what to do in year off?

TRAVEL!!!

 

If you're interested in student-led international service, visit www.rice.edu/hmo. Be aware that international service can be pretty expensive. I'd maybe devote 3-4 months to this then come back to the states and get a health-related job, both for the experience and to make some money.

 

if you're as interested in japanese soy sauce as your name suggests, there's the JET program. it's a fairly well known organization run by the japanese government to bring english speakers from across the globe (read: majority are american, some british, irish, oz, kiwi, a few S koreans, germans, others) into junior high classrooms to act as assistants.

it may not be exactly what you're looking for, but i've heard plenty of good things about it if you're interested in something beyond teach for america.

 

I'm thinking of taking a year off, but still deciding what to do with it too. Won't it be hard to do anything internationally though while applying? Cause you'll have to first turn in apps, reply to all those secondaries (around what month are the secondaries sent out?), then go for interviews--all this while being out of the country...(must cost alot too). Has anyone done a year off internationally, and still got accepted/went to med school the following year? How'd you do it?

thanks,
mpaty

 

most likely they would do international for a year and then apply after that committment...thus making it 2 years...or at least thats how i see it. cause it would be tough to do amcas and turn that in during june...and then filling out secondaries till december depending on how slow schools are...and then interviewing anywhere from october to april the following year.
doing research or volunteering etc...locally would be good if you just wanted to apply right after you graduate.

 

yes, me for one. there are other people here doing the same thing. to be blunt, it's not easy and the travelling does fatigue (and i consider myself a person who loves travelling). it helps that the economy is crap and airfares are relatively low right now.

i think the keys are to turn everything in early (you can probably turn in secondaries before you leave if your committments dont begin until autumn) and to apply to a limited number of schools that you both 1) would really like to go to and 2) think you can actually be admitted to.

 

one last thing: in hindsight, if at all possible, i would definitely recommend applying BEFORE you go abroad and then deferring your acceptance

 

teach for a year....it's been a great change of pace AND i get to travel this summer before med school (while receiving pay from work). great gig