<p>My older son had no interest in studying abroad…zero interest. He likes traveling (and does), but had no interest in doing so while taking classes or doing coursework. When he travels, he just wants the fun/sightseeing aspect. LOL This summer, after he graduates, he’ll spend some time in Italy practicing his Italian that he’s taking in college. </p>
<p>My younger son is going to Nicaragua over spring break with some kind of Doctors without Borders kind of group. He’s a Chemical Engineering major, so many of his courses are tightly sequenced, so it wouldn’t be easy for him to do a semester abroad. He may do a 6 week summer abroad. But, if he doesn’t, it won’t be a big deal. </p>
<p>However, I would NOT let the idea of “study abroad” be the reason/justification for going to college for 5 years. We can’t lose the forest for the trees. If the goal is med school, then nothing should be done that would “trip up” that goal unnecessarily. And, studying abroad is NOT necessary.</p>
<p>I would add that a 5th year at Tulane is an additional $55k. A FRACTION of that amount would pay for a heck of a graduation trip abroad somewhere!</p>
<p>My D could not have studied abroad for a semester and done the things she wanted to do in UG [sorority, club team, volunteering, medical volunteering, term-time research for 3.5 years, two funded NSF summers, edit the Bio Journal, work part-time for extra cash, spring breaks at the beach or in Europe, play a little tuba in the orchestra, a whole bunch of other stuff while never taking less than 17 hours (until her last semester), and still apply the summer after her third year]. </p>
<p>She saw that quickly. Just wasn’t gonna happen with all the Chem she was adding to a Bio major. Not many science classes offered through her LAC abroad. </p>
<p>So, she signed up for a total immersion Spanish program through her school in Spain for the summer after first-year. 6 or 7 weeks as I recall. She spent the rest of that summer shadowing 3 different doc’s about 40 hrs a week. </p>
<p>Was it a full schedule? Sure. Was it overwhelming? No. Did her academic/ec schedule/workload compare with the academic schedule/workload she has now as a M1? Uhhhhh…not a chance. It is a firehose, but she still finds time to socialize and do a little shadowing. Just not a lot of time. She certainly had more free-time in UG, even with her EC commitments. </p>
<p>Prove to the med schools that you can handle the load that is most certainly headed your way if accepted. A light schedule for 5 years just won’t do that.</p>
<p>Well if you’re looking for life experience, the obvious answer is to take a year off. Graduate from college in four years with a reasonable courseload and then spend another year doing whatever you want to do for a year.</p>
<p>I really like that 5 year plan and wish my D had done that. Interviews and applications during senior year add a bunch of stress. I’d say take it the summer after his junior year after a full tilt review course. Plenty of time for a re-assesment of the situation.</p>
<p>i was looking at some of the MCAT test dates for this year. If my son were to plan on taking some time off after he graduates in his 4th year, then he could take the MCAT in early August a couple of weeks before his senior year. therefore, he would have the entire summer to prepare for the MCAT. In order for interviews, etc. not to conflict with a break after he graduates, when should he apply to medical school.</p>
<p>mom2collegekids…what do you think about that plan…i realize it is only a plan and is very much subject to change. it seems like he would have ample time to study for the mcat and smell the roses for a short while as well</p>
<p>bluedevilmke…i know on a previous statement that you told someone that the problem with studying abroad your senior year is that once you take the MCAT in May of your junior year and soon after that apply to med school you would not be available on the spur of the moment for the interviews for med school . so i can see how taking the MCAT in august just before his senior year and waiting until the following summer after graduation to apply would negate that particular problem. My question is, how soon after you apply to med school will schools expect you to be available to interview on the spur of the moment. Also, when you interview in the fall, is that interview for the following fall semester of med school or does med school allow students to enter at different times of the year? If he were to apply to med school in the summer after graduation, would he not then be in the same situation for the upcoming fall? The plan would still allow him to study abroad his senior year, but the glide year would have to be closer to home, would it not? If he were to apply 6 months after graduation, what is the earliest he might enter med school?</p>
<p>*mom2collegekids…what do you think about that plan…i realize it is only a plan and is very much subject to change. it seems like he would have ample time to study for the mcat and smell the roses for a short while as well *</p>
<p>I think it has merit, but I also think it depends on the kid. </p>
<p>Since it is just an option, it will really depend on your son. If he decides that he wants a year off, then great. If he wants to “get on with it” and go right from undergrad to med school, then that’s fine, too. :)</p>
<p>what happens if a student makes a poor grade in one subject and elects to take the subject a second time. does the updated grade in that subject replace the previous grade?</p>
<p>(The only exception would be where an undergraduate school erases the first grade entirely from the transcript, which so far as I know never happens.)</p>
<p>Smile- DD did that plan, she did study abroad 1st term junior year, took a review course that summer and took the test in August. I checked here and SDN and we decided she should take that year off after graduation and just do her apps the summer after senior year.</p>
<p>In her case, in huge state flagship, it was the perfect decision. She needed the senior year classes in her upper division major to make the best connections for LORs, and getting great grades only helped her GPA. Then immediately after graduation she was offered a job in a research lab and worked in medical research- at a clinical level, people not microbes, in the OR, presented at a conference, etc. This means she was paid for that year, enough to support herself. She had a real job with time off allowed for interview travels, meaning no juggling exams & interviews. Plus her research was a great topic for interview discussions.</p>
<p>Now that she is nearing the end of her first year or med school, very successfully, she is happy she took the time off as it cemented, in her mind, the need to pursue her MD and she does not have any thoughts wondering if it is all too much. She is certain this is where she wants to be.</p>
<p>This may be sort of off topic but bluedevilmike, I’ve been reading all of your helpful posts on this website and I was wondering if you could help me too.
I am a senior in highschool in South Carolina and plan on attending College of Charleston this fall. I would like to be what they call a “pre med” student, but the type of doctor I want to be may be kind of complicated. Overall, I’d like to become a reconstructive/cosmetic facial plastic surgeon someday, and I have many questions I feel you would be able to answer. Thanks!</p>
<p>Feel free to post your questions here and we’ll see what we can do.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that there’s almost nothing that you can do as a high school senior which will seriously help or harm your career aspirations. For the remainder of high school, try to avoid getting arrested or shot. Early in college, take your premedical classes and get good grades in them. There aren’t any big decisions that come up until junior year of college.</p>
<p>What higher-level chemistry courses are recommended for someone who will be exempting 2 semesters of gen chem (AP Credit).
I’ve heard that physical and astrochemistry are not recommended, but what about Inorganic Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis?
I plan on taking Biochemistry at some point, but I think that counts as an organic chem class.</p>
<p>I’m going to U Illinois, and this is what I have to pick from. (pretend the orgo isn’t there)
[Course</a> Information Suite, Course Catalog, Class Schedule, Programs of Study, General Education Requirements, GenEd](<a href=“Course Explorer”>Course Explorer)</p>
<p>bluedevilmike, i have spent the last week reading your posts…you are a saint!! I am a first year at W&L, pre-med, but majoring in Physics/Engineering-but may change to bio-chem next year-thank you for all your advice!</p>