be reduced by at least 80% preview II to several hundred of interview slots, much of initial evaluation is a negative process. That is, they need to fine reasons to reject you based solely on the number of applications in comparison to the number of interview slots. Therefore, applicants must reduce risk in their application.

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Thank you all for the info. It seems hard to refrain from adding It because I expect medical schools to ask what i was doing for a summer that I left out. Would even volunteering with refugees abroad be held in no regard or as a waste of a summer to the schools?

 

[candbgirl]

There are refugees right here at home. And just a FYI-several of the responses on here are from ADCOMS members. As many on this thread have stated - do it for you not for a medical school application!