I am really interested in volunteering abroad. And as a premed student, I heard that the more experience in the medical field, the better. However, recent reviews say that Projects Abroad are the best with exposing the volunteers to their surrounding and helping them gain experience (I am interested in the Medicine program in China), but looking at some of the older reviews, people say that they are for-profit and use you for money. I don’t know what to believe. Are there any testimonies or any stories from volunteers who went through the program? And their opinions on the company?
Thanks!
If you are in HS, any projects you do anywhere is not going to help in your graduate school application. Your college performance is more important.
Be careful to take on expensive overseas for profit projects, you are not going to get much out of them.
Med school admission officers do not look favorably at pay-to-play medical missions in other countries.
In a recent survey of medical school admission officers more than 50% reported grave concerns about the ethicality of medical missions abroad.
https://www.aamc.org/download/474256/data/gsa-coa-clinical-shadowing-experience-executive-summary.pdf
Also, as artlover pointed out-- generally speaking any activities you do before starting college is not included in your med school applications
So many people are volunteering overseas nowadays, which gives amazing experience. Though some organization takes money for volunteering, but they give highly professional experience and happiness which is rich in humanity. Volunteering abroad is the great way to explore yourself and help people who are in need which is good for the pre-MED student. It also enriches your CV and your personal development. My cousin who lives in France had done volunteering by participating in health mission of ONG SHAMMESH ( http://www.mission-humanitaire-afrique.org/ ) which gave him amazing experience and also left a great impact on his CV.
@AnthonyDixon
IMHO, for a High School student, that is this subject matter posted to, travel abroad for humanitarian reason is a waste of time and won’t do any thing to his CV when applying for UG College or finding a job right after HS.
Lets face it, to an adcomm, what exactly will he be thinking if some HS applicant apply for admission with a “Humanitarian Mission” to Benin? First of all, he will wonder what kind of work this 17 year old can do? Does he know the language enough even to communicate? Secondly, Is this a trip for enjoyment, sightseeing or for work? What can they do in a few days of visit? Third, Who paid for the trip? If the family can afford thousands to send this kid to Africa, why can’t they afford the cost of college and is asking for aids?
There are thousands of poor people at your home city or state are in need of help, if you are willing, you can work full time or double the full time to help them, you do not need spend thousands for a short trip to abroad as a humanitarian mission, leave those mission for Red Cross or any other better equipped organizations.