<p>Have any of your pre-med kids studied abroad? Just wondering if it is feasible for a pre-med student or not. My S is leaning towards not, but I think he would like to if possible. If you take pre-med classes at foreign university does that count for med school or not? He may have all of his pre-med req's done by then, but may still want to take some upper level bio classes. Just curious if anyone has made this work and how it turned out.</p>
<p>Study abroad coursework is only acceptable to AMCAS under certain conditions. Please see pp. 50-53 of the AMCAS Instruction Manual for Applicants</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.aamc.org/students/download/182162/data/amcas_instruction_manual.pdf”>https://www.aamc.org/students/download/182162/data/amcas_instruction_manual.pdf</a></p>
<p>Basically, foreign study abroad coursework must:</p>
<p>1) be completed thru a recognized study abroad program affiliated with a US or Canadian college or university </p>
<p>2) the student must receive credit from his home institution for the study abroad coursework </p>
<p>3) the study abroad coursework must appear on the student’s home college transcript</p>
<p>Any coursework done as part of study abroad requires special handling on the AMCAS application. (Your son will need to ask for a transcript exception so he does have to send a transcript from the foreign host college as part of his verification process.)</p>
<p>Neither D did a study abroad. One did a summer abroad.</p>
<p>My D couldn’t fit in a semester/year study abroad, but did a summer abroad program through her UG. It wasn’t quite the same experience, but it was what worked with her packed schedule.</p>
<p>If he wants to he could take a Gap Year if he chooses to do a semester or year abroad. That is what I plan to do. I am double majoring in French Language and Literature and Spanish Language and Literature as a pre-med student. I will do a semester in Nice, France and a semester in Sevilla, Spain my junior year. I know it may make another year for my undergrad but that is what I choose to do. If may be beneficial. If not he can do what the others have posted: spring break trips like some colleges do as part of a course like ecology, or he could do a summer session which is just as good.</p>
<p>Similar to others, D1 did’t do a sem abroad but did Intl. research one summer. </p>
<p>D was not able to study abroad. It was too hard to work out with her course load. She did, however, make up for that. She took two great trips to Europe during her summer breaks after M1 and M2. </p>
<p>Thanks everyone! I think he decided, for now, not to do it. Since he is an Environmental Science major with a concentration in Philosophy, it will be almost impossible to fit in a study abroad program. He works as an EMT in the summers, so that’s out. He does plan on taking a couple years off between college and med school, so he can do travel then if he so desires. </p>
<p>DS is currently studying abroad and will apply to Med school this cycle. His study abroad program is run by his school so his transcripts will reflect his courses are part of his universities offerings. I guess he lucked out with having this program available.</p>
<p>Drawbacks: He took the MCAT fairly early (summer before Junior year) and I’m sure more time to prepare would have been better, although he did get a decent score. Also, he returns May 1 and has to jump right into applications. He also has to scramble to finish his school committee interview in order to have all his ducks in a row for applications. May will be a busy month for him!</p>