Is volunteering abroad important for medical school?

Question

It seems everyone I know is trying to volunteer internationally before applying to medical school. To be honest, it seems to me a bit inefficient and unnecessary. You pay thousands of dollars to work 2-4wks tops in some 3rd world country.

I feel its just glamorous, i mean if you really wanted to help ppl then just spend the summers working in a local hospital/shelter and/or tutoring underprivileged ppl.

What do you guys think? Im sure vol. abroad helps your application but is it important/that great to have in particular?

Answer 1

Schools will look less at where you did your volunteer work and more at the fact that you did it.  Its important to show you are well-rounded and can maintain good grades while having other activities going on.  My husband's application had local volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald and tutorial programs and now he's about to start his 4th year at one of the top programs.  You should focus on the quality of what you do, not where you do it.  I think the international aspect of it is something that might catch an eye, but certainly not something that would make you a definite yes or no candidate.  Hope that helps!

Answer 2

I think offering your time and service is important NO matter where you go or stay is vitally important. Firstly it increases your awareness of that which is around you with less focus on YOU.

You can help out in poverty stricken areas or areas like Iowa and the La where there have been horrendous loss. You can volunteer for the Red Cross  within your community specializing in emergency relief, disaster relief, international aide, which will give you a better rounded experience as a medical doctor, helping you develop empathy for those who are not as well off as you are.

It doesn't matter where you serve, but that you serve someone else other than yourself.

Resume building can be fine, but people want the "real" experience that changes lives not for a few weeks , but  for forever.

Answer 3

The overseas experience for a few weeks carries as much weight as the person who indicates they have 200 hours of volunteering.  It demonstrates that the applicant perceives volunteering as just another prerequisite.  Rather than impressing an admission committee, these are marks against an applicant.

One of the things many applicants fail to realize is that you can't fake sincerity.  It appears disingenuous to allege altruistic motives for going into medicine and only have one summer of volunteering.